The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-10-10
death LIST WILL REACH ONE THOUSAND
IN NORTHERN M|hNESOTKS FOREST FIRE
Whole Families Perish in the Conaaeraton Which Famed BY
Sundays Hurricane, Swept Hamlet and Town and
Homestead Leaving Trail Of Death Behind

Winnipeg, Oct. 10-Every fire fight
er that can be mustered is being sent
out this morning to check the fires
and locate the bodies in the burned
area swept by yesterdays awful con-
f1agration. The fires are still burning
In every direction and are making
progress into Manitoba. Canadian
Northern bridges and culverts are
burned out, the wires are down. All
the way from Beaudette and Rainy
River west to Warroad, a distance of
fifty miles the country was a solid
mass of flames Sunday.
Beaudette Is only the charred rem
nant Of town. Spooner is wiped of
the map. Cedar Spur, Graceton, Pitt.
Swift and Roosevelt, mere hamlets,
are burned to the ground.
Every settler in the district bound
ed by the Rainy river and the Lake
Of the Woods on the north to twen-
ty-five miles south of Fort Frances,
Ont, and from Spooner and Beau
dette on the east to Warroad on the
west, who is not accounted for, is
dead, according to the most conserva-
tive information.
No one now estimates the dead at
less than 200 and estimates run as
high as an appalling total of 1000:
Probably that is too high, but it is
certain that the dead will reach close
ITO 500.
Many settlers got to Rapid river and
saved themselves by wading into the
water although even then many were
burned about the face. Seven bodies,
probably the Ro1in family, were found
in clearing where they sought refuge
in the open space of woods, all to no
avail. The fire is still threatening the
destruction of the few houses along
the river in old Beaudette.
Rainy River, Ont, Oct. 1O.-The
Saturdays fire are commencing to be
realized by the dishearted and home
less thousands. The bodies were
found along the railway track, three
miles west of Beaudette were brought
into town this morning. There was
not stitch of clothing left on any
of them, save parts Of the shoes. The
bodies were in appearance as if they
had been baked in an oven. The skin
was not broken and was a detp brown
color.
This morning searching parties
were organized and went out south to
relieve the suffering and pick up the
bodies Of the dead.
| 1t will be days before they can be
reached, owing to the great trees that
have fallen over the roads, and
which will have to be chopped away
before, the wagons can be gotten
through. In some cases. the houses
are filled with refugees without food
a few miles from town. Matt Hen
Erickson came in from his claim
three and half miles southwest of
Beaudette this morning. Thirty-two
people are housed in his shack with
out food. He says when the fire
struck his place sixteen of them got
into an eight foot deep dry we'll and
remained there on the verge of suf-
location while the fire passed.
Train Through Bridge
Rainy River. Oct. 10-The bridge
which went down at Winter river and
carried Canadian Northern train
with it. spilling wheat across the riv-
er, completely damming the water.
The refugees in the caboose had a
narrow escape. Along the Canadian
Northern track on the river side were
great piles of ties which were burn
ing and every minute the people in
the caboose expected to be roasted
olive. They lay down on the floor
to keep from smothering. Occasion
ally some of the men would crawl out
on their stomachs and scrape sand.
on the burning ties to keep the flames
from the caboose.
Practically all livestock in the
country is burned.
The bodies Of horses. dogs. cats
| and other domestic animals are
strewn about the streets of the strick-
en- towns. To give some idea Of the
heat on the streets, q horse died tied
to telephone post with the bit
clasped in its teeth and the iron parts
of It's harness on the ground, while
not vestige of strap remains, yet
only the hair and outer skin of the
horse is burned. Half burned cats
and dogs have been killed to put them
out of misery.
It was rumored that the Spooner
school was saved. This Is not SO.
Not building in. town escaped.
There has been no train service for
two days and will probably not be
for twenty-four hours except the spe-
cial which is made up at Duluth.
The Spooner mail was saved. 1t
having been brought to the depot just
before the fre struck the town. but