Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-06-17
SWEPT AWAY BY FIRE.
Many Towns In tho Mesnba Iron Rango
Suffer from Forest Flres-virginia and
Mountain Iron Almost Wiped Out.

Duluth. Mesaba & Northern aoad have |
been destroyed by forest fires which |
have been raging for a week. Mesaba |
| and Biwabik on the Duluth & Iron |
Range, were also visited by serious fires
| and Tower had n like experience.
| So far rs can be learned the loss has
| been confined to the destruction of prop
| erty. No news of life has been re-
ceived, yet grave fears are enter
| tanned lest there may have been
deaths in some of the numerous mi
ming camps that cover the range. 1t is
reasonably certain that there has been
no mortality at the several towns de-
stroyed. 1t is impossible to approxi-
mate the property loss, but it will ag-
gregate considerably over s1,OOO,o00,
and several thousands of persons
are made homeless. All the vii
lagos destroyed were mining towns
that have sprung up within
the past year Virginia is less
than year old and was regarded as
the most promising town on the iron
range. 1t had banks, hotels, business
blocks and many homes of the business
men and miners. All were of frame
construction and burned like tinder.
|
belt of fire took them in at about the
same time.
There are 1000 people homeless in
Virginia and without food or shelter,
every provision depot and contents in
the place being destroyed. The women
and children were put into box cars,
but there was not an engine there to
move them, and they have nothing to
eat. The situation at Mountain Iron is
little better
The fire belt is 20 miles wide and Iron
Junction is just on the edge of it. The
Mesaba track is burned south of Iron
Junction. Specials will go by way of
the Duluth & Iron Range, and the Du
luth, Mesaba & Northern will take the
cars from the Iron Range road at
Biwabik.
A message from the chief train dis
patcher of the Iron Range road at Two
, Harbors stated that he had just heard
from the operator at Biwabill and that
, the depot was burning. AT the Mesaba
& Northern offices it was stated that
] BiwabilS was damaged, but would not
be destroyed. The wires to Biwabik
, are not working. Information from
other towns was equally meager.
: At 4 o'clock the Mesaba & Northern
1 operator at Mountain Iron telegraphed
3 that the town was burning, and a later
i message stated that 500 people from the
5 village were to be sent to Duluth.
9 Since that message was received there
a was no communication with the vii
: lage for hours and it was thought the
t town must have been entirely destroyed.
g later message said the loss was not
SO great.
: Virginia and BiwabilS were the larg-
A est towns on the range. Virginia had
: population of $500 and Biwabill 1000.
$ AT Mountain Iron there We're 500 or
d more people. 1t is impossible to get
r details regarding losses. There were for.
+, ty-two saloon buildings in Virginia, five
:, large general stores and four large
hotels. AT Mountain Iron there Were
twenty saloons, four hotels, six OF
eight large stores and row of hand
: some new buildings just completed by
the Merritts. The larger losses at Vir
i ginia were well insured. Property
4 owners have the waterworks system tc
: thank for this good fortune. AT Noun
y tain Iron all insurance was Cancelled
IS some days ago. The loss there will be
Ii destroyed will approximate 100000.
y Mckinley is another range town thai
y may have to suffer. In all the popula
u ton on the Mesaba range will aggre
n gate 5000. At Commodore the camp
~ was burned, but property at the mint
was saved. AT the Franklin min,
everything was burned except thu
, shafthouse. Among the mines tina
!. have probably been burned ou
" are the Lone Jack, Mesaba, Mountain
y Ohio, Moose, Shaw, Minnewas, Jones
y Rouchleau and Ray. Word has jus
~ been received that Merritt, town o
. 500 people not far from Biwabil1, is en-
- tirely destroyed.
- ASHLAND, Wis, Juue 19.-1ron River
- a thriving lumber town of 1000 popula
~ ~ ton, 20 miles from Ashland, is in flame
- and is likely to be entirely wiped out
9 The fire caught on the outskirts of tn
=. village from forest fires.
c Forest fires have been raging al
"a through northern Wisconsin, causing
U the hot air to sweep this section lil1
hot winds on the desert. Wash
burn had close shave and fire ha
rn mode a heavy sweep in and abou
White River. 1t is likely to sweeI
ns on south and burn millions of feet o
IN standing pine. 1t was only a year ag
lg that Iron River was entirely destroye
is by fire. The town had just complete
cc a system of waterworlfs. Several pee
y: pie were brought to Ashland Sunda,
he night who had been badly injured
he narrowly escaping with their lives.
al The town of Even, on the Sout
IN Shore railway, is also suffering froi
n fire, four houses and store having a
to ready been burned. Boylston, Mimi
Is. is fire, the st. Paul train being d,
ed layed there.
se SPRINGFIELD, o., June 19.-Wor
at comes from Yellow Springs, town c
lc- 800 inhabitants miles south, that til
*. town is on fire, the flames having star
ed ed from an outbuilding near the Boot