Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-22
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.


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 had 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 a 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 fog
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 a 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, 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
I'D by the Gopher One woman with
a pack on her back and a sick baby in
her arms fed three miles from her
homestead to the lake and was picked
up by the boat.
With Grand Marais, a town of LOCO
people, on the Lake Superior north
shore, partly destroyed, and Beaver
BAY. so miles away, also attacked by
the flames, and a dozen smaller towns
in great peril, it was apparent Satur-
day 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,
FIibbing Bull, 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
and all State railroads had fire trains
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 a 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 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 n giant rocket The great
peat beds of northern Minnesota were
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. Relief
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 a 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 de-
stroyed, cbout ten.
Towns in imminent danger, twenty.
Total fire loss (estimated), from $10,-
100000 to S15,OO0,OOO.
People homeless, about 10000.