The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-09-17
NORTH FORESTS BURN;
TOWNS LAID IN ASHES
Flames Sweep Through Minnesota
Woods and Leave Ruin i'm
Their Wake.
PAIL OF SMOKE IN CHICAGO.
Homeless Settlers and Wild Animals
Driven from Raging Forest
to Lake Shore.

Blown more than 500 miles by gentle.
steady air currents and kept close to
earth by peculiarly favorable atmos-
pheric conditions, the smoke from
Northern forest fires blew over Mil
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 the 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 q light fog The smoke was
thick enough to afford the spectacle of
the sun hanging like copper red disc
I'm the heavens.
Lake traffic was badly hampered by
whistles were put to work.
Rescued by Naval Reserves.
The dramatic story of the rescue Of
the north shore settlers and the citi-
zens of Grand Marais by the Duluth
naval reserves on board the steamer
Gopher. is told by Il correspondent who
was aboard the vessel The most heart
rending scenes were witnessed all
along the north shore of tne lake.
Homeless settlers. with everything they
possessed licked up by the flames, fed
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
ND by the Gopher One woman with
a pack on her back and sick baby In
her arms fled three miles from her
homestead to the lake and was picked
up by the boat
With Grand Marais. a town of loo
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. ii was apparent Satur'
d:y that. unless rain came soon. the
entire forest fire-swept district was
doomed to total destruction.
Among the larger places in peril were
Colerain. Bovey. Nashwauk, Marble
IIibbing. 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 Pacifi,
uNu I'LL Sldtt hNt nv tiRfhN
out fighting to save property along the
lines and protect bridges and stations
1t was a battle in which all able-bodied
men throughout the threatened terri
tory took hand. and hundreds were
near exhaustion as Il result OF the
weeks struggle.
Scene Was Awc-Inspiring.
The scene along the shore Saturday
right was an awe-inspiring sight as seen
from the water. For distance of more
than 100 miles the flames appeared to
the fire could be heard for miles. Great
trees were suddenly enveloped in flames
the fire rushing up balsams with a
swish like giant rocket. The great
all 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. Relic!
measures are being taken in all the
cities throughout the State TO help the
fire sufferers. Along the north shore of
Lake Superior the situation is critical
The Fire Monsters Work.
Here's summary of the fire mon.
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 d.
stroyed, about ten.
Towns in imminent danger, twenty.
Total fire loss (estimated). from S1O.-
G1.000 to $l5,O000OO.
People homeless, about 10000