The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-07
FOREST FIRES
 ARE CHECKED Further Damage Not
 Feared Now. STRONG WIND SUBSIDIES Homeless Persons Take Stock of
 Their Belongings. The subsiding of the Wind Enabled the Inhabitants of BuhI and Nash
 wank to Save Those
 Towns.

Duluth. Minn.. Sept. 6.--After de. stroying the town of Chisholm on the Mesaba range. and burning over thou sands of acres in St. Louis and Carle- ton counties in Minnesota and the Northern portion of Douglas county, Wis. the many forest fires which have been raging in these districts were checked today and if the wind does not spring up again, 1t is not likely that further damage will be great.
 The strong wind which had driven the flames before 1t in many slsabered and agricultural districts, subsided this morning and the thousands of home less people were given a chance to take stock of their belongings and prepare to replace the many burned farms and settlements and the once flourishing town of Chfsholm. sixty i've miles North of Duluth.
 The subsiding of the wind enabled the inhabitants of Buhl and Nash buildings at the edge of Nashwauk were burned. but by valiant all night work. the 1000 miners and citizefB prevented the flames from sweeping over the village. The town was en- tirely surrounded by a wall of fire and it's escape from obliteration was remarkable. There Is little timber ad-
  fires completely surrounded the vil- lage. the six hundred inhabitants had only tol extinguish the incipient biaxes started by falling brands to protect the village.
 Chisholm presents a scene of rulE and desolation. Blackened and gmok ing piles of charred wood, little heaps of gray ashes stirred by the htful breeze, scorched gaunt skeletons oi brick and mortar, all eanepied with . dense pail of smoke. comprise what WAS one of the most ffourishing towns in the great Mesaba range.
 Tho remaining buildings are thoz new Si25.0oD high school, the graded school. the Catholic Church, the Ital the s0uthere most parts of the kAwn5
 Property Damage.
 The damage 10 property is estimq# ed at $1,000,000 and to personal prD erty at three quarters of a million Bl, lars. including the stocks of the 1fer- chants. A Hibbing insurance han who had many policies on property in the destroyed town estimates the in- surance carried by Chisholm mer- chants at s500.00o.
 Hibbing, i've miles west of Chisholm arorded accommodations to about r. 600 refugees from Chisholm last night and 1t is expected that 5000 will be gwen lOdBinE tonight. The OuluLns Mesaba & Northern started car of tents from Duluth for Hibblng this af- ternoon on receipt of message from Mayor Weirick W. A. McGonagle, vice president and general manager of the road, said he would rush tents and supplies if necessary to Hibbing as fast as needed. A thousand tents can be used and by tomorrow night, a white city will have sprung up on the environs of Hibbing. Foodstuffs will not be needed as the merchants have large supplies and an order from Du- luth has been placed for what is de- sired.
 The HibbinG relief committee has served meal tickets on HibbIng res ' taurants and is prepared to house any one. Only 1000 were given beds ir private homes and hotels last night as most of Chisholm's population was too excited to seek place to rest.
 There are many destitute persons, especially among the mining class Numbers of men who were rated as well to do, were without funds to buy a meal today. In most instances these misfortunes were only temporary, az many will soon receive their tnsur- ance money. However, some merch- ants lost everything they had except the clothes they wore and there win be much suffering and financial em. barrassment.