Willmar tribune., 1898-10-12
SWEPT BY FOREST ||;| FIRES
Damage Done in Northern Wis.,
consin Is Widespread and
Cannot Be Estimated.
DES0lATloN IS VISIBLE Everywhere.
Hundreds Of Families Are H0meless
and Destitute-Over 100 Persons
Missing and Many Dead Bodies
Found-Gov. Scofield Issues an Ap-
peal to the People for Aid.


peal to the People for Aid.
Turtle Lake, Wis, Oct. 3.-The dam
age done by the forest fires of the last
few days cannot be estimated or over
estimated. Hundreds of families are
homeless, many are almost naked, and
in few days all will want for food, as
the small supplies in the towns are not
sufficient. The people are in no condi-
tion to pay for what there is. The
devasta ton wrought by the fire is so
great that it cannot be comprehended
by anyone not on the ground.
A correspondent drove for 30 miles
through the burned district Saturday,
and everywhere along the roads were
the homeless fire sufferers, some sit
ting beside the few household articles
which they had saved, many nursing
burns and nearly all suffering from
sore eyes from fighting the flames.
Many of them are totally blind. The
ruins of the forest show how fierce the
fire must have been. Great numbers
of cattle and horses perished.
Chippewa Fall. District.
Eau Claire, Wis.,, Oct. 3.-It is report
ed that the timber near Graves wood
is on fire. At Livermore dwellings,
barns, granaries and crops have been
burned. At Chippewa Falls it is re-
ported that all the camp outfits on
Cedar lake have been destroyed, and
it is feared that several lives have been
lost. Men and horses of August Ma
sons outfit only escaped by plunging
into the lake and staying there for
hours, almost suffocated by the smoke.
At Stout's camp 500 oxen perished.
Hundreds of people are homeless. The
loss of farm property in Clark. Bar
ron and Chippewa counties is esti-
mated at 100000. The latest reports
say that all hopes of checking the
flames have been abandoned. Nothing
but rain will save the remaining prop
crty.
Charred Bodies Found.
Cumberland, Wis, Oct. 3.-From re-
ports received here, nine people have
perished.
A dispatch from Rice Lake says that
many unidentified bodies have been
found charred in the woods, and that
so far as heard from there are over 100
persons missing. Advices from Rice
Lake state that the fires in the neigh
borhood are worse than ever, and that
the loss of life will be much greater
than it was supposed it would be.
The property loss in this county will
aggregate 100000 besides the farm
buildings and crops. A large amount
of stock has been burned and much
hardwood timber has been destroyed.
Gov. scofeld's Appeal.
Madison, Wis.,, Oct. 3.-1n response
to calls for assistance from the forest
fire sufferers of the northern part OF
the state, Gov. Scofield has issued the
following public call for their relief:
ITO, the People. Of Wisconsin,: Forest
nres nave again devastated a portion OF
our state and rendered homeless several
hundred people, and a request has come
for assistance. These people require cloth
ing, food and shelter. and they will have
ether needs than these which 1t will be
necessary to meet in order to enable them
to undertake again their own support. The
people of Wisconsin have always given a
ready response to calls Of this kind for
help. and I feel confident that this demand
upon them will be generously met.
NOA. -" AAIdI4 y. bOyIe, MllWduKee, Will
receive contributions of provisions, cloth
Ing and money for the fire sufferers, and is
hereby appointed to take charge of the
contributions and attend to their distribu-
ton. The people in any part of the state
who desire to help the fire sufferers can
communicate by telegraph or mail with
Col Boyle at Milwaukee,"
Send Supplies to Milwaukee,.
Milwaukee, Oct. 3.-Col. William J.
Boyle. who has been appointed by Gov.
scofield to receive contributions and
take charge of the relief work among
the families who have lost everything
by the forest fires in northern Wiscon-
sin, has completed his plans for the
work. Quarters will be opened in this
city to-day, where supplies of clothing,
food, furniture and money will be re-
ceived. The first shipment of supplies
will go north over the Chicago e. North
western road at six o'clock tonight,
and other shipments as fast as carload
lots can be made up. Col. Boyle says
that supplies from all over the state
| should be sent to Milwaukee to be dis
frihufad system a fioa 11v from haro