Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-06
MILLIONS
CONSUMED
BY FIRES
Whole Towns Are Swept
Off the Map
MINNESOTA VISITED BY WORST
BLAZE IN YEARS
lnestimabIe Fortunes Go Up In Smoke.
Awful Scenes Enacted in Path
of Destruction-Many
Suffering
By Associated Press

By Associated Press
nULUTH. Mimi, Sept. ST.
Forest fires which have
- been burning for three days
closed in on several towns and
small settlements near Duluth
this afternoon, wiping them out,
rendering probably about $4,000
persons homeless, destroying
property valued at several mil
lion dollars and sweeping over
lands in many counties in north
ern Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Chisholm, Mimi, a town of
1000 people, on the Mosaba iron
range, ninety miles north of Du-
luth, was completely wiped out.
Hibbing, five miles from Chisholm,
was surrounded by forest fires tonight
and the city was in danger until the
wind shifted.
The entire northern portion of Doug
las county, Wisconsin, is on fire and
! several small settlements have been
destroyed.
CAASAoWs a NAldB6 lWeuLy-uV6 miles
west of Duluth, was surrounded by
| fires early tonight and there is no hope
| for the town.
T, Many May Be Cremated
| Thousands of farmers have been
driven from their homes by the flames
and as the passage along the roadway
| is difficult, owing to the dense smoke
and the heat of the burning forests, it
is believed that some lives may have
been lost. although none has been re-
ported.
A fire at Bayfield,. Wis. starting in
a lumber yard there damaged two
docks and the lumber company's
property to the extent of 100000.
The most destructive of the many
forest fires was that which embraced
Chisholm in its fiery grip and COM
pletely destroyed it.
For three days the dry woods have
been on fire west and north of the
town and small bush fires We're re-
ported to the eastward.
Gradually these closed in upon the
doomed town but no danger was felt
by the citizens as the town is protect
ed on the east by Long Year lake, a
small body of water, and there are
many mining locations to the west. in
which district the citizens believed the
advancing flames would be stopped.
Three Fires Meet
At noon today the three walls of fire
Joined, making a semi-circle of threat
ening flames which swept toward the
little mining town with rush and a
The hot breath Of the confagration
was felt as the advancing flames rolled
over the hills, licking up every tree,
stump and every vestige of plant
growth, and sending up a hurricane
OF red-hot brands that fell upon the
doomed town.
At the first advent of these flaming
couriers, the citizens Of Chisholm went
forth to fight the flames.
The fire department was unable to
cover large territory and although
intermittent blazes started by the fall
ing fire brands were quickly ex-
tinguished, the wall of fire rolled on
ward toward the town and the citi-
zens soon realized that it's destruction
was inevitable.
So quickly did the fire communicate
to the outlying districts that the citi-
zens did not have time to save any
of their household goods or personal
effects.
Citizens All Escape
The people had ample time to escape
with their lives and soon the roads
leading from the towns were thronged
with the fleeing people In wagons, on
norSeS ana on Ioot.
There are two roads from Hibbing to
Chisholm, and the most direct was in
the path of the flames, necessitating
travel by way of the longer road. Con-
veyances were at a premium.
A foreigner with q small wagon and
one horse offered to take a woman and
three children to Hibbing for SIS.
A man overheard the conversation.
and drawing a revolver he pointed it
at the foreigners head and climbing
into the rig compelled him to drive the
party over the fire zone.
May Fisher, when the citizens began
to leave the burning town, refused to
go with her companions. They were
forced to flee for their lives. and she
was left behind. She has not been seen
since.
Editor Barely Escapes
Oscar LaFrance, editor of the Chis-
holm Tribune, was in his Office. and
above him the roof was in flames before
he was apprised of his danger.
He was compelled to break window
to escape. Business men ran home tc
get their families, and many separations
oecurred as they, in turn, fled toward
the business district.
CONSERVATION reigned everywhere, as
the road leading out OF the city was
without the fire zone and the pail of
smoke did not hang as heavily as
over the burning town, so recognition
there was easier, and the families
were soon reunited.
The Great Northern, the only rail-
road RUNNING into Chisholm, took IF
teen box cars crowded with homeless
people to Hibbing this evening, where
the citizens are throwing open their
houses, and tents are being supplied
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