The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1918-10-17
WIPED OUT BY FIRE
Large Area in Northern Minnesotk.
Devastated and Hundreds Of
People Burned to Death.
Thousands Of Settlers Rendered Home
less and Hospitals Of Cities
Filled With injured.

The most destructive holocaust ever
known in northern Minnesota started
in the great forests near Cloquet on
Saturday from an unknown origin
Famed by a strong wind, the COR
fiagration rapidly spread and swept
over an area Of 10000 square miles.
destroyed over. a score of cities and
villages, wiped out the homes and pos
sessions of fully $4,000 people and
caused loss of life that exceeds 1,OOD
and property loss estimated at $780,
100000. Fire departmentsfr from Duluth.
the Twin Cities and other places hur-
rled to the scene and succeeded, by
strenuous efforts in bringing the
flames practically under control some
time on Monday. The towns virtually
wiped out by the holocaust are Clio
quet, Moose Lake, Kettle River, Ban..
Lawler, Automba, Corona, ScanEonn
Brookston, Birch Lake, Brevator,,
Munger, Barney, Grand Lake, Adolph,,,
Twig, Arnold, Thompson, Wright.
Carlton, Five Corners, Harvey, Maple
Grove, French River, Clifton, Brooks
ton, Kalbata, Ronal, Split Rock, Mo-
Gregor, Warba, Salo, while nump1nnsa.
others, including Duluth, are damage12
Men, women and children, given but
q moments warning the fiery tor
nado hurting itself across the coun
tryside hidden by the pail Of smoke
that had hung heavy over the valley,
district, rushed into the cellars and
huddled together wherever depres-
sion in the ground promised haven
from the fire. Here the bodies are be-
ing found, some not burned, but aIA
suffocated by the curtain of gas and
smoke that filled their shelters. Whble
families have been wiped out, and the
material damage across scores OF
square miles has been the complete
obliteration. Of. scores Of farm holEss.;
livestock and crops, leaving smoking
waste that has within it nothing corr
bustible The horrors Of Hunswept-
| Belgium and northern France scarce
ny surpass the devastation inflicted by.
! the fire iend. s az
Governor Burnquist arrived upon the
scene early as well as the military,
motor company under Adjutant Ger
eral Rhinow. The governor inmedi-
ately issued proclamation to the peo--
pie Of the state to send aid immediate
" to the stricken inhabitants in the
fre-swept area.
The hospitals in Duluth are filed
and hundreds Of the suffering refu-
gees have been sent to Hinckley and
many other towns, some even to the.
Twin Cities.
Hundreds Of families among those
who escaped death have lost every
thing they possessed and are IA az
pitiable plight.
Home guard contingents from vari-
Gus parts of the state are doing good
work extinguishing fires, and Red
Cross women are assisting in caring,
for refugees.
Sheriff Harry shockley received am
urgent call before noon from McGratfr
for assistance, the appeal stating that
the place named, together with Isle
and other points were threatened with
destruction by fire. The sheriff bur
riedly modified his auxiliary and they
proceeded to the lake country with ar
possible speed. High school boys also,
volunteered and joined the army OF
gro Hnh+o.. l:.l. t,,,-L.-s,