Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-30
ENORMOUS DAMAGE IS BEING DONE
IN WISCONSIN.
MANY TOWNS ARE IN DANGER
HALF OF CUMBERLAND, WIS. WAS
BURNED YESTERDAY.
Twenty-Five Families Homeless and
Five Children Said to Have Lost
Their Lives-Rain Is Check
ing the FIames-COIo-
radO Fires.

CUMBERLAND. WIS, Sept. 29.-Fire.
supposed TO have originated from forest
fires, burned half of this city to-day, caus
ing property loss estimated at S225.Gsp.
About twenty-five families are homeless.
Five children are reported burned TO death.
4 large sawmill is among the buildings
burned. throwing many out of employment.
Rain saved the entire city from being
burned.
Barrow and Almena are surrounded, and
the latter has telephoned here for help
stating that the town Is already on fire.
The mills have shut down, the schools
closed and business suspended. Every pre-
caution is being taken to save the city.
CHIPPEWA FALLS. WIS, Sept. %
Mrs. Jacob Correson was burned to death
while fighting forest fires to-day. Her two
children while attempting TO save her.
were badly burned about the face and
head. Passengers on the Wisconsin Central
train from the north tonight say the
train passed through an almost continuous
sea of fire.
Hundreds of farmers are working night
and day fighting the flames. Four homes
and other buildings have been destroyed
and many persons seriously burned. Only
heavy fall of rain will prevent serious
loss.
The Wisconsin Central passenger train,
due here at $50 last evening, passed
through what was almost a sea of fire be-
tween Boyd and Cadott. Passengers in the
train say that the flames were raging
fiercely on both sides Of the track and
threatening every building within sight.
Barron a small town on the 500 line
is entirely surrounded by fire and farmers
with fhaip
towns with whatever household goods
could be- saved. Glenwood, a town Of 1900
inhabitants on the Wisconsin Central, be-
tween Chippewa Falls and ST. Paul, was
saved after twelve hours heroic work by
the citizens. Telegraph and telephone
wires are down and many railway bridges
have been destroyed
RICE LAKE, WIS, Sept 29.-Forest fires
are doing great damage in this section.
Sixteen farm houses are reported to have
been burned this afternoon. The wind was
blowing a gale and served to spread the
fires At Cedar lake the fire destroyed con-
siderable property owned by the hnapp-
Stout Lumber Company. A large portion
of Clear Lake d town of 500 inhabitants,
| is reported destroyed.
| Aln.ena, a town of 800, and Poskin, a
town of 200, both on the 500 line, this
county, are said TO have been wiped out,
but no loss of life has been reported. A
slight rain began TO fall this evening and
it is believed the fires will be checked.
DEADWOOD, S. D., Sept. ga heavy
rain to-day checked the timber fires which
have been burning several days. An area
thirty miles long and six miles wide, con-
| tanning the best timber in the Black hills.
has been devastated, and the loss will
amount to hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. There has been no loss of life so far
as known.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.-The secretary
of the interior to-day received the following
dispatch from Representative Knowles, of
North Dakota:
BLACK Hill forest fires destroying towns
and life. Can't troops at Fort Meade help
fight fire? Send answer TO mayor of Dead
wood.
The secretary of the interior forwarded
the message to the war department. with
the request that aid, if possible, be fur
nished.
fires burning on the west side of the divide
are beyond control and people are said TO
| be fleeing for their lives.
How many, If any. have perished cannot
| be known, as there is no way of getting di-
| rect information at this time.
| A light breeze gives the mighty sea of fire
q new impetus and onward it goes, burn
| ing everything before it, with no chance of
| saving live stock or property. Cattle are
known to be perishing and bear and deer
| east side of the divide.
| The damage will be tremendous. The
| timber losses amount to more than money
4
waters of mountain streams. where the
SHOWS are retained for many months. From
| such source the streams have been kept
| carrying a volume of water sufficient TO
| irrigate most of the lands of the state
west of the divide. With the disappear
| ance of the timber the flow of the streams
will be lessened.
There seems to be a settled opinion among
| the rancherS that the forest fires We're
| started by the Indians with malicious in
| tent. They say the forcible election of the
| more than a year ago, because of their
| slaughter of game, made them bitter
| against the whites. They are now playing
| even, the settlers think, and at the same
| time driving some of the game into Utah.
| where they can hunt without being mo-
| Tested by game wardens.
Henry Grom. one of the ranchers living at
| Joponas, Egeria park, arrived here to-day
| from the burning country. He said: 1.-The
| Gore range is on fire for more than 100
miles. The fires have been burning there
| for some time and for the past few weeks
| have been getting worse. Fires are also
| seen in Grand county, near Kremling.
THE ranchers are fighting the flames.
AND when j left Were experiencing great
| lose In all kinds of property"
| The fires which are reported cover most
| of the northwestern part of the state. ard
| extend through the counties of Routt Rio
| Blanco, Grand. Larimer, Garfield Eagle
| Pitkin and Summit. They are doing sreat
| damage to every interest of that section.