The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-11
M|NNESOTA'S FIRE
VICTIMS MAY
TOTAL 400
Horrors OF Situation in StriCk-
en- District Grow
THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS
Flames Sweep Everything of the
Face of the Earth in Their
Progress

Winter. Mimi, Oct. ll.-Iatest re-
ports of the forest fires in the Rainy
river region in Minnesota increase
the horrors of the situation, If not
the number of lives lost. Estimates
of the number of persons killed range
from rs to 400. Several conservative
men of business and authority place
the deaths at more than 100. But
the greater concern, for the present
is the rescue of the helpless and the
relief of thousands of homeless men,
women and children.
Stories of wild animals fleeing for
safety side by side with human be-
ings, their natural hostility and fear
of man overcome by terror, came in
to Warroad, Mimi, yesterday, show
ing the stress of the situation. Tales
also came of mothers burned to death
with their babies on their breasts,
the men calcined while endeayoring
to shield their children. ITS hell
down there" said Engineer Smith Of
the Duluth express yesterday when
reporter swung into the cab after
the train passed the fire zone. His
train took many refugees from the
scene of the confagration to Winni-
peg. IF the fire keeps on the way 1t
is going there will be mighty little
left of the population of that part of
Minnesota" he added.
"The flames have Quoted down a
little, but it only needs puff of wind
and they will start up again as bad
as ever There is one good thing; 1t
cannot come near one of the railroad
lines again, for all the timber is
burned away. For miles around
Beaudette and Spooner. where there
We're large tracts Of bush, 1t Is now
level as the prairie. Everything is
wiped out. The wind went at such a
terrific rate that the fire had NO
chance to burn anything but what
was directly in front of IL. All the
charred tree trunks along the tracks
are lying away from the direction the
wind was blowing. All the earth
around the tree trunks is on fire
There have been forests in that par
of the country for such long time
that the earth is peaty. When 6
tree fell over with the force OF tht
wall of flame. II began to burn ever
to the roots and the earth around The
roots.
"A special train with special ma
chinery and workmen is going owe
the entire system. strengthening al
the bridges on the Canadian North
ern road. Many Of the bridges ovel
which We had to 90 have been slight
ly charred, but the real strength o
them has not been seriously hurt
From the engine II looked as though
every timber mill in the country hat
been burned except that OF the Shey
lin Mattieu company, which is safe
All the lumber In the yards. however
was burned. We passed through
part of the burned territory In tn
night. and the small red flames iron
the smoldering mass OF logs looked
like q real picture of the inferno
through the clouds OF smoke whicl
reeled across the path Of the engine
All the ties OF the road have bee
charred, and the country is leve
with the tracks. We stopped ever
little while to take on some people
but the most of them got of just oui
side of the danger zone. so they coul
20 back as soon as possible to r'
build their homes"