The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-10-15
Flames Starting Near Bemidj,
Minn., Cut Swath About
Fifty Miles Wide.
MANY VILLAGES GONE
Property Worth Millions Of Dollars
HISS Been Destroyed and More
Than $4,000 Persons Are
Homeless.

Duluth, Oct. 15.-More than 1000
are dead, 10000 destitute and esti-
mates Of those made homeless run as
high as 4 5000. al a result of Mime
sofas greatest disaster, caused by for
est fires burning over an area of APP
proximately 80 by 100 miles in North
eastern Minnesota, centering In Pine
and Carlton counties, according to re-
ports received here.
The property loss Is expected to run
between $780, 00. 900 and 500, 600. 900.
Fires in most sections have burned
themselves out and the abatement OF
the high winds caused the blazes to
die down, but renewal Of the gale may
fan countless small fires into furious
CONGREGATIONS.
Weather reports give no promise OF
rains quenching the blazes.
10 Bodies at Duluth; rs at Moose
Lake.
Oficials were reluctant to estimate
the number of dead-it being almost
impossible to obtain any definite fig
urss from cities and towns, while hun
dreds of farm homes undoubtedly have
been burned and hundreds Of persons
may eventually be found in these
ruins.
One hundred and ninety-six bodies
had been brought to Duluth; seventy.
ANA knH&AA tnwx - wy%frI hoxn hnnw
identified, are In an improvised morgue
Il Moose Lake. and 1t is known that
more than 400 have been burned to
death I'm the Moose Lake-Kettle River
district alone; about ten deaths are
known to have occurred at Cloquet,
and Twig, west of Duluth on the MIL
Ter Trunk road. Ii reported complete.
" wiped out and a search is being on
Quoted for bodies.
Scores Of others are known to be
dead at Brookston, Pine Lake and
other villages In Pine, Carlton and st.
Louis counties. Burch Lake. a sum
mer resort near Duluth. Is virtually
wiped out. with . heavy loss of life
reported.
The IRE fighters caution against re.
taxation In flghting the fires. Add.
tional aid and large numbers of fire
fighters from other sections of the
Northwest are needed to relieve the
exhausted and burned men fighting
the fres. which continue to smolder In
al ooctions.
Forest rangers said that the danger
will not b. entirely over until q heavy
rain falls throughout the entire sec
tion. A high wind. they say. will fan
the names into . roaring, seethine
furnace Of IRE.
clequst Almost Desert Waste.
CloQuet. q thriving city Of 5000. II
almost level. Every residence In the
city ID reported burned, but fortunate
" = warning OF the approaching fire
came In time to allow nearly every
resident OF the city to leave.
Twelve trains were made up at Carl
ton and rushed to CloQuet. The trains
were composed Of Pullmans. coaches
boxcars. coal cars. ore cars and fiat
cars. Three bodies have been found
there.
Five large mills. including a tooth
pick factory. lumber mills and Other
Important Industries still stand-a re
minder Of prosperous Cloquet.
Relief work, directed by Adjutant
General Rhinow and his aid. Lieuten
ant Glenn Harrison, is well under way
All Mesabi. vermilion and Cuyuns
Iron range towns are reported safe
though 1t Nashwauk some building
aro burned and fires are reported neal
Virginia. Eveleth, Hibbing and Gilbert
Part or Proctor and West Duluth
were burned. but the losses In tina
section are comparatively small.
Bodies Arrive In Duluth.
Bodies are being brought from ever,
village and hamlet stricken by thu
eale-driven forest fires. The charre,
bodies are beyond Identification AM
grnot crowds Of eager searchers VIII
have relatives missing are filing in am
oot q ne undertaking establishments
uncertain whether they have ident
no6 their people or not.
Whnn day broke on the Pike LAX
RCD, nruesome sights greeted rel
cnors. Bodies were strewn along tn
1onGoi6e, nix ii the space of half
mlIo, the charred remains Of five aut'
moblloo etil1 stood upright in the ditcl
UEont trees reared their bIackene