The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-19
CITIES WIPED OUT
BY FOREST FIRES
Hundreds of Families i'm Lum-
Der Region Are Rendered
Homeless by Flames.
FEAR is EXPRESSED THAT
LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST
Great Quantities of Lumber
Have Been Utterly Consumed
by the FreS.

ESCANABA, Mich, May lS-Driven by
heavy gale OF wind. one OF the most de-
structiye forest fires In the history OF this
district this afternoon laid waste q tract
OF land nifty miles square and at late
hour tonight was still spreading At .
o'clock 1t is definitely known that the
following cities and villages have been
complete wiped out; Qulnnesec, popula-
ton. 1000 Schaefer. 600; Ralphs. 400; Sal
yoie. 200. Cornell, 500; Woodlawn. 200, and
Talbot, 400
Communication Cut Of
At North and several other points on the
line of the Escanaba & Lake Superior
road at o'clock tonight. when all com
municatIon was cut OF, tho fire had
reached the outskirts Of the village. and
no hope for saving any OF the property
was held Hundreds OF people are home
less and are being brought into Escanaba
as fast as trains can be sent to tho
burned district
Much Lumber Destroyed.
In addition to the loss of several saw
OF cut timber have been burned. and
great tracts OF standing timber badly
damaged The loss OF the l, stephens
company of Wells from burning timber
alone, II Is believed tonight Will approx
innate several hundred thousand dollars
Lives May Be Lost.
AS far as known tonight no lives have
been lost although families of several
homesteaders living in tho burned district
are missing. and It iSfeared that they have
been burned to death, Refugees arriving
In the city tonight tell terrible tales of
their experiences In escaping from the
sweeping riames.
Flames Sweeping On.
Ono man declared that the flames were
advancing In the vicinity OF Cornell at
the rate OF twenty miles an hour when
he and half the residents of that place
we're taken out on a relief train. Home
steaders carrying packs OF a few personal
effects, who also had been driven from
their homes. wero found by the train
crews at oil points along the right of
way and were picked up and brought into
this city or left at stations not threatened
by FIRE.
Camps Are Wiped Out.
IT is known that two camps of the L
Stephenson company have been complete
ly wiped out, and large crews - rc"n ~
work in the heart Of the heavily wooded
country and with no railroad facilities
offered, are In great danger
Fled From Flames.
The crew OF one numbering camp, to-
Gether with nifty horses. fed before the
fire distance Of twelve miles. and wero
reported sefe at Princeton at $50 o'clock
tonight. 1t is reported that several rail-
road bridges have been destroyed and that
entire trains of cars have been burned
the tracks.
Traffic Is Stopped.
All freight traffic both the North
western and Escanaha & Lake Superior
roads is suspended and the entire atten-
ton OF the train crews is giv0n TO relief
trains sent out to move residents OF
burned towns to places of safety.
Trains Are Checked.
Owing to the fact that the rails have
been warped by the terrific heat in many
places, making It necessary TO lay new
rails, the progress of the trains was slow
and some OF the crews have not yet been
heard from.
Whole Region Ablaze.
Tonight the entire surrounding country
is lighted up by the flames which are
moving in this direction. but 1t Is believed
that their progress will be stopped before
this city is threatened.