Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-07-19
MANY FIGHT FIRE
IN MAINE TOWNS
South Waterford Is in Great
Danger of Destruction.
WHOLE CITIES WIPED OUT
Fire Chief Tells Story of inhabitants
Flight From Oscoda-Hundreds
Lose Life in Porcupine Dis
trict of Ontario.

Biddeford, Me-A forest fire has
almost surrounded the village of
South WATERFORD and it is feared
the whole settlement will be de-
stroyed. Four hundred men are fight
ing the fire. but the wind is carrying
it along so rapidly that their efforts
are fruitless. The loss already is es-
umated at more than $250,000
Portland, Me.-Forest fires in the
Maine wilderness and New Hamp-
shire mountains continue to burn
unchecked and are hourly con-
Stunning hundreds of acres of valuable
timber land. One of the fires is with
In six miles of the town of Jackman.
South Windsor and Cape Neddick are
also imperiled. Mount Moriapa, one
of the conspicuous peaks of the White
mountains, is blazing beacon. A fire
supposed to have been started by
lightning surrounds the mountain.
Detroit. Mich.-Eugene E. Thomp-
son. Oscoda business man and fire
chief, who brought a party of refu-
gees to Detroit from the burned
da, furnished the first connected story
which has come out of the fire swept
district
The first serious fire on the out
skirts of the town was discovered Sun
day. and a crew fought it until it was
under control" he said. Monday
nothing was done and on Tuesday.
aided by high winds, it burst out
again with great fury The first alarm
in Oscoda came in at three o'clock
from Mrs. Archer's house. President
Cowley and procured pals from the
Loud company's office to fight the
flames that had spread to to the Cath
Ollie cemetery. The next alarm came
in from the Au Sable township slab
piles.
A few of the inhabitants, among
them myself and my father and moth
er, went to the steamer Nike, Captain
Meyers, which was lying at my own
dock. 1t is impossible to say enough
in praise of Captain Meyers. He acted
the hero, remaining at the dock until
1t was a mass of flames and he was
obliged to cut his cables When the
boat finally drifted into the open it
was on fire fore and aft. The vessels
apparatus put out the flames.
After he had pulled away into the
open Captain Meyers rounded to for
an hour and half until danger from
flying sparks forced him to steam into
the lake. BY remaining he was en-
ablei to pick up a fish boat contain
ing several persons. He went $50
miles out of his course to take us to
Port Huron and he and his crew gave
us everything they possessed, their
beds and their food There were in
all about 265 persons aboard, so of
whom were mothers nursing their ba-
bies
When the fire started the wind was
blowing about so miles an hour from
the southwest. Then it shifted to the
westward and the flames completely
swept the towns Two hours after
ward it shifted to the northeast and
swept the blaze back over the ground
it already had travelled, licking up the
whole of Oscoda and Au Sable city
and township for a radius of three
miles
Bay City, Mich.-Congressma
Loud, head of the firm of H. M
passed through this city on his
way to Au Sable. He will meet
passed through this city last night on
his way to Au Sable. He will meet
hi h.
suit of a conference between them will
probably depend the rebuilding of the
two towns-or one town. as it will
more likely be.
Toronto, Ont.-The loss of life
in Porcupine district from yester-
days fires is known to be several
hundred and the property loss will
reach several millions of dollars Only
three of the "a employees of the West
Dome mine have been accounted for,
and 200 miners, muckers. etc. in the
Dome mine have been suffocated.
The mines burned include the Dome,
North Dome, Preston. East Dome, vi
pond, Foley O'Brien, Philadelphia,
United Porcupine. Eldorado, Porcu-
pine, Standard Imperial, West Dome
and Success.
Among the dead are Robert Weiss.
manager of the West Dome, and his
wife and child The Philadelphia mine
loss is about $4,000; United Porcu-
pine loss, s20,0O0; Eldorado Porcu-
pine. all buildings destroyed: Stand
ard, about $4,000; Imperial, about
$4,000; Success. probably destroyed;
West mines, about $4,000.