Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-20
TWO TOWNS IN RUINS
viso;aia and Msrist Wen En-
tiesly Wiped out.
MUCH SUFFERING FOLLOWS
FOOD ard Ctoshing Ase Ab-a1sss No
c<znsistw sse sl,e W0nsea asd
ChiHaxcn-.I.ous 81 .ooO. O.00o

DrLurn. Minn.. Juno l9.--Ths flrst
accurate news Of the fires In the Acs&bs
range WAS svsilable tonight The only
communication with tho range towns
yesterday and today WAS over single
wire, and that working badly. Press
dispatches iilcd BY the special CORE
spondenss who were scnt with the relief
train did not arrive until late to-day. and
then only = little la advance of the
newspaper men. Accurate news shows
the usual exasgcration in the first re-
ports. but the money loss viii he greater
than estimated yesterday. The first
stories regarding Mountain Iron and
Biwabik were untrue. At Biwsblk
only a few detached buildings were
burned. and at Mountain Iron only SIX
buildings. At Virginia the situation Is
at serious rs reported. The entire bus
incss portion 0f the town r. destroyed.
About thirty houecs are standing and
$40 were burned. Merritt Is nearly
wiped out. only sixteen buildings now
reinsining IN the town. 1t WAS impos-
sibIe 10 reach Merritt today, as the
woods are still burning all about the
village, Ii is the only town the news
paper men werc not able 70 visit and
see the exact situation for themselves.
Need Hood and Cioshing.
Tho situation of the sufferers at Vir-
ginia il particularly unfortunate. as
Incst of thcm isre without shelter. cloth
ing is scarce. and the food and supplies
that have been sent from Duluth Is still
scanty. Everything possible Is being
done for them, and railroads reaching
the range are carrying all supplies and
provisions free.
On the whole range about 3,Jc0 pco-
pie are. for the time being. entirely de-
pendent ON charity. In largo measure
the women and children have been
brought 10 Duluth.
At a citizens meeting today q general
relief committee was appointed and IT
was decided not t. appeal for outside
aid. Between 5000 aud 81. 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 appropriated 81 200 TO aid in
the work. Ii will bc put at the DISPOSE
tion OF the relief committee. Trouble is
feared al Virginia from the character 81
the population. As in all new mining
towns, the men are. many OF them. hard
characters, aud lawlessness is antici.
paied. i'oIice Sergeant Snoliott and a
squad of officers have been sworn in as
deputy slicrilfs and will be ssnt To Vir-
ginia tomorrow morning. The total issus
as estimated tonight by tlscse best quail
iiied to know. Is put at a .JWou. The
insurance IA nearly as il can bc csti
mated il about s3uO.0O.
Danger From Foress Fires.
Fires are burning all along the range
still and change II wind will cause
more damage. but the danger Is not i'm
mincnt. The mining companies suffered
heavily The plants at the following
mines were either entirely OF partially
destroyed: Shaw. Commodore. Frank
lin. Jones. Messba Mountain. Ohio and
New England.
II IL fairly well established now that
no lives were lost as the result III the
fires. The stories current last night
cannot be confirmed aud those who
we're on the range last night say there
were no loss of life.