The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-10-08
GREAT FOREST FIRES.
Many Lives Lost and Much valua-
BILE Property Destroyed.

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 30.-The forest fires
which have been burning in northern Wiscon
sin for the past few days were famed into
furious storms of fame yesterday afternoon,
and did enormous damage in Chippewa, Bar
ron, Dunn, St. Croix and Polk counties. The
village of Cumberland was almost entirely
wiped out and forty farmers near South City
lost everything they possessed.
In the vicinity of Chippewa Falls more than
FIVE hundred million feet ofpine has been de-
stroyed, together with thousands Of feet of
hardwood lumber. Thousands offarmers are
still engaged in fighting the flames, but they
can make little Roadway owing to the fact that
everything is as dry as finder. The losses thus
far are estimated at between two and three
millions dollars.
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis, October August
Mason, of this city, one of the most extensive
loggers in Wisconsin, returned today from a
trip to his camps, at Cedar Lake, Barren
county. He had an exciting time with forest
fires, and reports the entire loss of all his
camps and outfits at Cedar Lake. He says
four men have lost their lives in the flames.
When Mason and his men started for the
railway station, the 6te was eight miles away,
but the flames rapidly gained on them, and
men and horses were forced to plunge into
lake for safety,
of the larger party are missing and Mr.. Mason
says there is no hope that they are safe. Their
names are Sam Popple, VIM. Brown and two
McGill brothers, all residents of Chippewa
county.
The scenes, Mr.. Mason says, were terrible.
On every side there was sea of fire rapidly
growing and destroying everything. Knapp
Stout & Company's camps and outfits, in that
locality, are all burned; also, over 500 oxen.
Dozens of farm houses that Mr.. Mason passed
in the morning, were in ashes in the after
noon. Hundreds are homeless, many even
losing all their household goods.
The following estimates flosses were made
by prominent lumber man here
Northwestern Lumber Company, 1000;
August Mason, $50, 900; Mississippi River
Lumber Company, $50, 900; Chippewa Log
ging Company, $50, 900; Knapp, Stout q Co..
1926, 600
The losses include standing timber, logs,
camps and camp outfits The loss of farm
property in Clark, Barron and Chippewa
counties is estimated at 100000. Latest re-
ports say that all hopes of checking the flames
have been abandoned. Nothing but rain will
save the enormous amount of property that is
burning and threatened
THE LATEST.
Rain on Saturday night checked the forest
0feS In NOIIHW6SN6Tu NlSCOHSlu. II - Dt-
lieved that many lives have been lost, and the
losses will run up into the millions. Snow
and rain on Monday have completely extin-
guished the fire.
DENVER. CoLoRADo, October 1.-The for
est fires on the west slope of the Rockies
continue to spread, and only heavy rain can
stop them. In the vicinity of Steamboat
Springs there has been a rainfall which
checked the fires there, but they are still
smouldering, and will start into life again un-
less there shall soon be more rain or snow.
Local Forecaster Brandenburg says he has
observed no change in weather conditions
that point to rain, though the welcome pre-
diction of the Weather Bureau at Washington
for Colorado is Showers
Governor Adams said today: Il think the
only thing that will put stop to the fires is
a heavy rain. There is little use in trying to
put them out by the usual means, as the fire
is not continuous From what | can learn,
it must be probably in fifty different places.
In my opinion, the fires are due wholly to
accident