Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-10-06

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.
The destruction of telegraph wires
makes the reports very incomplete,
but it is feared that the villages of
Clayton, Almena and Paskin have
have been wholly or partially de-
stroyed. that Cumberland has suffered
heavy loss and that Glenwood, Bar
ron, Prentice. pl:illips 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.
Associated Press reports and Spacia's
received by tie Pioneer Press from Va
rious points Indicate that the fires
have been chrct.,'d in places by ,rr3vi-
Dental rains and the subsistence OF
winds. Estimates place the TOTAL
losses at from $2OOO,OOO to %ioO>.ODO.
Cumbcrlan.l's Awful Scour:c.
Cumberland. Wis. Oct. "A hurri-
Gang of fire swept through Barron
county Thursday. For the past week
fires have been burning to the So!th
and west Of Cumberland and village
Of Almcna. and Thursday aftHr' oor
about l o'clock Il violent wirG set ia
from the southwest The 81, ,ul .r'i!.
fires were famed into raging Ilai"r:.
bearing directly Oh Can't 9 land. ": Il
liz Il hour the city WIS hn,Anl' ry
shron,el III Smoir. J.: "r' i.'"l y:
CiunrrS wrrr driven Cvrr ..lr e." .i'r'n
the south AMI gave tiN:t!.' w.nE:l:: %
tie inhabitants.
Everybody was called out to mako Il
fight against the oncuming tam:s. lii
two hours from the commencement
OF the gale the whole ti;nbcred Section
to the south and west WIS u l:!n>s Ct
flames. Burning embcrS were falling
like rain and iyniting the marshes l>u
dry trees in close vicinity to thu ,o".l.
Every one realized TIE ratH.r CT liz
coming fight. the houses vera vAra'e !;
and the families gathered around thEn
ready to eXtiguis,l the falling en- les;
With the roar Of the cOm,n: flames
in their ears and the Sm0H" y: la!l=
the day darker and darker, il; is ~
wonder that panic seize! the women
and children They rushed aba:
wringing their hands. running i"t +, uEc
another. utterly bewiluerpd.
At 4:3O o'clock it locked as though
the whole city would be wiped out.
At the depot the railroad officials hai
provided two special freight trains.
and a 5 o'clock. when the frs |'>:'c
Igniting Residence After Resistance.
the women, children and Old men, With
a common impulse, CROPPED their way
to the station and boarded the cars.
At $50 the hurricane CT flame burst
Upon the city. No fire protection! III
the way of engines, pressure or hose,
cound have made the results any dit
ferent. The train pulled out with
Its sorrowful passengers and carried
them to Shell Lake. These left be-
hind now realized that all hope Of Cs-
cape by train was shut off. ana the
panic become intensified Some took
a few valuableS from their homes ana
sought the lake shore west OF HE 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 ahaZr.
Most of the people were now Oh 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. A few desperate
residence owners remained at their
posts and fought until the intense heat
drove them back. All hope was given
up. The whole city
Was Apparently Doomed.
Never before was Il shower of rain
more Drovidential. The fire had Scent
irgly been followed by an electric
cloudburst. The rain fell in torrents.
flooded the streets, put out the flying
cindcrs, and, best OF all. gave little
hope to the panic-stricken people. The
rain alone made it possible to save
the west side. Nothing could save 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 a late hour
no 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.
TINhn fatal lOSS in tho oifV will 0VUrn-