Semi-weekly herald., 1908-09-10
RAVISH]|E[,D |
BY FIRE /:
Thousands Are Home.
less in Stricken
Minnesota District

DULUTH. Mimi. Sept. S.-After de-
stroying the town of Chisholm. on the
Mesaba range. and burning over thou.
sands of acres in st. Louis. Carleton
and Itasca counties in Minnesota and
the northern portion of Douglass coun.
ty. Wisconsin, the many forest fires
which have been raging in these dis.
tricts were checked Sunday, and II
the wind does not spring up again. 1t
is not likely that further damage will
be great.
The strong wind which had driven
the flames before 1t In many timbered
and agricultural districts subsided
Sunday morning and thousands OF
homeless people were given chance
to take stock of their belongings and
prepare to replace the many burned
farms and settlements and the once
flourishing town of Chisholm, on the
Mesaba range, sixty-five miles north OF
Duluth.
The subsiding fire enabled the in
save those towns. Several buildings
a. the edge OF Nashwark were burned,
but by valiant, all-night work, the 1000
miners and citizens prevented the
flames from springing over the village.
The town was entirely surrounded by
wall of fire, and Its escape from
obliteration was remarkable. There is
little timber adjacent to Bull, and al
though forest fires completely sur
round the village, the 600 inhabitants
had only to extinguish the incipient
blazes started by falling brands to
protect the village. Nashwauk is
twenty-five miles southwest of CHS
holm, and Buhl is seven miles to
the east.
Chisholm presents a scene Of ruin
and desolation. Blackened and smolc
ing piles of charred wood, little heaps
of gray ashes stirred by the breeze.
scorched gaunt skeletons OF brick and
mortar, all canopied with dense pail
of smoke comprise what was one OF
the most flourishing towns on the Me
saba iron range. The only remain.
ing buildings are the new $125.000 high
school. the grade school. the Catho.
lie church, the Italian church and a
dozen dwellings in the southernmost
,f hz t,t
by a few heroic fire fighters, who
stuck to their posts In the face Of the
cyclonic onslaught of the flames and
smoke. l Il
The damage to property is estimated
at 81 100000 and personal property at
s75O,0O0. including the stocks Of the
merchants. H. A. Hibbing. insurance
man, who had many policies in prop.
erty in the destroyed town, estimates
the insurance carried by Chisholm
merchants at $500,000. Il
Hibbing. five miles west OF CHS
holm, afforded accommodations to
about 1000 refugees from Chisholm
Saturday night. and 5000 were given
places to sleep Sunday night. The
Duluth. Mesaba and Northern started
a car of tents from Duluth for Hibbing
Sunday afternoon on receipt OF a mes
sage from Mayor Werick. i d
A thousand tents are In use and a
white city has sprung up on the en-.
virons of Hibbing. n
There are many destitute persons.
Many men who were rated as well-to-
do are without funds to buy meal.
In most instances these misfortunes
are only temporary as many will soon
receive their insurance money. How
ever. some merchants lost everything
that they had except the clothes on
their backs and there will be much
suffering and financial embarrass-
ment. IAN
Chisholm. Mimi, ninety miles north
of Duluth was completely destroyed.
The loss there alone is estimated at
81. 10000 lsf=J g