62 Report of the Forest Commission. 



ing, the operator stationed at Phillips, who was obliged to flee for his life, 

 telegraphed from Prentice to the local offices of the Wisconsin Central road 

 as follows : 



"The town is practically all gone. There may be a few dwellings left. I 

 think when count is made there will be some lives lost. There are a class of 

 men which we call "lumber jacks," who got into some of the saloons and 

 were dead drunk. Some of them might have been burned up. Another lot 

 of people crossed the bridge over the lake at the box factory, intending to go 

 that way to get away from the fire. It will be surprising if all got away 

 safely, as the wind was in their rear and blowing dense clouds of smoke 

 toward them. Estimate about 20,000,000 feet of lumber destroyed." 



The largest loss will fall on the John R. Davis Lumber Company, whose 

 plant, valued at nearly half a million of dollars, is a total loss. The general 

 store, conducted by the company, is also a total loss. A large tannery, several 

 churches, the courthouse, the depot, the public school, and all business and 

 dwelling-houses are swept away. Only heaps of ashes remain. The lumber 

 that was burned alone is estimated to be worth $200,000. 



Forest fires first reached the town on Thursday evening. The woods were 

 exceedingly dry, and at one time it seemed as though the entire town would 

 be swept away. The residents fought hard, and as the wind decreased got the 

 fire partially under control. Last evening the wind reached a high velocity 

 and swept down from the north. 



Citizens Flee from Town. 

 At 10 o'clock last night the telegraph operator in charge of the office of the 

 Wisconsin Central depot at Phillips telegraphed General Superintendent 

 Collins in this city that the people had given up all hopes of saving the town, 

 which was a mass of roaring flames . A few minutes later telegraphic com- 

 munication was cut off, and Mr. Collins thought that the depot has been 

 burned and that the operator had to leave his post, which proved later to be 

 the case. 



Abandoned the Fight. 



The fire assumed such proportions that the men who were fighting it began 

 to make preparation for the safety of the women and children, who, panic- 

 stricken, were packing up such valuables as could easily be saved. The John 

 R. Davis Lumber Company had 10 empty box cars on its tracks, in which 

 women and children were placed and hurried out of the burning city to some 

 place of safety on the Elk River branch of the Wisconsin Central road. 



The scenes about the depot were described by trie operator as beyond his 

 power to tell. Men, women and children were all separated. Some went to 

 Prentice, while others went to other towns, and it will be days before all the 

 members of families can be again united. 



At 10 o'clock the depot, from which the operator was communicating with 

 Ge-ieral Superintendent Collins, in this city, caught fire and was totally 



