The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-10-14
THREE TOWNS DESTROYED BY FIRES


and scores of people are homeless.
Fire is raging in the woods as far as
can be seen along the south bank of
Rainy river.
Most OF old Beaudette, situated
at Minnesota and International bridge.
has SO far escaped the fire, as well as
the buildings of the Shevlin-Mathieu
Lumber company at Spooner, through
the activity of the Canadian Northern
Railroad company
Most of the women and children Of
these towns have been taken on spec
ial trains to points east and many
more are on steamers ready to leave
should the wind change and the IRE
spread
All available hose is in use, but the
fire, driven by furious northwest
burn itself out
Awful Scenes At International Falls.
International Falls, Mimi, Oct Ii
More than 250 dead, millions upon MIL
hons of dollars worth OF property de-
stroyed, 5000 refugees fleeing from
the flames, is an epitome of the hap
penings of the hell session in the
Beltrami county forest fires.
Thirty-five typhoid fever patients
were carried on improvised Iitters from
Spooner just before it was wiped off
the map. FoTty-five were carried from
Beaudette and the mecca of all the
refugees, carried or lettering from cy-
ain
across the water from the fire-ridden
districts of Minnesota.
Then the flames hit Rainy River, de-
stroyed the lumber mills, and 1000
panic-strcken refugees piled into
freight cars and all but mobbed the
engineer of a switch engine. who.
thinking there was no danger, started
to pull them out Of the town.
Later, the flames subsided and 500
refugees landed in International Falls
strong men, shaking like leaves in
gale, women and their children,
fever patients on shutters, burned men
and women swathed in bandagcs and
a whole motley crowd in stock-cars
like cattle
international Falls met them at the
station, opened the city hall and hotel
for them and gave them beds, such as
could be provided.
There was no escape to the west.
The east was the only chance and it
was a slim one.
Bridges and culverts had burned
out, wires were down and trains were
run at their full speed All the way
from Beaudette and Rainy River west
| to Warroad, g distance of so miles.
was a solid mass Of flames.
Beaudette is only a charred rem
nant of town. Spooner is wiped
off the map Cedar Spur, Graceton
Pitt. Swift and Roosevelt, mera ham.
lets, are burned to the ground.
Every settler in a district bounded
! by the Rainy River and the Lake Of
the Woods on the north to Is miles
south. and from Warroad west, who
is not accounted for, is dead according
to the most conservative information
obtainabe
A special relief train arrived on the
Minnesota and International railroad
bearing provision destined for Rainy
River and the Bemidji company of the
Minnesota National Buard, which will
take charge of the distributes of sup
plies and the preservation of order
The burned district will be placed
| under martial law.
Mayor John Berg of International
| Falls appointed a relief committee to
arrange further to care for nearly
300 fire reguees now Quartered here.
There are three typhoid fever cases
among them, six men badly burned
and it seems that every family of set
tiers has from two to ten children.
They are absolutely destitute The
women have borne up under the ter
rible strain with wonderful forttude
| and all stories from the fire district
are that the women and not the men
| were the heroes
When the refugees fled in panic for
the freight train that bore them from
Rainy River Saturday to this city,
| men crushed women and children and
in spite of the fact that the cars were
choked SO that standing room was at
a premium, they insisted on crammins
! themselves in
Miss Myra Burt, a prominent young
| woman of Beaudette, stationed her
| self at the door of one car, kicked
| every man in the with her point
ed shoe who attempted to board the
| car, and herself reached out and took
babes from the arms of mothers.
When the train started, there were
| five babies aboard whose mothers
were left behind. They are being
care for in the hospital here.
Duluth Sends Relief Train.
Duluth. = Six hours from the time
an appeal to Mayor Cullum came
| from Beaudette. special relief
train was flying along the tracks OF
the Duluth, Missabea nd Northern and
| the Canadian Northern toward the
! fire stricken region. 1t carried Mayor
Cullum, President w. A. McGonagle
of the Duluth, Missabe and Northern;
Superintendent F. Kritt0r of the