The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-04-27
SWEPT BY FLAMES.


is in a4gfevers of excitement caused BY
the awful bush ilres now raging along
the lines 81 the s Southeastern railway
All the country from La Broquerie,
about so miles down the line, 50 War.
rem, Mimi, . distance. of rs miles, is
known TO be in the grasp Of the flames,
which isssweeping the forest in all di.
rections, famed by a strong easterly
wind, and the number of human be.
ings entrapped, IS estimated 1t fully
500; These are composed chiefly OF
scattered settlers and men employed
In the lumber camps of JA.Buchanan,
Neil & Keith and J. Hylan. who had
an aggregate of 800 men and $50 teams
at work in the district near Vassar, q
station about 80 miles out and in the
very center of the region which sui.
>fered the most %@.'s p Z
AT nine a. m. Saturday the operator
at Wood Ridge, about ten miles this
side of Vassar, reported that the spe-
cial train bearing Buchanan and
Keith's men and railway officials had
been within four miles of Vassar and
was driven back by flames. From
stragglers who have escaped they
learned that 100 teams, with all camp
ing outfits, had. been abandoned and
that the men have scattered for their
lives in ell directions. One hundred
thousand ties and 10000 cords of wood
were burned and the camps were com
pletely encircled by the raging flames.
The special train left on another trial
to break through the flames and at
tempt rescues.
The entrapped special succeeded in
breaking through the flames and ar.
rived this morning after one of the
most thrilling trips in the history OF
railroading. Brought in with it were
several stragglers found in a desperate
condition near Vassar. These fugitives
lost everything. All tell thrilling
stories of escape from death. They
wandered amid smoke and flames dur.
ing "a hours, standing often up to their
necks in water to escape the heat. Two
men were found in dazed condition
on the ground near the track with
sASAA AoAA oAASCu nAu C1OtucS ucdTly
burned of. They were rescued and
recovered consciousness; though terri.
bly, frightened by their awful expert.
ence.
Besides immense quantities of lum.
Der and wood, two large numbering
outfits with 40 wagons and over 100
horses are known to be burned. The
drivers and bushmen have scattered in
all directions, and out of 200 only about
80 are known to have reached place
of safety. The remainder are doubt.
less struggling desperately through
the woods for their lives. The intensity
OF the flames precludes the possibility
of any dead bodies being recovered, as
they would be reduced to ashes.
The fatalities will not be known I'm.
til contractors can call the roll of the
men they employed. Struggling set.
tiers who persisted may never be
known, as no records were kept OF
claims taken in this district. The to.
tai loss is estimated at s., 1000, 900.
Duluth, MIMI, April 23.-Reports
from the forest fire district are very
meager, but from the best information
obtainable the worst of the scare is
over, and fires are dying down: The
excitement among the settlers and in.
habitants of the timber towns, which
was intense for a day or two, has disap.
peared. A good many thousands of dol
lars damage was done, however, and
owing to the unusually dry condition Of
the underbrush and timber, danger is
not altogether removed. Rain is: anx.
iously looked for, and until it comes
anxiety will continue.