The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-06
By Forest Fires in
 Minnesota. OTHER TOWNS THREATENED
 BY THE RAGING FLAMES Thousands of Persons Are Rendered
 Homeless. The Forest Fires Are Raging In Many stntes And in Part. of Canada - Property Loss is
 Heavy.

Duluth. Mlnn.. Sept. 5.--Forest nres. after burning for three days, envelcp- ed several towns near Duluth, ren- dered thousands of people homeless worth of property.
 Chisholm. Minn., town of 1000 in. habitants on tho Mesaba iron range, ninety miles north of Duluth. was completely wiped out. Hibbing. five miles from Chisholm, was surrounded by forest fires and was saved only by the shifting of the wind. The en- tire northern portion of Douglas county. Wisconsin. is on fire. Rem shaw. a village twenty-five miles west of Duluth Is surrounded by flames and there Ia no hope for 1t. The farmers have been driven from their homes and as passage along the roadway Is difficult owing to the dense smoke and the heat. 1t Is believed that some lives have been lost, although none have been reported. A fire at Bay field. Wis. damaged two blocks and q lumber company's property to the extent of S700.000.
 For three days the dry woods have been on fire west and north of Chis- holm and many small bush fires were reported to the eastward. At noon three walls of fire coming from dif- ferent directions. joined and swept to- ward the little mining town, with . roar. licking up every tree, stump and vestiGo of plant growth, and sending up hurricane of red hot brands that fell upon the town.
 Citizens of Chisholm went forth to light the fire. The department wan not able to cover large territory and although intermittent blazes started by the falling fire brands were quick ly extinguished. the fire rolled onward toward the town and the citizens soon realized that it's destruction was in~ | evitable. Soon the roads leading from l the town were thr0nEed with feeln9 l people in wagons on horses and on foot. Conveyanees were at a pre- mium.
 A foreigner with n small wagon and | one horse offered to take woman and 1 three small children to Hibblng fQk s25. A man overheard the convergS ton and drawing a revolver poinfed l It at the foreigners head and then l climbing Into the rig compelled z hfal | to drive the party over the fire zone. Business men ran home to get their families and many separations occur red as they in turn fled toward tho business district.
 Tho Great Northern. the only raiI- road running Into Chisholm, took nf- teen box cars crowded with homeless people to Hlbbing tonight, where the citizens are throwing open their homes l and tents are being supplied to care for the refugees
 The residence districts caught fire soon after the business portion was ablaze. The new high school which was recently erected at a cost of $i26.- 900 Is tho only building saved. Among the losses are the First Ma tlonal Bank Building, valued at t25.- COG, the City Hall $25,000; R. S. o'Neill Hotel. Chisholm Filter Plant. Lawrence Novach Building and Sapsre and Sons Building.
 The loss on buildings at Chisholm Is estimated at s2.000,000. Chisholm is in the center of the greatest Iron producing area in tho world. Refugees poured Into Hibbing tonight until tho population of 10000 was almost doub- led. To relieve the congestion, a special train was started from Hihbing to Duluth. crowded to the guards with homeless people.
 A dense pail of smoke filled with burning flakes hoyered over Duluth to- night.
 Nashwauk. twenty miles southeast of Hibbing Is surrounded by fire and if the present high wind keeps up the town is doomed. A Great Northern train from Nashwauk ran through C burning district fifteen miles long.
 The Pillsbury and Martley mines of the United Steel Corporation, six miles west of Hibbing. were destroyed. The loss was about S75.0O0, in each in- stance. The Duluth fire department tonight sent 25.000 feet of hose to the mining locations near Hibbing and the burning town of Chisholm.