St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-20
Terrible Destruction Wrought
In the Mining Towns
Above Duluth.
Virginia and Merritt Nearly
Wiped Out, and Biwabik
Misses Narrowly.
Heroic Sacrifice Of Bradley
TAYLOR, Who Gave His
Life for a Woman.
Fuller Details Of the Ravages
Of the Fire Coming in
Slowly.

Special to the Globe
DULUTH, Minn., June 19.-The regu-
lar Duluth, Messabi 81 Northern train
has just arrived, bringing passengers
who reached Virginia this morning and
remained there all day investigating the
great fire. Chestnut street, the prin-
cipal street of the city, was swept
clean, but there are still about
thirty houses, mostly shanties. still
standing Oh Maple street, near the de-
pot. Findlayson's big saw mill was for
tunately saved. The estimate of loss
in the town of Virginia alone made by
local insurance agents is atleast $780, 900.
There was in all 100000 worth of in
surance carried in the whole town.
The largest business houses were
pretty we'll protected, but the poorer
class lost, in almost every case, nearly
all they possessed. One poor fellow,
pointing to his wife and baby lying
upon an old blanket, with nothing but
the clothes on their backs, said, with
tears in his eyes: "There you see it,
all / have left. after twenty-four years
OF hard work" Over 1000 people were
TO be seen wandering aimlessly about.
without home to shelter them or food
to eat. A man named Keogh, who
keeps q house of ill-fame that was saved
from the flames, showed that his heart
was in the right place after all, for he
Threw His House Wide Open
put his women to work, and fed over
500 people. He even went so far as to
distribute small change among the most
needy. President Greatsinger's relief
train could not reach Virginia from Bi-
Wabik over the branch, so it went to the
end of the Iron Range branch and the
provisions and tents were carried four
miles with wagons. They arrived there
at 5 o'clock this morning. Tents were
perched and the provisions were dis
tributed. There is still need of more
relief, as the people have nothing to
wear but the clothes on their backs,
their tools are all destroyed and in
twenty-four hours all their provisions
will be gone. 1t will require all the
energy of the charitably inclined
people of Duluth and vicinity to keep
them from starvation. Duluth people
have come to their relief nobly. The
county has contributed $1,000, the Mes
saba road 81. 900, the city, by resolution
this evening $1,000, the stock exchange
500, the Scandinavlan-American union
$3.50. There has been raised
by private subscription over
$3.50 more, and the fund is-stll grow
ing. Another relief train left this aft
ernoon. All the benevolent societies
are working like beavers, and contribu-
tiOns of clothing and provisions are
in, 10
ishly by people who cannot well afford
it. All the hotels. wholesale houses
and hospitals are doing their
share, and still intense suffering is sure
to result unless help comes from the
outside. The Iron Range road will also
contribute literally. but how much is
not yet known. Fifty special police
men were sworn IN Virginia last even
ing to guard against thieves. Nine
men have already been arrested.
1t is also said that incendiaries
were at work during the fire, but that
cannot be confirmed. Mountain Iron is
safe, only church and school house
having been destroyed. The MeSsaba
Lumber company is engaged at present
fighting the flames around its mill at
MesSaba station. 1t is in imminent dan
ger. Biwabik escaped as by miracle,
but the town of Merritt, from which
place news is still meager, has been
pretty nearly wiped out. The large
opera house and one or two stores on
the east side of the street are still stand
Ing. 1t is absolutely impossible to eS-
innate the loss in this town.
AReaI Hero.
No fatalities have been reported yet,
though Bradley Taylor, formerly of
Coopersville, Mich, was terribly burned
while rescuing a woman from the sec
ond story of house. He got out OF a
sick bed, where he had been suffering
from typhoid fever, and. getting lad
der, saved the woman'S life, but he will
probably die. He is now in a Duluth
hospital. His hands were nearly burnt
off and his back terribly burned. While
they were taking him off the train, he
said .God Almighty, don't take me by
the back, you are tearing my flesh
away" and so they were. He is looked
upon as the greatest hero OF the day.
His nerve is simply wonderful and may
possibly carry him through. He will
loose both his hands. however.
The Rouchleau, Shaw and MeSaba
Mountain camps were destroyed today
the other eight in the neighborhood, eX-
cept the Ohio and Rouchleau Ray,which
are still standing, went yesterday. The
Rouchleau camp caught fire while they
were all in at dinner, and the meI
merely escaped with their lives. a man
and a horse are reported to have beer
burned near the Lone Jack camp.
The First Train
bearing refugees who escaped from the
fire in the mining town of Virginia, il
all about 250 people, mostly women anC
children, arrived in Duluth at 80 thi:
morning, and the wearied, hungry pass
engers hurried from the coaches to the
were spread. Of all the crowd, the
greater portion were penniless, ano
dependent absolutely upon what char
itv might be offered. Few had saved
anything beyond the most meager eff
fects, and for the whole train load there
was but a single trunk. Among tht
first few who alighted from thu
train were two tired looking women
each with baby on her arm, and the
entire absence of other belongings tolC
the story of a mothers love. Their,
was another family, mother. fathe
and one child. Between them they ha(
saved but one thing-a baby's picture
Ample preparations had been made
to care for the hungry people. Th,
crowd could not stop to talk; even th'
little they mad saved was III flahy case
hurriedly thrust aside. 1t was a mos
pathetic sight. Sandwiches, coffee
anything to eat. disappeared faster thai
it could be supplied. They had little o
nothing to eat during the day.
Most Graphic Description
OF the fire at Virginia was given b.