Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-16
WHEN THE GROUND BURNS.
Exciting Race With Winter Won BY
Red Cross.

One of the strangest facts observ-
ed in the forest fires which occasion
ally sweep over the woods of north
ern Michigan and Minnesota is the
burning Of the ground. Failing
leaves, bark and twigs and dying plant
life gradually accumulate in the for
ests. The rains and dense shade keep
the mass damp. Moses grow on the
surface Of the decaying vegetation.
The half-rotted stuff settles down and
hardens Trees spring up and their
roots take hold in the peaty sub
stance.
Then comes a season of drought and
the dampness slowly evaporates. A
hunter or woodsman or farmer builds
fire, or a railway engine drops
spark. The dry surface Of the ground
is ignited and a slow cancer OF fire
eats deep among the roots of the trees,
smouldering for weeks or months.
Then one day a strong wind springs
up The trees, undermined by the
fire, topple over. their roots throw
ing out showers of sparks and burning
masses of tinder-like material.
Flames burst out in every direction,
and, like a flash, forest fire Is in
full sweep.
The forest fire which occurred in
northern Minnesota a few weeks ago
broke out in many places at once.
because many of these smouldering
fires were simply awaiting the gale
which sprang up on October 7th.
In this fire about 1000 square miles
of country were burned. The thriv-
ing villages of Beaudette. with a pop
ulation of 1900, and Spooner, with
$50, were swept out of existence
in an hour. Hundreds Of home
steaders," carving their farms out OF
the forests, lost their homes and saved
to wells. or plunging into streams or
ponds. Thirty lives were lost, and
5000 persons were left homeless, with
food. livestock, farm, crops and ma
chinery gone.
When the agents Of the American
Red Cross reached the burned dis
trict they realized that winter was
at hand in this north country and
that their greatest task was the swift
construction of a large number of
shelters. 1t was a big job. and it had
to be quickly done. Here Is the man.
ner in which the Red Cross met the
emergency:
Two simple designs for houses were
These required only a few standard
sizes of lumber, and tar paper took
the place Of shingles and plaster.
Lumber was rushed in from Canada,
the secretary of the treasury at Wash
ington having waived the tariff duties
on all supplies required by the Red
Cross. A If dozen carpenters were
hurried to the scene. Then build
ing bees" were organized, with one
carpenter in command of each.
half dozen neighbors, with saw and
hammer. would help Ole Olson build
his house. Then all, including Olson,
would move along and build Hans
Hanson's house. and so on. The
speed with which these houses were
erected, where several bees" were
humming at the same time, was start
ling. While this was going on the
Red Cross was hurrying into the fire
district from Duluth and st. Paul and
Minneapolis big orders of doors. WIN
dows. stoves bedding, chairs, kitchen
utensils and provisions. AS rapidly
as the little houses were ready they
were furnished and stocked up with
food and the families moved in.
1t was desperate race with winter
and the Red Cross won. While the
race was at its swiftest there was not
this black and desolate stretch of
country along the northermost rim
of Minnesota. Much remains to be
done. but nobody Is going to freeze or
Starve.
The generous people of Minnesota
sent in supplies by the carload, and
what is more they sent $4,000 in
hard cash to the Red Cross for the
help Of the hardy and brave people
who are starting all over again with
characteristic American pluck.