The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-09-12
GRAND MARA|S
MAY Be DOOMED
TO FIRE F|END
No Tidings Can be Received
From Stricken Town Be.
fore Midnight
PLANT BEDS OF WISCONSIN
are NOW FEEDING THE FLAMES
Devastation Caused by the Flames Can
Not be Estimated Says the Bureau
Of Forestry Of the Federal Govern.
ment-Most Disastrous in Years,

AoeA, ocpI. 1l.-NOC unLll LOn1SnC
at midnight will the fate of Grand
Marais be known. Last evening the
fast passenger steamer America of
the Booth line. steamed out Of the
harbor with a cargo of supplies for
the north shore settlers. She will
carry relief to the little village and
bring back any homeless settlers
found along the north shore. Whether
Grand Marais has been wiped out or
not is not known. Its fate was still
problematical when the Easton re-
turned yesterday and the Gopher is
still there fighting the flames. The
Gopher will not return until the town
Is deserted or the danger is passed.
Beaver Bay, on the north shore of
Lake Superior, eighty miles north
east of Duluth is reported to be
burning. The citizens have appealed
to Governor johnson for aid. The
Booth ship, America, has gone to
their rescue. Fires rage all over
Lake and Cook counties. Hundreds
of homesteads have been burned and
1000 people are homeless.
The Governments Work.
Washington, Sept. 12.-The forest
fires which have just laid waste whole
counties in Minnesota, Michigan and
extended into Wisconsin, destroying
many towns and making thousands Of
persons homeless, have focusted the
attention of the government officials
here as we'll as state forest officers
on the enormous losses of forest
wealth which will be on record for
the year 1908,
In the whole northern half of the
United States from coast to coast it
Is likely that the year will go down
has one Of the worst in the last quar-
ter century, The latest disasters in
Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin
are the worst of the many that have
visited the lake states this year.
The Pacific Coast, the Rocky
Mountains and the New England
states and Canada have had thor
ough and in some cases, continu-
GUS experience in fire. Forest serv-
ice officials say that it Is doubtful IL
this years actual losses from forest
fires in all parts of the country will
ever be known, but it is certain that
they will run up so high in the mil
lions that the country will be startled
when a compilation of statistics at the
end OF the season makes it possible
to give even the most conservative
figures. They point out that were all
the timber burned up this year in all
parts of the country converted into
cash it could provide for good-sized
navy of first class battleships. The
forest officials say the fires have
started a widespread movement in
many states to check them by adopt
ing rational systems of fire protec-
tion.
The government has had much
work in the fire fighting line on the
national forests, but careful patrol
and the organization of a force to
battle with the flames nave prevented
much greater destruction. The to-
tai cost OF the forest fires on the ma
tional forests for the season, exclu-
sive Of the salaries of forest officials,
will not be more than $4,000. This
sum covers the fire protection for
approximately 1853 ,000, 900 acres of ma
tional forests. State fire wardens and
forest officers, individuals and pri-
vate corporations having large tim
Der holdings. have organized fire
fighting forces along much the same
lines as the government in many
cases. and thus protected millions Of
acres of timber.
Tn fhsn TIA
+ Greenville. Pa, Sept. 12.-what is
known as the Dorset big woods,
large tract Of forest across the Craw-
ford line in Ohio. is being swept by
q fire and the farmers in that Sec
ton are making desperate efforts to
check the spread Of the flames. The
fire. which 10 supposed to have been