Griggs courier., 1893-06-23
SWEPT AWAY BY FIRE.

Many Towns In the Mesaba Iron Range
suf1er from Forest F1res-virglnia and
Mountain IRON Almost Wiped Out.
DULUTH, Mimi, June 1o.-The towns
of Virginia and Mountain Iron, on the
Duluth. Mesaba & Northern road 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 . like experience.
So far as 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. It 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 $1,000, 600,
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 rs
the most promising town on the iron
range. 1t had banks, hotels, business
blocks and many homes of the business
men am miners. All were of frame
construction and burned like tinder
The towns are SO situated that the
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 60 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 Biwabik and that
the depot was burning. At the Mesaba
& Northern offices it was stated that
Biwabik was damaged, but would not
be destroyed. The wires to Biwabik
are not working. Information from
other towns was equally meager.
At o'clock the Mesaba & Northern
operator at Mountain Iron telegraphed
that the town was burning, and later
message stated that 500 people from the
village were to be sent to Duluth.
Since that message was received there
was no communication with the vii
lage for hours and it was thought the
town must have been entirely destroyed.
A later message said the loss was not
SO great.
Virginia and Biwabik were the larg-
est towns on the range. Virginia had
a population of $500 and Biwabik 1000.
At Mountain Iron there were 800 or
more people. 1t is impossible to get
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 or
eight large stores and row of hand
some new buildings just completed by
the Merritts. The larger losses at Vir-
ginia were we'll insured. Property
owners have the waterworks system to
thank for this good fortune. At Noun
tain Iron all insurance was Cancelled
some days ago. The loss there will be
total, and if the entire town has been
destroyed will approximate 100000
Mckinley is another range town that
may have to suffer. In all the popula-
tion on the Mesaba range will aggre-
gate 5000. At Commodore the camp
was burned, but property at the mine
was saved. At the Franklin mine
everything was burned except the
shafthouse. Among the mines that
have probably been burned out
are the Lone Jack, Mesaba, Mountain,
Ohio, Moose, Shaw, Minnewas, Jones,
Rouchleau and Ray. Word has just
been received that Merritt, town of
500 people not far from Biwabik, is en-
tirely destroyed.
ASHLAND, Wis, Juue 19.-Iron River,
a thriving lumber town of 1000 popula-
ton, 20 miles from Ashland, is in flames
and is likely to be entirely wiped out.
The fire caught on the outskirts of the
village from forest fires.
Forest fires have been raging all
through northern Wisconsin, causing
the hot air to sweep this section like
hot winds on the desert. Wash
burn had a close shave and fire has
mode heavy sweep in and about
White River. 1t is likely to sweep
on south and burn millions of feet of
standing pine. It was only year ago
that Iron River was entirely destroyed
by fire. The town had just completed
system of waterworks. Several peo-
pie were brought to Ashland Sunday
night who had been badly injured,
narrowly escaping with their lives.
The town of Even, on the South
Shore railway, is also suffering from
fire, four houses and a store having al
ready been burned. Boylston, Mimi,
is fire, the st. Paul train being de-
layed there.
SPRINGFIELD, O., June 19.-Word