The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-11
RANGE IN GRASP OF FOREST FIRES
Chisholm Blotted Off the Map, Snow
ball Obliterated, Costin, Aurora,
and Nashwauk Threatened
With Destruction.
Four thousand People at Chisholm,
Left Homeless in Thirty

Four thousand People at Chisholm,
| Left Homeless ia Thirty
Minutes.
Four thousand homeless people,
million and half dollars of prop
erty loss and the obliteration of a
prosperous city was the record of
thirty minutes work of the fire fiend
Saturday afternoon last when the
village of Chisholm was blotted off
the map and a number OF locations
on the west end were destroyed
through being included in the fire
zone.
Coming in from the forest to the
northwest, the fire was upon the
village before the inha bitants real
lied there was any actual danger,
and while no lives were lost there
were several narrow escapes re-
ported, while the fire sufferers al
most without exception got out with
only the clothes on their back or a
few things hurriedly crowded into
trunks or suit cases.
Other points on the range have
been threatened throughout the
week, the village of Hibbing at sew
eral times being considered within
the danger zone, and Aurora, Eve
leth and Biwabik being reported in
danger at times. The village of
SNOWFALL, among the latest of
Mesaba towns situated on the banks
of beautiful SNOWFALL lake west of
Hibbing with hundred inhabi.
tants, is reported to have been wiped
Oft, and several mining locations
have been partially destroyed.
AT Aurora it is stated that one
| corner of the town was burned
down yesterday afternoon, and BIZ
wabik is reported to have suffered
| loss of several buildings on the
north side of town, but luckily the
wind kept in one quarter and what
might have been repetition OF the
Chisholm disaster was averted.
Costin, just west of Mount Iron,
| was in the path of the fire on Tues
day, and but for the changing of
the wind to- the north during lie
previous night would have been
destroyed.
l1> Nashwauk suffered losses to-
several outlying buildings, and
the Kewatin location was reported
as doomed yesterday afternoon.
people moving out.
In this city there has been a
number of times during the week
that matters bore a serious aspect,
fierce fires raging to the north and
west, but every precaution has been
taken through wetting the lumber
yards, the clearing of adjacent
brush and the laying of pipe lines
around the mining locations and
mills. The city council authorized
the obtaining of fire engine for
the emergency, and a 800 gallon
per minute engine arrived from
ST Paul on Wednesday. Some two
hundred men have also been put
on the city pay roll for the week,
engaged in cutting and clearing
and fire fighting at points in the
vicinity OF the mills, where the
danger was most pronounced.
In common with other cities of
the range and of the northwest, Vir-
ginia has responded nobIy to the
appeal for help from the Chisholm
sufferers. sending a carload OF pro-
visions and supplies into the town
Monday and having raised to date
some 5000 for assistance of the
needy ones in the stricken city. This
work has been under the direction
of Senator Vail, A. c. Osborn, D. W.
Elmquist, NJ. Boylan and A. Kellar,
while the ladies' of the city are now
engaged in securing clothing, bed
ding, etc, for distribution among
the sufferers.
In this connection the city council
showed it's appreciation of remem-
brance by other towns in the two
big conflagrations which wiped
out this city in 1893 and again in
1900 by voting city donation of
$500 as the m"nicipality's donation
to the relief fund.
The citizens OF Chisholm are un-
daunted by the disaster, however,
and are showing the right spirit
by Immediately commencing the
erection of new buildings on the
site of the former Chisholm, loads
of lumber for . the erection of
temporary business places arriving
on the spot on Sunday afternoon.
They also show their wisdom in
guarding against future repetitions
OF the disaster by passing a fire
limit ordinance, and in future all
buildings on the main thorough
fare will be of brick, stone or
cement.