The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14
Flames DESTROY
THREE TOWNS
MINNESOTA DISASTER GREATEST
SINCE HiNcKLEY FIRE IS
YEARS AGO.
BEAuDETTF, sPooNER, RAINY RIv,
Property Loss In Rainy River, Beau.
dette and spooner 10 $1,500,000
Hundreds are
Dead.

Warroad, Oct. 10.-The greatest
catastrophe that Minnesota has ex'
perienced since the Hinckley horror
Is years ago occurred Friday night and
Saturday, when the whole Minnesota.
Manitoba boundary country was swept
by fire that is still raging, and as de-
tails become known, the disaster as
sumes appalling proportions.
The number of deaths is estimated
at from 100 to 200 or more, almost
entirely among settlers in the woods
around the towns Of Beaudette, Pitt,
Roosevelt and Graceton.
Very few of the settlers are known
to have escaped and this estimate will
likely fall considerably short of the
actual number.
Scene Of Horror Enacted.
Scenes of horror are reported on
every hand. People lost their heads
completely and ran aimlessly about,
bewalling their loss. Streets of towns
were strewn with personal belongings
which were thrown away in their
flight.
Crowds of able bodied men, mostly
workmen with no person to care for,
ran pell-mell to board the waiting
train at Beaudette to the exclusion of
women and children, and refused pos
itively to assist in saving property.
The village of Pitt was burned at Z
o'clock Friday night and at o'clock
the towns of Spooner and Beaudette,
six miles distant, were in flames.
A hurricane was blowing at the time
and within 10 minutes after the ap.
pearance of the fire the inhabitants
of the town were forced to fee for
their lives. being unable to save any
Of their property.
Then were enacted scenes which
will never be forgotten by those pres.
ent. Sick people apparently by the
score appeared and We're carried or
assisted to points of safety. There
were five patients in Carrigan's hospi
tai, which was burned. One woman
who had given birth to a child at
o'clock the same evening. had to be
carried to the Office of the Shevlin
Matthew Lumber company, in whose
building many people took refuse.
Property Loss $780, 900
The property loss in Rainy River
Beaudette and Spooner alone, includ.
ing the Rat Portage Lumber company's
plant and yard at Rainy River and
the yard Of the Shevlin-Mathieu Lum.
Der company at Spooner, will total
about $1,50O,000.
The people of Rainy River are do.
ing everything possible to assist the
homeless residents of the two Ameri
can towns.
Steps were at once taken by Mr.
Matthew, the executive head of the
Rainy River Lumber company and the
Shevlin-Mathieu Lumber company, to
have timber shipped over from Rainy
River for the purpose of building tenn
porary shelters for the people in
Beaudette and Spooner and the board
ing camp of the Shevlin- Mathieu Lum
Der company is feeding as many OF
the people as possible.
Situation at Rainy River.
Rainy River, Oct. 10.-This town
was on fire from the international
bridge to Sixth street, a distance Of
half mile.
Included in the burned area are the
Rat Portage Lumber company's mil
and lumber yard, containing 10000, 00(
feet Of lumber; the Western Canads
flour mills company and surrounding
buildings. There are so houses burned
and scores Of people are homeless
Fire is raging in the woods as far al
can be seen along the south bank Of
Rainy river.
Most Of old Beaudette, situated
ut Minnesota and International bridge
has so far escaped the IRE, as well a.
the buildings of the Shevlin-Mathie,
Lumber company at Spooner, through
the activity of the Canadian Northern
Railroad company.
Most Of the women and children o
these towns have been taken ON spec
ial trains to points east and man,
more are on steamers ready to leav,
should the wind change and the fir
spread.
All available hose is in use, but tn,
ire, driven by furious northwes
wind, is beyond control and mus
burn itself out.
Awful Scenes At international Fall,
International Falls, Mimi, Oct. TO-
More than $50 dead, millions upon mi
lions Of dollars worth of property d.
stroyed, 5000 refugees fleeing fror
the flames. 10 an epitome of the hal
psnings Of the hell session in til
Beltrami county forest fires.
Thirty-ave typhoid fever patient
were carried on improvised litters fro,
Spoonsr just before It was wiped o.
the map. Torty-hve were carried frol
i Beaudstte ana the mecca Of ali th
refugees, carried Or lettering from i,
hAustion was Rainy River. >Can
across the water from the dre-ridda
4 districts q Minnesota
! IT, IT, flames hit Rainy Riyer..A
i stEoySd ~ Lumbar mills, azd 1et
70 70
Il 6ask es6 - IN y e 81 g
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