The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-10
Towns Wiped Off Map
and Hundreds Killed
by Flames.
CYCLONE OF FIRE
SWEEPS COUNTRY
Death List May Reach 600,
While Survivors Crazed With
Grief Are Roaming the For
ests-special Trains Car
rying People to Places
of Safety.

OF Safety.
Wnr Road, Mimi, October 0.--The
owns of BenuJette, Spooner, Pitt and
Minn., are wiped OFF the map
II Minnesota by the most terrible
'orest fire ever experienced by Minne-
.ota settlers. The bodies OF seventy
i've victims hnve been found, and 1t
Is thought the death list will be up
wards OF 300. Wagon loads OF bodies
IRE being brought into Benudette con-
stnntly.
1t is reported that many settlers.
crazed with grief at the loss OF
families and property, are roaming
the woods, and searching parties are
going out after the injured,
the dead and the demented One family,
of nine, one of seven and one of five
were wiped out on Friday night. AZ
cyclone of fire struck Beaudette and
Spooner Within three minutes after
the first alarm, every building was
ablaze, and in an hour they were heaps
of ashes The people OF these two
towns had Just sufficient time to get
out of their homes with what they
had on their backs. They were taken
on passenger train that was standing
at the depot, to Rainy River, Ontario.
Whole Country on Fire.
The whole country east of here is
on fire Roosevelt, swift, Williams and
Cedar Spur are In great danger. All
the women and children are being
rapidly removed to places of safety
The Canadian Northern Railway has
Ihalted trains at every station at the
service Of the people
The people of Beaudette and Spooner
and the settlers through the north
central part of the State have lost
everything. Five thousand are home-
LESS, and the greater part OF them
destitute. Help must reach them in
the next day or two. and that in a
substantial way. as the greater part
of them are but half-clad, and cold
W Gather is likely to set in at any time.
It will be impossible to set details
and names Of the dead and the injured
before tomorrow, and some of the
dead will not be found until spring.
Also 1t Is impossible tonight to es-
tlmate the damage or casualties. The
surviving pioneers of Northern Minne-
sofa are in need of Immediate help.
This morning this town was on fire
from the International Bridge to Sixth
Street, distance of half mile Fifty
houses are burned and scores Of peo-
pie are homeless. Fire Is raging in
the woods as far as can be seen along
the south bank of Rainy River.
Must Burn Itself Out.
Most Of old Beau6ette, situated
in Minnesota, and International Bridge
SO far have escaped the fire, as well
as the building Of the Shevlin Mathlu
Lumber Company, at Spooner. through
the activity of the Canadian Northern
railway Company Most of the women
\ and children of these towns have been
\ taken on special trains to points East.
4 and many more ere on steamers ready
to leave should the wind change, and
4 the fire spread All available hose Is
in USE but the fire. driven by strcng
. northwest wind. is beyond control and
. must burn itself out. The wind has
shifted and is carrying the flames away
from Roosevelt. Unless the wind
changes again the town will be saved.
Canadian Northern Railway trains
4 Ihaye been stalled here since Friday
!. ,.Inight. when a freight train Went
| through a bridge near Pitt. The crew
!. was saved and Conductor Monahan
!, walked into Beaudette, which town ne
l reported as destroyed He says ne
!. walked over bodies on the way, but
! could not say how many, The hres
/ are still raging and the smoke IS
| sitting. Men from War Read helped lpr'
save Roosevelt.
Calls are coming in to help settlers
twelve miles south,
Wires are down and news is optalh- :
!, able only as refugees come In me
{ damage is immense; loss Of life IS un-
certain.
thousands Missing.
Rainy River. Ont. October $50 tar
o-night an even sixty victims OF the
Games have been found, their boales
ii fearfully charred by the ho!ocaust
Is that caught them in their homes Or ~
l .t,tt, a vrS.ltI a