Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-09-06


Not a vestige of Hlncisley Remains
Hand of Charity Quickly at Work, hut
Hindered by Broken Communications
The forest fires in Minnesota and
Wisconsin are something terrible. A
wild, district has been swept by fire
that came amost as suddenly as q
cyclone, dozen or more cities and
towns have been destroyed. hundreds
OF lives have been lost and thousands
of people have been made homeless.
The details of the calamity are simply
appalling and the story o, disaster
told in the dispatches is almost with
out precedent In the record of thrill
ing and horrible incidents. In addi-
tion to tie loss OF life and the destruc-
tion of homes and establishments repre-
senting business activity, wide stretches
OF valuable timber have been dest, Dyed
and the losses will be counted
by millions. The story of the struggle,
flight and death or narrow escape Of
thousands of people in the fire-swept
district in Minnesota and Wisconsin
makes lurid and thrilling narrative.
The fury of forest fire in dry sea-
son is not to he stayed by mans in
genuity. In the old prairie fires meas
ures could be taken 10 turn the tide of
destruction, but before the fierce blazes
of the forest man stands as help.ess
as were the victims OF the Johnstown
food. Railway aims are overtaken,
whole towns swept out OF existence,
isolated homes b. the score or hun
dre1 burned. leaving no trace Of those
who occupied them, and a wide extent
of country blackened to desert. This
is the story in brief of the fires i'm
Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The fire king had everything his
own way and his legions were triurn-
plant. Hinckley. Partridge, Kerrick,
Sandstone, Mansfield, Dedham on the
Great Northern, Barronett, Shell Lake
on the Omaha and Poplar en- the
Northern Pacific lines were destroyed
Saturday night and Sunday, with the
exception of Shell Lake, where only
sixty h ouses are burned. 1t is not pos
sible to give anything like accurate
details, but the loss of life and
property has been terrible. Tho fires
originated in the forests. the wind was
blowing gale Sunday night, and tho
smoltering fires sprang suddenly into
formidable life, and leaped with almost
inc edible activity upon the unsuspect-
ing towns in their path. The wo st
suffering is reported from Hinckley,
Mimi, and vicinity. The estimate OF
the 10 of life there and in the SUR
rounding towns is being increased by
every report 1t is said that stTewn along
on one street of Hincklcy the bodies
of twenty mine victims wero found,
while in another spot the charred and
unacceptable remains OF lob citis ems
were Counted. A low estimate OF the
fatalities in that, town alone Is now.
placed at 300 persons. Scores CT others
were discovered severely in .ured,
while the list of missing was in the
hundreds. 1t is believed that at least
100 victims are on the farms and clear
ings throughout the burnt district.
The loss of life in md about Hinck-
ley Sandstone, Pokegama, Skunk Lake
and Mission Creek will not be known
for weeks, if ever. The survivors were
taken to Pine City, where physicians
cared for the injured, while relief
trains from Duluth Minneapolis and
st. Paul carried In tents, clothing, food
and eyerything necessary to cover tho
wants OF the suffering survivors. Very
few persons are left in Hinckley.
Score of Town, w'ps1 Ga.
Nineteen towns are known to have
been wiped out, and the property loss
reaches $l?,OOC,0 0. Following Is the
list of towns destroyed:
Bashaw, Burnett County, Wis.
Barronett. Barron County. Wis.
Benoit. Wis.
Cartwright. Chippewa County, Wis.
FifeId Pine County Wis.
Granite Lake, Barron County, Wis,
Grantsburg, Burnett County, Wiz
Hiuckley. Pine County. MINI.
Mission Creek, Pine County; MINI.
Marengo. Ashland County, Wis.
AIflaca Pine County. MINI;
Muscoda. Grant County. Wis.
Shell Lake, Washburn County, Wis.
South Range. Douglas County. Wis.
Sidnaw HouChton County. Mich.
Sandstone MINI.
front Creek, Mich.
Many other towns were reported In
danger late Sunday night. Cadott,
near Chippewa Falls, Wis, was sur
by flames. and the people of
Chippewa Falls went to the rescue
with steamers. Good news came that
the town OF Washburn, Wis, across
the lay from Ashland, had 1nally been
saved. But other reports are that the
flames elsewhere are increasing their
fury, and are now advancing into the
vast forests ca Of Ashland and to-
wards the cities in the iron belt, lead
ing to Marquette. Tho losses at
and Barronett were each
over 81 ,O0c, 900, while the losses at the
other towns reported destroyed range
from 100000 to IS jO,0oe, according to
latest advices. Tho loss in Wa hbirn
was estimated at $50 100.
Aid for tn, Homeless.
The extent of the suffering can
hardly be described, but the hand of
charity was quickly at work, the cities
of the three States sending aid to the
sufferers. But railroads have been in
lred ~ the fires, and in many cases
traffic has been entirely suspended,
thus preventing the starting out
of relief EXPEDITIONS. There seems
no hope for a cessation of the prog
ress OF the flames save an end OF the
great drought. No such hope Is held
out, for, while much-needed rain is
promised for other points, dry and
fair" Is the prediction for the burning
by the Weather Bureau.
Up to last reports the estimates Of
the lives lost in the fires at different
points in the two States are as given In
the following list, aud 1t Is feared the
list Is far below the actsal destruction
Of human life: