The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-12-01
HOUSES WENT
UP LIKE MAGIC
How Red Cross Aided Forest
Fire Victims.
SHELTER PROVIDED FOR THE HOMELESS
The Race With Oncoming Winter
Was a Thrilling One and Building
Bees" In Minnesota Broke All
Records---Method Employed Was
Unique, But 1t Produced the Re
suits Aimed At.

Washington, ID. G. Especially One
of the strangest facts observed in the
forest fires which occasionally sweep
over the woods of Northern Michigan
and Minnesota is the burning of the
ground. Falling leaves, bark and
twigs and dying plant life gradually
accumulate in the forests. The rains
and dense shade keep the mass damp.
Moses grow on the surface of the de-
caying vegetation. The half-rotted
stuff settles down and hardens. Trees
spring up and their roots take hold
in the peaty substance.
Then comes a season of drought,
and the dampness slowly evaporates.
A hunter or woodman or farmer
builds a fire, or railway engine
drops a spark. The dry surface of
the ground is ignited and a slow can
Ger of fire eats deep among the roots
of the trees, smouldering for weeks
or months. Then one day strong
wind springs up. Trees, undermin-
ed by the fire, topple over, their
roots throwing out showers of sparks
and burning masses of tinder-like
material. Flames burst out in every
direction, and like a fash, forest
fire is in full sweep.
Trail OF the Fire Fiend.
The forest fire which occurred in
Northern Minnesota few weeks ago
broke out in many places at once,
because many of these smouldering
fires were simply awaiting the gale
which sprang up on October Z. In
this fire about 1000 square miles of
country were burned. The thriving
villages Of Beaudette, with popula-
tion of 1900, and Spooner, with $50,
were swept out of existence in an
hour. Hundreds of "homesteaders, !"
carving their farms out of the for
ests, lost their homes and saved their
lives by lowering themselves into
wells, or plunging into streams or
ponds. Thirty lives were lost, and
1900 persons were left homeless,
with food, live stock, farm crops and
machinery all gone.
When the agents of the American
Red Cross reached the burned dis
trict they realized that winter was at
hand in this north country and that
struction of large number of shelf
ers. 1t was big job, and it had to
be quickly done. Here is the man
ner in which the Red Cross met the
emergency:
Two simple designs for houses
were prepared, of one and two rooms,
respectively. These required only a
few standard sizes Of lumber, and tar
paper took the place of shingles and
plaster. Lumber was rushed in from
Canada, the Secretary of the Treas
ury at Washington having waived the
customs duty on supplies required by
the Red Cross. A half dozen car
penters we're hurried to the scene.
Then building bees" were organ
lied, with one carpenter in command
of each. A half dozen neighbors,
with saw and hammer, would help
Ole Olson build his house. Then all,
including Olson, would move along
and build Hans Hanson's house, and
so on.
Building "Bees" Hummed.
The speed with which these
houses we're erected, where several
bees" were cumming" at the same
time, was startling. While this was
going on the Red Cross was hurry
ing into the fire district from Duluth
and st. Paul and Minneapolis big or
ders of doors, windows, stoves, bed
ding, chairs, kitchen utensils and
provisions. AS rapidly as the little
houses were ready they were fur
nished and stocked up with food and
the families moved in.
1t was desperate race with win
ter, and the Red Cross won. While
the race was at its swiftest there was
not buster spot between the oceans
than this black and desolate stretch
OF country along the northernmost
rim of Minnesota. Much remains to
be done, but nobody is going to
freeza mr. etarye