The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-09-13

The forest fires in Minnesota and
Wisconsin are something terrible. A
uid, district has been swept by fire
+hat came almost as suddenly as a
~crc,one. a dozen or more cities and
town. have been destroyed, hundreds
~, lives have been lost and thousands
NJ reople have been made homeless.
The details of the calamity are simply
apoalling and the story OF disaster
TOLD in the dispatches is almost with
ont precedent in the record of thrill
inc and horrible incidents. In addi-
ZION to the loss Of life and the destruc-
tion of homes and establishments repre-
seating business activity, wide stretches
of valuable timber have been destroyed
and the losses will be counted
BY millions. The story of the struggle,
fight and death or narrow escape of
thousands of people in the fire-swept
district in Minnesota and Wisconsin
makes a lurid and thrilling narrative.
The fury of a forest fire in a dry sea.
son is not to re stayed by mans in
g%enuity. In the old prairie fires meas
". could be taken TO turn the tide OF
destruction, but before the fierce blazes
of the forest! man stands as helpless
a. we're the victims OF the JOhnstown
food. Railway trains are Overtaken,
whole towns swept out of existence,
isolated homes by the score or hun
drei burned, leaving no trace Of those
who occupied them, and a wide extent
of country blackened to a desert. This
is the story in brief of the fires in
Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The fire king had everything his
own way and his legions were trium-
plant. Hinckley, Partridge, Kerrick,
Sandstone, Mansfield. Dedham on the
Great Northern. Barronett, Shell Lake
on the Omaha and Poplar on the
Northern Pacific lines were destroyed
saturday night and Sunday. with the
exception of Shell Lake, where only
sixty houses are burned. 1t Is not pos
sible to give anything like accurate
details, but the loss OF life and
property has been terrible. The fires
originated in the forests. the wind was
blowing a gale Sunday night. and the
-moliering fires sprang suddenly into
formidable life, and leaped with almost
inc. edible activity upon the unsuspect-
ing towns in their path. The worst
suffering is reported from Hinckley,
MIMI, and vicinity. The estimate OF
the los of life there and in the sur-
rounding towns is being increased by
every report. 1t is said that strewn along
on one street of Hinckley the bodies
of twenty-nire victims wore found,
while in another spot the charred and
unrecOgnizable remains of l03 citizens
were counted. A low estimate of the
fatalities in that town alone is now
placed at 300 persons. Scores OF others
were discovered severely injured,
while the list of missing was in the
hundreds. 1t is believed that at least
100 victims are on the farms and clear
ing5 throughout the burnt district.
ley, Sandstone, Pokegama, Skunk Lake
and Mission Creek viii 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 everything necessary to cover the
wants OF the suffering survivors. Very
few persons are left in Hinckley.
Score OF Town. Wiped Que.
Nineteen towns are known to have
been wiped out, and the property loss
reaches $l2,OOO,O o.. Following is the
list Of towns destroyed:
Bashaw, Burnett County, Wis.
Barronett: Barron County. Wis.
BeuOit. Wis.
Cartwright, Chippewa County. Wis.
Fiheld. Pine County. Wis.
Granite Lake. Barron County, Wis.
Grantsburg, Burnett County, Wis.
Glidden. Ashland County, Wis.
Hinckley, Pine County. Mimi.
Mission Creek, Pine County. MINI.
Marengo. Ashland County, Wis.
Milaca. Pine County, Mimi:
Muscoda, Grant County Wis.
Shell Lake. Washburn County. Wis.
south Range. Douglas County. Wis.
Sidnaw. Hou0hton County. Mich.
Sandstone, MINI.
Trout Creek. Mich.
Many other towns we're reported in
danger late Sunday night. Cadott,
ear Chippewa Falls, Wis, was sur
rounded 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 hay from Ashland, had hnally been
saved. But other reports are that the
flames elsewhere are increasing their
fury, and are now advancing into the
vast forests ca It Of Ashland and to-
wards the cities in the ircn belt, lead
lug to Marquette. The losses at
Hinckley and B~arronett were each
over Sl,O0o, 600, while the losses at the
other towns reported destroyed range
from 800, 900 to S5N,00O, according to
latest advices. The loss in Washburn
was estimated at $50 900.
Aid for tho Homeless.
The extent OF the suffering can
hardly be described. but the hand OF