The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-10-07

Had Fled the City-Glenwood Has
n Close Cnll-Total Loss Ii Esti-
mated at From Two to Three
Millions.
st. Paul, Oct. 1.-The forest fire,
which have been burning in various
places throughout Western Wisconsin
for the past few days, were famed
into furious storms of flame by
Thursdays winds and did great DAM
age throughout Chippewa, Barron,
Dunn, st. CroiX and Polk counties.
makes the reports very incomplete,
Clayton. 1Almena and Pasllin have
have been wholly or partially de-
stroyed. that Cumberland has suffered
ron. Prentice Phillips and Turtle Lake
have been Threatened and only saved
by the heroic efforts of the citizens.
Reports of loss of life have been re-
'ceived. but have not been verified.
ASSUcldPcu l'IeSS IeJoItS itlitt SpcCluiS
received by the Pioneer Press from va
rious points indicate that the fires
lrave been checked III places by Drovi-
Dental rains and the subsistence of
winds. Estimates place the total
losses at from 100000 to $5.000,OOO.
'Cumber1nnd's Awful ScOurgc.
Cumberland, Wis: Oct. "A hurri-
cane of fire swept through Barron
county Thursday. For the past week
fires have been burning to the south
and west of Cumberland and village
of Almena, and Thursday afternoon
about I O'clock violent wind set in
from the southwest The smouldering
fires were famed into raging flames.
bearing directly on Cumberland, and
il: a hour the city was completely
shrouded in smoke. Large burning
cindCrs were driven over the city from
the south and gave timely warning TO
the inhabitants.
Everybody was called out to make Il
fight against the oncoming" flames. In
two hours from the commencement
OF the gale the whole timbered section
to the south and west was mass of
flames. Burning embers were falling
like cain and igniting the marshes and
dry trees in close vicinity to the town.
Every one realized the nature of the
coming fight. the houses were vacated
and the families gathered around them
reatlylto extiguhh the falling cinders.
With the roar of the coming flames
i'll their ears and the smoke making
the day darker and darker. it is no
wonder that panic seized the women
and children. They rushed about
wrinSing their hands. running into one
smother. utterly bewildered.
At 40 o'clock it looked as though
the whole city would he wiped out
At the depot the railroad officials had
provided two special freight trains.
and a ) o'clock. when tho fires were
lighting Residence After Residence,
the women, children and old men, With
common impulse. CROPPED their way
to the station and boarded the cars.
At $50 the hurricane of fame burst
upon the city. No fire protection in
the way of engines, pressure or hose,
cound> have made the results any diff
ferent. The train pulled out With
Its sorrowful passengers and carried
them to Shell Lake. Those left be-
hind now realized that all hope OF es-
cape by train was shut off. and the
panic become intensified. Some took
few valuahles from their homes and
sought the lake shore west of the city.
Here it was that those remaining saw
safety.
About $50 O'clock the lumber yards
of the Beaver Dam Lumber company
caught and in less time than it takes
to write it fifty acres of lumber piles,
together with the saw mill. Single
mill and planning mill were all ablaze.
Most of the people were now on the
lake shore. waiting for the end. On
the east side of the city. east of the
RAILROAD track, dwelling after dwelling
was being ignited. \ few desperate
residence owners remained ut their
posts and fought until the intense heat
drove them back. All hope was gwen
up. The whole city
Was Apparently Doomed.
Never before was a shower of rain
more providential. The fire had s..c,.l-
ingly been followed by an electric
cloudburst. The rain fell in ,orraois,
flooded the streets, put out the tying
cnders. and, best of all. gave l.,le
hope to the panic-stricken people The
AAi1i iIAOC II loSSlplC I" NAVY
the west side. Nothing could So the
lumber yards, mills or houses already
burning: the rain never touched those
fires, the heat was too intense
At 10 o'clock the people again took
courage and moved back to the city.
They fought hard and saved the West
part OF the town. Up to late hour
10 fatalities were reported, although
one farmer named Peter Ecklund,
living south Of the city. was caught in
the fire and was so badly burned that
his recovery is doubtful.
The total loss in the city will aggre-
gate about 100000. From the farm.
ing section southeast of the city comes
the report that forty-tive farmers We're
rendered homeless, losing everything
they possessed and many Of them mar
rowly. escaping with their lives.
Fires Are Quenchcd.
Milwaukee, Oct. 2.-Reports received
at the railroad Offices in~this city are
that the forest fires in the northern
~