The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-09-11
4 THOUSAND DEAD.
AWFUL HARVEST OF FOREST
FIRES IN THE NORTHWEST.
Twenty Towns Wiped Cut--The Prop
erty Loss E stimated at $12, o,ooo---
Many Injured and Homeless
Communication With the
Burned Region Com
pletely Cut Of.

fire.
The list of known dead this morning
fOots up a fraction under six hundred,
but in isolated sections of the territory
devastated there are hundreds of small
farmers, loggers and charcoal burners
arc it is a safe estimate that the final
death roll will reach one thousand, or
half as many again, while the number
of injured runs into the hundreds.
The towns of Finlayson, Partridge,
Mansfield, Cromwell, Wright, Hinck
ley, Sandstone, Mission Greek, Skunk
Lake, Sandstone junction, Pokagoma,
each having populations varying from
fifty to six hundred, are literally wiped
off the map.
Hundreds of men, women and chill
dred with their homes swept away,
many half naked and badly burned,
are sheltered in swamps, deserted guar,
ries and on the edges of small inland
lakes. Several train loads of provis
ions were dispatched this morning to
save the sufferers from the additional
horrors of starvation.
MILLIONS IN DAMAGES.
The losses run into the millions while
the insurance is normal.
Hlnckley's loss alone is q million dol
y A4C1AN4LS a L114IlCh 10LllUCG
plant, which maintained the CITY which
yesterday had fifteen hundred inhabit
ants, and in which to day scarcely a
house remains.
Rough estimates of the loss Of prop
erty made by conservative survivors
foot up twelve million dollars, not in
Guiding the standing timber that has
been destroyed.
THE BLESS D LAIN.
Rain began to fall throughout the
burned district at noon. This puts an
end to immediate apprehension. Mum
bers of people are returning to Hinck
ley to bury the dead. Fully two hun
dred victims we're buried this afternoon
without Identification, rough pine
boxes being used.
Not a shelter of any kind remains in
the town.
WORSE E MAY COME.
DULUTH, Mimi, Sept. 3-The best
information up to noon to day is, that
twenty towns have already been de
strOyed, and that thousands of families
are flying in the face of the flames
Worse may be yet to come, as the
great drought still continues, and the
weather bureau predicts dry and fair
weather for the burning districts.
One hundred and seventy charred
bodies have been found within a radius
of three blocks in Hinckley.
Still later reports say that the follow
ing towns were also wiped out: Bar
ronette, Shell Lake, Bashaw, Haughan,
Cadott, Spencer, Fifield, Benot, Gid.
den, and Coplar, all in Northern Wis
consin.
ALMOST A CLEAN SWEEP.
Nearly every town and village be-
tween Chippewa Falls and Superior,
along the Omaha road, has been wiped
out Trains are stopped and telegraph
communication is completely cut off.
The big town of Washburne is badly
scorched.
1t will be days, if not weeks, before
the total of deaths, injuries and prop
erty loss can be obtained.
The trustees of Cornell University
had just invested in an immense tract
of pine on Long Lake, which is now in
ashes. The loss is 81, 00O, 900.
Agents of lumber companies in the
Northern Wisconsin burned district,
this morning, roughly estimate their
losses at S., O0C, 900.
So far as heard from the forest fires
which have shut Duluth out of COM
m~unication with the outside world for
over twenty-four hours, both by wire
and rail, has almost completely wiped
out six towns: Hinckley, Mimi, at
the junction of the St, Paul and Duluth
and Eastern Minnesota railways with
a population of 1900 or 500; Sand
stone, fifteen miles north on the East
eTn road, a quarry town, with a popu-
lation of 1, 900; Partridge and Mansfield,
1 emo IL CtafTOn6 fnrthnT north nnon& tho
Wisconsin border, with a population
300 each; Shell Lake and Baronette,
Wis on the Omaha road, south of
SpOoner, with a population of 1900
each, both lumber towns.
Besides these, Bayfield, and Wash
burne, on Lake Superior, from which
nothing can be heard, have probably
suffered considerably and numerous
little settlements all through the north
ern parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
No names can be obtained on account
Of interrupted transportation and tele
graphic facilities.
COUNTED DEAD BY HUNDREDS.
A special correspondent Investigate
ing the result of. the fire in the towns
burned on the st. Paul and Duluth
road counted 312 dead bodies. There
are 217 dead at Hinckley, II at Sand
stone, % at Pine City, 5 between Sand
stone and Miller with the interior ye5
to hear from.
RELIEF TRAIN SENT OUT.
A relief train turned at 1920 o'clock
this morning from a run down the st.
Paul and Duluth road, bringing about
$50 destitute and blistered people from
points along the line.
At Sandstone, fifty bodies, most of
which had been identified, were found.
The work of searching for the dead
still continues.
Another train is being made up here
TO carry supplies, clothing and doctors,
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