Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-10-20
MORE FIRES.

| During the past ten days forest fire:
have been reported to be raging again
in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan
and Marathon county has not escaped
The worst calamity of its kind since
the fires first started is reported from
Metz, Mich, where upwards of a score
of people, being rescued from that town
by relief train, were burned to death
The train ran into burned culvert and
was consumed.
In many of the lun bering districts OF
Wisconsin great losses of timber is re-
ported.
In this county fires have been raging
for several days in certain localities,
and on Sunday there was haze OF
smoke.
On Rib hill, in territory not previ-
ously burned over, men fought fire for
several days. Jacob Gensman of this
city, owns considerable timber land on
the hill and has a large quantity of cord
wood cut and piled up on his land
Fire got into his timber, causing con-
siderable loss and threatening the des-
truction of the cord wood. By hard
work the latter was saved. Those own
ing property in the vicinity of Athens,
Edgar and other places in the west side
of the county suffered. Up in the towns
of Hewitt and Harrison a large area
has been burned over and is still burn
ing. Lumbermen will be heavy losers
in those towns. There is also a big fire
in the town of Plover. The smoke has
been so thick in some localities that it
has been necessary to close schools.
Neal Brown was called to the Plover
river, Saturday by message informing
him that his bungalo was threatened,
but he found no immediate danger.
Fires have started again at several
points adjacent to the Nuttervill road.
The writer had an opportunity re-
Gently of witnessing the destruction
caused in that territory lying east and
west of the above mentioned road {.
There are bodies of large hemlock
and hardwood timber stretching for
miles tributary to the road. The fires
swept through these bodies killing
nearly every tree. Perhaps third of
them were burned off at the roots and
have fallen, and all that is required TO
make the territory more desolate look
ing is wind storm, which will come
some day.
Many of the late fires have started
from the same causes from which the
fires of a few weeks ago originated
carelessness of farmers in burning bush
heaps. There has been no rain since
that which fell on Sept. 2627, and con-
sequently everything is dry. Since that
time dry leaves have formed carpet
in the woods, which carry flames very
rapidly.
Wausau owners of cottages at Plum
lake were informed last week that fires
were again burning in that section, but
that the property around the lake was
in no immediate danger.
T. P. Stone came down from North
ern Michigan last Thursday and says
that he ascertained while there that
that section had scarcely any rain at
the time of the last heavy fall here.
He saw plenty evidences of fire.
Fall plowing has again been hung up
on account of the dry spell and every
creek is dry, as are also many farmers
wells, so that they have difficulty in
watering stock. Even some property
owners residing in isolated sections of
the city, removed from the city water
service, are hauling water for family
use.
The fall of 1908 will long be remem-
bered by citizens of Northern Wiscon:
sin.