Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-20
Ruin ONTHE RANGE
Virginia and Merritt Almost
Swept Away.
THE LOSS PROPERTY OF s1,5oo,ooO.

Three Thousand Five Hundred People De
pendent on Charity-Wails of Flame En-
circle Towns in the Eire-Swept District-
One Life Reported Lcst-Loss in Timber
Enormous-DuIuth Comes Nobiy To the
Relief of the sufferers.
DULUTH, June 20.-The first accurate
news of the fires in the Mesaba range Is
now available. The only communication
with the range towns has been over
single wire and that working badly
Press dispatches filed by the special cor
respondents who were sent with the hrst
relief train did not arrive until late yester-
day and then only little in advance OF
the newspaper men. Accurate news shows
the usual exaggeration in the first reports,
but the money loss will be greater than
estimated At Biwabik only few de
tached buildings were burned ana at
Mountain Iron only six buildings.
Two Towns About Wiped Out.
Al Virginia the situation is as serious as
nsported The entire business portion OF
the town is destroyed. About thirty houses
are standing and $40 were burned. Merritt
is nearly wiped out only sixteen buildings
now remaing in the town. 1t was lmpoSsl-
BILE 70 reach Merritt. as the woods are still
burning all about the village. 1t Is the
ONLY town the newspaper men We're not
able 10 visit and see the exact situation for
themselves The situation of the sufferers
at Virginia is particularly unfortunate
Most OF them are without shelter, clothing
is scarce. and food, despite the supphes
that have been sent from Duluth, IS still
scantv. Everything possible Is being done
for them aud railroads reaching the range
oil crrrorlspS and provisions
free.
Thirsy-five hundred Dependent People
On the whole range about $50 people
are for the time being entirely dependent
on charity In large measure the women
and children have been brought to Duluth.
At the citizens meeting here general re-
lief committee was appointed and IT was
decided not to appeal for outside aid BE
tween s.. 900 and 50, 900 has been subscribed
for the work of relief and clothing and
provisions are coming in on every hand.
The city and county have each appropri-
ated 81 goo to aid in the work. 1t will be
nut at the disposition of the relief COM
mittee.
Trouble Appreheniied from Toughs-
Trouble is feared at Virginia from the
character of the population. As in all
new mining towns the men are many OF
them hard characters, and lawlessness Is
anticipated. Police Sergeant Smollett
and q squad of officers have been sworn
in as deputy sheriffs and will he sent to
Virginia The total loss as estimated by
those best qualified to know Is put at
81 hOOOO The insurance as nearly as it
can be estimated is about $4,000. Fires
are burning all along the range still, and
a change of wind will cause more damage
but the dangers not imminent. The min
ing companies suffered heavily
No Loss of Life Reported
The camps and plants at the following
mines were either entirely or partially de
stroyed: Shaw, Commodore, Franklin,
Jones. Mesaba Mountain, Ohio and New
England II is fairly we'll established now
that no lives were lost as the result OF the
fires stories current to the effect that
some life was lost cannot he confirmed
and the reporters who We're on the range
cav there are no authenticated losses of
life w G. Taylor. at Virginia, was badly
burned, but will live.