New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-11
FOREST FIRES UNCHECKED
ills Estimated That 400 Persons
Perished in the Flames.
ALL THE LIVESTOCK BURNED
Losses on Timber Will Be $780,
000,000-Fire Zone Sd Miles
Long by 80 Wide.

Long by So Wlue.
ws-road MINI. Oct o.-Isatest reports
IF the forest fires in the Rainy River region
Of Minnesota tonight increase the horrors
of the situation. II not the number Of lives
lost Estimates OF the number OF persons
killed range rom seventy-five &c four hun
ored tonight. Several conservative men OF
business and authority place the deaths at
more than one hundred.
A X Staining, publisher OF The War
road Plain-Dealer," says that he was sure
the number of dead would be a. least four
hundred. Mr. Staining has been keeping in
close touch with occurrences Of the last few
GAYS. and his word should be an authority
lie estimates the timber building loss al
Sze0.6oo Oyo The greatest concern for the
present, however. Is the rescue OF the help
less and the relief OF thousands Of homeless
men, women and children
Stories OF wild animals fleeing for safety
side by side with human beings, their natu-
al hostility and fear oGenched by the
horror Of their situation, came IN to-day
showing the desperateness OF the situation
Tales come also Of mothers burned 10 death
with their babies on the breast
At the Mercy OF the Wind.
IT'S he'll down there said the engineer
D. the Duluth express to-day, just after tie
train passed the fire zone His train took
many refugees from the scene OF the con-
fagra1fon 10 Winnipeg. II tae fire keeps
on the way II Is going. there VIII be mighty
little left Of the population of that part
OF Minnesota" he added.
The flames have Quleted down little.
but they need only pur OF wind. and
they VIII start up again bad ever.
here Tc ID
near one OF the railroad lines again. for all
me timber Is burned away. For miles
around Baudette and Spooner. where there
were large tracts OF bush, il is now as level
as the prairie Everything is wiped out
The wind went AZ such terrific rate that
the fire had no chance to burn anything
but what was directly in front OF il. Prom
the engine il looked as though every tim
Der mil in the country had been burned.
except that OF the SheyIin Matueu Com
Iany. which is safe
Fire Zone IS Miles by 30 in Area.
The situation around warroad is not
critical al present A big fire is burning
between Wsrroad and Sprague. but the
town is well guarded.
The fire zone covers an area Of eighty
i've miles in length. from the gravel pits
west Of Warroad to Stratton. and in width
about thirty miles. including all the terri
tory between Red Lake and the Lake Of
the Woods. The fires have wiped out tho
villages Of Bauderte. Spooner, Graceton.
Pitt Myron and Malcom. The last two
named places are small settlements IN
BeItrarni County.
The greatest property loss occurred at
Baudette and Spooner which are practical
~ one community. being paralleled by a
narrow river The other towns consisted
Of only q few small buildings There
were hundreds OF homes destroyed in the
territory. and rs there are no roads II
the district. save for the trails through
the bush. il is feared that many lives
have been lost that viii not be reported
for weeks
State Fighting the Fires.
The state Of Minnesota Is sparinE no ex-
pense 10 check the FIRE. The state fire
warden is mastering every man he can
procure. and he Is instructed TO use every
possible means at his command, regardless
or cost. Every man available is fighting
the fires. but because Of the moss, which
covers the ground Tor depth Of from one
70 TWO feet. IL seems impossible to DO any
Thing
The fires are making steady progress tow
ard the wooded district Of Southeastern
coming 10 Join Il.
There are three typhoid fever cases
among the refugees AT international Falls
Almost without exception the people are
absolutely destitute. The women have
borne VI under the terrible strain with
wonderful fortitude
Rainy River ont. oct 1o-The terrible
results of the forest fires are beginning 10
b realized hy the disheartened and home
les thousands. Bodies found along the
'ailwsy track three miles west OF Bau-
oette were brought here to-day. There
WIS not particle Of clothing LEFT on any
Of them, save parts Of shoes. The bodies
had the appearance Of having been baked
1n z red hot oven Houses near town are
filed with refugees who are without food
Many settlers got into the Rapid River
and ssved themselves by wadfng in the
water, although their faces were bIistered
by the heat.
Rainy River Threatened
n Rainy River one hundred deputy fire
vsrdens have been sworn in and divided
into groups OF ten, and have started 10
fight the FIRE from all sides. Another wind
such as came Up on Friday would seal the
fate OF this town. Tired and worn out
destitute men and women and children
roam the streets.
Mayor Williams Of Baudette called the
business men OF Baudette and Spooner to-
sether on the streets here to-day and an
organization Was effected 10 distribute all
possible supplies 10 the destitute spe-
Cial train has arrived on the Minnesota d
international Railway. bearing provisions.
The burned district viii be placed under
martial Law
Mayor Berg OF International Falls has
appointed q relief committee TO arrange for
ne care OF nearly one thousand refugees
who have reached that town
Al Livestock Is Burned.
Practically ali the livestock in the coun-
Try IS burned The bodies of horses, dogs.
cats and other domestic animals are lying
about the streets OF the stricken towns. SO
intense was the heat in the streets that
horse died while hitched 10 q telephone
pole. with the bit clasped in its teeth The
iron trimmings OF its harness lay on the
ground, but not vestige Of g strap re
NAMED The hair and skin Of the horse
we're burned of
Special Policeman Walter Farls OF
Rainy River. was last night 50 badly beat
81 by hoodlums that he lay all night in a
ditch IN az alley unable 70 call for he!p
He probably VIII die. Armed guards pa