Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-10-14
HUNDREDS ARE DEAD
FEW SETTLERS IN NORTHERN
MINNESOTA ARE BELIEVED
TO HAVE ESCAPED.
SEVEN TOWNS OFF THE MAP
Fifty Miles of the Rainy Lake coun-
try Mass Of Fire-Martial Law
for the Stricken District-Whole
Families Are Destroyed.

| Rainy River. OMIT was estimated
Monday that at least 500 lives and
800, 900 600 worth of property had
been lost in the forest fires prevail
ng in this region.
The tales of horrible suffering
,rought in Monday by refugees is al
most beyond narration. Oscar john
ION, wife and three children stood
eve hours in the Baudette river duck
ng their heads when the heat became
90 intense They say the water in
he river was heated to an uncomfort-
able temperature and that steam rose
Eom the surface.
The property loss in the three towns
alone, including the Rat Portage Lum-
Der company's plant and yard at
Rainy river and the yard of the Shey-
lin-Mathieu Lumber company at
5pooner. will total $1.50O.0 900.
It will be some time before the loss
Of life is known even approximately,
and In fact 1t may never be known.
The residents of Rainy River, Ont,
are doing everything possible to as
sist the homeless residents of the two
American towns.
Poverty of the worst kind is added
10 the woes of the throngs that fiocked
into International Falls and Rainy
River
Winnipeg, Mana terrific prairie
ire is burning eight miles east OF
Winnipeg along the line of Canadian
Northern railway and travelling west
ward at rapid rate. The fire is ma.
king the temperature of the city very
high
Warroad, Minn--Refugees arriving
here every hour tell of the finding of
more bodies in the region swept by
forest fires. The fatalities are esti-
mated at from 200 to 500. while the
total may reach 1000 Fully 1000
are not accounted for, but some of
them are known to be safe
Men who returned Monday from
Baudette on railway motor say that
the list of dead in the district back
from the railway tracks there will
reach 800
Every settler in the district bound
ed by the Rainy river and Lake of the
Woods on the north to 25 miles south
of Fort Frances. Ont, and from Spoon
er and Baudette. Mimi. on the east,
to Warroad, Mimi, on the west, is in
danger as there is no known means
of escape !,
For a distance of so miles from Bau-
dette and the Rainy river west of
| Warroad the forest was solid mass
| OF fire Sunday.
Baudette is only charred remnant
| of town. Spooner is entirely wiped
! off the earth. Cedar Spur, Graceton.
Pitt, Swift and Roosevelt, mere ham
let's. are destroyed.
Nine bodies were seen on the Cana
dian Northern tracks by women who
mounted horses and fled along the
railway. Four unidentified dead are
in the Root House. west OF Pitt. inclu-
ding one man. two women and bahx
There are three more along the Rapid
river
Seven settlers up the Baudette river
and II settlers between Rapid River
| and Baudette were found dead lying
alongside a logging road by settlers
who escaped the flames.
There were hundreds of homes de-
stroyed In the territory. and as there
are no roads in the district save for
the trails through the bush. 1t is
feared that many lives have been lost
that viii not be reported for weeks.
The state of Minnesota is sparing
no expense TO check the fire. The
state fire warden is mastering every
msn he can procure, and he is in.
structed to use every possible means
at his command, regardless OF cost.
special relief train has arrived a,
International Falls from Bemidji. bear.
ing provisions destined for Rainy
River and the Bemidji company OF the
Minnesota National Guard who will
take charge OF the distribution OF sup.
plies and the preservation of order.
The burned district will be placed un.
der martial law