The record-union., 1898-10-02

A special to the Republican" from
Breckenridge says: Forest fires are de-
stroying great deal of fine timber
in the vicinity of this town, and the
air is heavy with smoke The strong
winds are causing fires to spread rap
idly.
A special from Crested Butte to the
News says: This city is surrounded
by a wall of leaping flames, and a
terrible destruction of property is i'm
minent. A veritable hurricane is blow
ing, and the flames are jumping 500
feet and travelling five miles an hour.
Several thousand dollars worth of hay
is already burned. Many people are
fighting fire by means of back fires
A special from Pago Springs, Col,
says: There are now four forest fires
burning inside the limit of Archuleta
County. Ed. McCarty was in from the
upper Piedras to-day, and says there
is a terrible fire on the west of the
Piedras River, which is devastating
much timber, but he thinks no lives
are in danger. Another fire is burning
on Turkey Greek, eight miles above
the springs, andi is threatening the set
tlement on the creek. The fourth fire
is between the Blanco and Navajo
Rivers, and the extent is not known.
A Montrose special says: A forest
fire on the east side of Hairpin Mesa
has reached an extent of fifteen miles
in length. The Denver and Rio Grande
snowsheds on Squaw Hill burned this
afternoon
A special from Palmer Lake, fifty
miles south Of Denver, says fire broke
out and is now burning fiercely in the
mountains near that place, and only a
slight shifting of the wind will drive
the flames to Glen Park, the well known
Chautauqua resort, when all the pretty
cottages there will certainly be de-
stroyed. People who are still at the
park are hastily removing their effects
from the place.
TERRIBLE SCENES IN WISCONSIN.
CHIPPEWA FALL (Wis), Oct l.
August Mason of this city, one of the
most extensive loggers in Wisconsin,
returned to-day from trip TO his
camps at Cedar Lake, Barron County.
He had an exciting experience with
forest fires, and reports the entire loss
of all his camps and outfits at Cedar
Lake. He also believes that four of his
mem have lost their lives in the flames.
Mr.. Mason left the camps with his
crew on Thursday morning for the rail-
way station, and they narrowly es-
capped with their lives
When they started the fire was eight
miles away, but the wind was blowing
a gale and the flames were rapidly
gaining on them. All rushed for a
lake a mile away, and when the edge
of the water was reached the fire was
upon them. Men and horses plunged
into the lake and remained there until
the flames had passed over. The heat
and smoke was almost unbearable.
-Four of the crew who were in the rear
of the larger party are missing, and
Mr.. Mason says there is no hope that
they are safe.
The scene, Mr.. Mason says, was ter
rible. On every side there Waa a sea of
fire rapidly growing and destroying
everything. Knapp, Stout & Co.'S out
fits in that locality are all burned, also
over 800 oxen. The means of the ami
mails could be heard in all directions.
| Dozens of farrnhouses Mason passed in
| the morning were ashes in the after
noon. Many buildings that were at
! least quarter Of a mile from the
! woods were destroyed, the flames run
| ming along meadows and fences Hun
dreds are homeless, many even losing
all their household goods.
| Fred. Weishauser has just returned
from a trip through the fire region.
He can give no estimate of the amount
of his pine losses.
The following estimates of losses
We're made by a prominent lumberman
here: Northwestern Lumber Company
1000; August Mason, $1,000; Missis-
sippi River Lumber Company, 10000;
Chippewa Logging Company, $50 600;
Knapp, Stout & Co., S225, 900.
The losses include standing timber
logs, camps and outfits. The loss of
farm property in Clark, Barron and
Chippewa Counties is estimated at
| S300,000
Latest reports say that all hopes of
checking the flames have been aban-
doned. Nothing but rain will save the
enormous amount of property that is
burning and threatened.
LOSS OF LIFE GREAT.
MILWAUKEE (Wis.), Oct. IA spe-
cial to the Journal from Rice Lake
says:
Relief parties are now out through
the burned districts south and west
of this city. The loss of life from
the disastrous forest fires cannot now
be estimated, but it will be great. The
| work Of getting to the burned district
is slow, as all the bridges are down.
Over 100 people are missing
Many dead bodies have been found.
and they are burned beyond recogni-
tion. The remains of one man by the
name of Nelson was found this morn
ing at the bottom of well, where he
had gone to escape the fire. AT an
other place, a woman and two children
were found in well. The woman was
so badly burned that she will die. At
another place where man had been
plowing in a field, his charred remains
and the carcasses of his horses were
found to-day All the cattle, horses
and other stock in a large district have
been burned to death. Even the wild
animals could not escape the flames.
The wind this morning is southeast,
and blowing at the rate of forty miles
an hour. Fires are now raging in the
hardwood timber lands between this
city and Cumberland, but fortunately
the district is lightly populated.
The mills, in this city have been shut
down, and another reserve fire depart
metn has been ordered out.
General Maxine Gomez.