The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-20
FURIOUS FOREST FIRES
Many Rich Mining Towns Swept
Up Completely.
SAD LOSSES OF LIFE AND PROPERTY

Gut On From All Assistance and Helpless.
DULUTH, June 19.-The result of year
OF enterprise on the Mesaba range has been
wiped out in a single day The towns OF
Virginia and Mountain Iron have been de-
stroycu anu Biwabik partially If not entire
ly wiped out. 1t is impossible TO estimate
the loss, but 1t will approximate 81 ,0O0, 900
anu several thousand people are homeless
For three weeks the range has been in
danger. Forest fires have been burning on
all sides of the new mining towns and
only by the greatest effort has the disaster
been so long averted.
The range towns fought the fire them
selves and so far as possible kept the news
OIL thelr danger from reaching the outside
world for fear that their prospects might
be injured. The fire on Saturday evening
was all about the village but there was
every reason to believe it could he kept
under control, but a strong wind blew up
anu the greater part of the range was
doomed. The first news came from Gen
eral Manager Philbin, who telegraphed to
President Merritt, of the road:
Appeals For Help.
Men, women, and children loaded on
ore cars ready to leave. For Gods sake
send MS aid. The whole town OF Virginia,
including freight house, is burned. Have
two engines trying to get cars out"
AT nearly the same time messages were
received from the other range towns. The
operator at Mountain Iron telegraphed
that the town was burning and the Duluth
anu Iron Range operator at Biwabik wired
to President Gresbinger of his road:
Goods removed from depot. Goodby."
Since that time the wires to Biwabik have
been down. The indications are that the
village has shared the fate of Virginia
In Duluth the news was followed by i'm
mediate preparations to care for the hun
dreds of homeless people. \ special train
was ordered Ivy President Gresbinger of
the Duluth and Iron Range railroad, and
carioads OF provisions We're ordered.
The last adviGes from the vicinity of Vir-
ginia are that | 100 people, mostly women
and children, have been loaded in ore ears
and will be brought to Duluth
The second train bearing refugees
from the burned district arrived here at
noon, bearing nearly 200 people, Ad-
vices from Virginia are to the effect
that only ten houses escaped the flames.
Virginia was a village OF $500 people.
The city was just completing an elab-
crate elt ctric plant, and this, too, is a
total loss. Mount Iron was not as badly
damaged as at first feared, but it is sur
rounded by fire. So far as reported
OHiy bu6 hl6LDOulSC CnurCn anu half
dozen houses were burned
Merritt and Messaha are completely
cleared out, not house remaining
There were numerous fatalities and in.
juries reported, but no deaths have as
yet been verified.
Ed. Kelly and Ida Vurth's song and
dance team, which was playing at one
OF Merritts theatres, went back to the
theatre to recover their warirobes when
they were cut off from all means of
escape except by the lake, and it is
feared that they were either drowned or
burned. A young woman, whose name
has not yet been learned. went back
into her burning house to get her babe
and probably persisted with the infant,
as they have not been seen since. A
laborer named Murphy was SO badly
burned about the face and neck that it
was thought inadvisable to bring him
to this city, so critical was his condi
ton Three seriously sick people we're
placed on cars on stretchers and brought
here and placed in the hospital. San.
horn, small numbering town on the
Duluth and South Shore road, is en-
tirely wiped out by the forest fires
Two children OF honest ader there
were separated from their parents and
persisted in the flames. One bridge,
nearly 100 feet long, was also burned.
"Chic's Oath" by Mabel Paige mt the
Academy of Music Tonight.
The Casseil Publishing Company Assigns.
NEW YORK, June 10.-The Cassell
Publishing Company has gone into
liquidation. 1t was charged that the
president of the com pany, Oscar Nj.
Durham, was defaul er to the amount
of about Sl65. 900, and had absconded.
Judge Lawrence appointed Henry J.
Broker receiver. The corporation was
organized to purchase the American
business and plant OF Cassell & Co
limited, an English corporation engaged
in selling and publishing books in Eng
land, United States and other countries.
1t bought the plant and business for
about S330,0o0, and paid in cash one
year after the organization. Durham
was for many years manager in the
United States for Cassell & Co limited.
"Chic's Oath" by Mabsl Paige at the
Academy of Music tonight.
Railroad Contracts Let
WILMINGTON, N. q, June 19.-Con-
tracts were let to-day by the Atlantic
Coast Line for their Manchester and
Augusta extension from Rimini S. c.,
to Denmark, S. G. Watkins Il Parlow,
Va La IA II Honi, hl6.s were awarded the
contract for all trestle work, including
the big trestle at the Santee river,
which is three miles long; Norman &
Co.. OF Lynchburg, Va, have the grad
ing The contract for bridge work has
not yet been awarded. All work is to
be completed by January next.
Hagerty's Fearful Fly.
New YORK, June 19.-John Hagertv,
OF 81 Christie street aged 80. Jumped
from BROOKLYN BRIDGE this aftrrnoon