The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-11


Winnipeg Manitoba, October 10.-Latest
reports of the forest fires in the Rainy
river region of Minnesota tonight in
crease the horrors of the situation If not
the number OF lives lost Estimates of
the number of persons killed range from
rs to 400 tonight. 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 safe
ty side by side with human beings, their
natural hostility and fear quenched by
the horror of their situation. came In to,
day, showing the desperateness of the
situation. Tales also came of mothers
burned to death with their babies on the
breast and strong men calcined while
endeayoring to shield their children.
"It's hell down there" said Engineer
Smith of the Duluth express today, when
| a reporter swung into the cab after the
| train passed the fire zone.
| His train took many refugees from the
scene of the conflagration to Winnipeg.
| III the fire keeps on the way it is doing
now there will be mighty little left of the
\ he added.
..The flames have quieted down a little,
/ but 1t only needs puff of wind to cause
| 1t to renew it's fury There is one good
| thing, however-it cannot come near the
railway lines again, for all the timber in
| that section is burned away. For miles
around Baudette and Spooner, where
there were large tracts of bush, 1t is now
as level as the prairie.
Fire burns Ffercely
Everything is wiped out. The fire
went at such terrific rate that il
burned everything before it. There has
| been forest in that part of the coun.
| try for so long that the earth is peaty
| and when a tree was blown down 1t be-
| gan to burn even to the roa-s and the
earth around the roots. apecial tratr
| with machinery and workrAen is goint
over the entire system, strene shening al
the bridges on the Canadian Northern
road.
MANY of the bridges over Witch WI
have had to go have beer slight.
charred, but the strength Of them ha
not been seriously hurt.
"From where we in the eK line were
seemed that every timberg mill In tn
country had been burned Except that o
the Shevln- Matthew compsi ~, which !
same. All the lumber In tht Yards, how
ever, was burned. When we. passe
through all the timber near ne track ma
burned and was merely smoa ildering. w
came through at 3 o'clock in\fhe mornin
and the small red fame fro the smoul
dering mass of logs looheH like rea
picture of the inferno thfpVfh the cloud
OF smoke which reeled aeIo8 kthe path Q
the engine. 4
can the ties of the rot 1 have bee
charred and the country IS level wit
the tracks. We stopped ev'fry little Will
to take on some people hut most of ther
stopped off just outside bf the DANCE
zone SO that they could Immediately g
hack to what was left III their home
after. the fire has subsidzef
Everybody has been y = King prepare
tions at Warroad and ~ = south of tn
town where everything cstld be kept In
der control, they have prfpared for back
} fring so that II the 1oRsn is threatene
tbis will he immedia teEf set on fire.
thew can kill the fia1nsf s. before anothe
breeze springs up. the,is is hope, bur
another breeze comes ri, God help them.
stories q Es scapes
Many fugitives froIn 1lie devastated re
o,on ara in WINNIPEG today and all te
/ thrilling stories OF treir escape.
one who talked Of the situation wa