Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-09-24
NORTH FORESTS BURN;
TOWNS LAID IN ASHES
Flames Sweep Through Minnesota
Woods and Leave Ruin in
Their Wake.
PAIL OF SMOKE IN CHICAGO.
Homeless Settlers and Wild Animals
Driven from Raging Forest
to Lake Shore.

steady air currents and kept close to
earth by peculiarly favorable atmos-
pheric conditions, the smoke from
Northern forest fires blew over Nil
waukee and Chicago Saturday and
Sunday. In Milwaukee Saturday its
density bad increased until only the
outlines of buildings four blocks dis
tant could be made out
This is the first time in many years
that Chicago has seen and felt tae eff
fects of the forest fires that rage in
the far north every summer. The
fires about Hibbing, Mimi, and the
Michigan copper country are more Sc
we're than usual, and the country with
in a radius of 200 miles of the blazing
districts is covered with pail of thick
smoke. The enormous cloud drifted
southwark on a gentle wind.
Peculiar atmospheric conditions per-
mitted the light smoke to descend I'M
til it covered the whole city, allowing
the rays of the sun to filter down as
through a light fog. The smoke was
thick enough to afford the spectacle OF
the sun hanging like a copper red disc
In the heavens.
Lake traffic was badly hampered by
the smoke and the government fos
whistles were put to work.
Rescued by Naval Reserves.
The dramatic story of the rescue OF
the north shore settlers and the citl-
Zens of Grand Marais by the Duluth
naval reserves on board the steamer
| Gopher, is told by a correspondent who
was aboard the vessel. The most heart
rending scenes were witnessed all
| along the north shore of the lake.
| Homeless settlers, with everything they
| possessed licked up by the flames, fled
| to the lake shore for refuge, with lit
| tie food and no clothing but what they
carried on their backs. The Gopher
| coasted along the shore, picking up
| the refugees. The shore was alive with
wild animals of all kinds, driven out
| of the woods by the fires. Three men
| had been forced to take refuge in the
| waters of the lake and were picked
up by the Gopher. One woman with
| a pack on her back and sick baby III
her arms fled three miles from her
homestead to the lake and was picked
up by the boat.
With Grand Marais. town OF LOU
people, on the Lake Superior north
shore. partly destroyed, and Beaver
Bay. so miles away, also attacked by
| the flames, and dozen smaller towns
in great peril, it was apparent Satur-
| day that. unless rain came soon, the
entire forest fre-swept district Was
doomed to total destruction.
Among the larger places in peril were
| Colerain, Boyey, Nashwauk, Marble,
Hibbing, Buhl, Big Bay, Chicago Bay.
| Cotton. Aurora. Mountain Iron, Rem
shall, Fort William, Ont, Hymers, Ont,
Port Arthur, Ont. Cascade and Nutson.
The Great Northern, Northern Pacific
ard all State railroads had fire trains
out fighting to save property along the
lines and protect bridges and stations.
| It was battle in which all able-bodied
men throughout the threatened terri
tory took a hand, and hundreds were
hear exhaustion as result of the
weeks struggle.
Scene Was Awe-Inspiring.
The scene along the shore Saturday
night was an awe-inspiring sight as seen
! from the water. For a distance of more
| than 100 miles the flames appeared to
| be almost continuous. The roaring Of
! the fire could be heard for miles. Great
trees were suddenly enveloped in flames,
| the fire rushing up balsams with a
swish like a giant rocket. The great
peat beds of northern Minnesota were
ull ablaZe.
In response to Governor JOhnSon's
appeal $4,000 has been raised by the
| Duluth relief committee for the home
| less refugees. The supply of food and
clothes now seems to be ample. Relief
measures are being taken in all the
| cities throughout the State to help the
Ere sufferers. Along the north shore of
Lake Superior the situation is critical.
The Fire Monsters Work.
NEWS ounilAdIy vi lHe uTe HoA-
| ster's work:
Duration of fires, two weeks
| Cause of fires believed to be incen-
diary.
States and provinces visited by fires
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and
| Ontario.
Towns and mining settlements de-
stroyed, about ten.
| Towns in imminent danger, twenty.
Total fire loss (estimated), from s1O,-
100000 to S15,OOO,0OO
People homeless, about 10000.
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