The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-10-12
300 LIVES LOST
12 TOWNS DESTROYED IN THE
NORTH-AWFUL SUFFERING
MEN CRUSH DOWN WOMEN AND
CHILDREN TO ESCAPE.

Winnipeg. Man. oct 11.-Eight hun
dred persons have lost their lives in
the great American Canadian forest
fires, nearly 200 bodies have been re-
covered, 5000 are homeless, 1900 are
missing and the property loss is esti-
mated at S1OO.OOO,OOO. The population
of the area burned over was 12,0O0.
Towns and villages burned: Bau-
dette, Spooner, Roosevelt, Longworth,
Swift, Pitt, ripple. Solal, Cedar Spur,
Gravel Pit Spur, Graceton and Enghle.
Partly burned ana burning: Rainy
River, Warroad, Sprague, Information
al Falls ana TineWood.
In danger, Stratton and Fort Francis.
International Falls, crowded with
refugees, is burning. and its people
and the refugees there are leaving in
every possible manner. All the wo-
men and children have left. The men
say they will die in trying to save the
town. 1t burst into flames simply
from the terrific heat. No sooner is
the outbreak in one place put out than
others spring forth.
Terrible stories are told of the panic
tItlts Mtl III llitll ltLlpl NiuSutH'l
down women and children to get upon
a train. Miss Myra Burt. a prominent
young woman Of Baudette. stationed
herself at the entrance to one of the
cars and violently kicked every man
in the face who attempted to board
the train until she had lifted in the
babies and given the mothers a chance.
Before the fire started in Internation-
al Falls typhoid fever had broken out
among the refugees There were only
three cases, but 1t was feared the
disease would become epidemic.
For two hours the 1900 inhabitants
of Rainy River, Ont, and the more
than 5000 refugees seeking shelter
there from the terrible forest fires be-
lieved they would never see another
sunrise The wind sprang up from
the direction of the fire zone bringing
with 1t the frightful heat With a
suddenness that was appalling the
town burst into flames in dozen
places at once.
The lone telegraph poles went down,
and with them went what seemed the
last vestige of hope-the means Of
agony. Men were not less terrified
Lumberjacks, who had not prayed
since they knelt at their mothers
knees. knelt in the streets and appeal
ed to heaven for assistance.
Happily the wind dropped The men
set to work again to save their prop
erty. The charred fringe round the
outskirts of the town on the sides fac
ing the walls of raging flames stands
in mute but terrible testimony to the
narrow escape Rainy River had from
sharing in the fate of five cities that
have been consumed.
Hardly less pitiful than the state of
the people is the plight Of the animals.
Cattle and horses, set loose by their
owners, raced wildly about the edge Of
the fire Then they plunged into the
deep and wide Rainy river and swan
across. With them were hundreds Of
deer, caribou, moose, bears, timber
wolves and wildcats. Fear had
quenched their natural hostility, and
when exhausted by their flight all lay
down together.
Never probably in the history Of the
country has there been seen so great
and strange herd of animals as has
passed here. Many of the refugees
who saw them pass were starving, but
not a single animal was molested In
it's flight from the common enemy.
Almost every refugee who arrives in
Rainy River tells of having seen bod,
les along the road. Many bodies
were seen along the tracks Of the Ca.
madam Northern by women who es
capped on horses. There are four un,
identified dead In the Root house,
west of Pitt-one man, two women
and a baby.
-Four railway trainmen fell through
burned bridge between Pitt and
Baudette while attempting a rescue
and probably were lost.
There are many bodies at Baudette
Seven We're seen along the BaudettC
river, and eleven were found along
the logging road between Baudettt
and Rapid River.
Many bodies have been taken t
Rainy River Not one had a vestig'
Of clothing except parts of shoes anC
each looked as If II had been baked II
redhot oven.
Searching parties are out seeking tn
dead and trying to relieve the suffer
ing, but 1t will be days before all tn
dead can be found, II ever, because o
the great trees that have fallen acros
the road and win have to be choppe'
away before wagons can get through
Houses that have escaped the flame
are filed with refugees, some Of ther
.,aIxv hV.rr ad NEaNN III.
who has a claim three and one-hal
miles from Baudette, reported tina
there were thirty persons at his hous
without food