Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-10-17
Flames Starting Near Bemidji,
Minn., Cut SWath About
Fifty Miles Wide.
MANY VILLAGES GONE
Property Worth Millions Of Dollars
Has Been Destroyed and More
Than $1,000 Persons Are
Homeless.

Duluth, Oct. 15.-More than 1,00C
| are dead, 10000 destitute and esti-
| mates OF those made homeless run as
high as 10000. as a result Of Mime
sofas greatest disaster, caused by for.
est fires burning over an area of ap-
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 $50000,00O and 100000, 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
contiagrations
| Weather reports give no promise of
rains Quenching the blazes.
1876 Bodies at Duluth; rs at Moose
| Lake.
| Officials were reluctant to estimate
the number of daad-it being almost
impossible to obtain any definite fig
ures 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
FIVE bodies, few Of which have been
| III Hnl
at Moose Lake. and it is known that
more than 400 have been burned to
death iH 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 read. is reported complete
| ~ wiped out ard search is being con.
dU"ted for bodies.
Scores Of others ere known TO he
dead at Rrookston Pine Lake and
other VILLAGES in Pine. Carlton and St
Louis counties. purch Lake. sum
mer resort rcar Duluth. is virtually
wiNed out. with heavy loss OF life
reported
The fire fighters caution against re
layatian in fighting the fires. Addi
t'onal aid and large numbers Of fire
| fighters from other sections of the
| Northwest are needed to relieve the
exhausted and burned men fiehtine
the fires, which continue to smolder in
all sections,
Forest rancers said that the DANCE,
| will not he entirely over until heavy
|
ton. 4 high wind, they say, will fan
the flames into a roaring, seethinc
furnace of fire
C!oGuet Almost Desert Waste.
Cloque.. thriving city of 5000. Is
almost level Every residence in the
city rs reported buried. 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 PHilmans. coaches
boxears, coal cars, ore cars and fat
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 Adjutan
General Rhinow and his aid. Lieuten
ant Glenn Harrison, is well under way
All Mesahi, Vermilion and Cuyuns
Iron range towns are reported safe
though at Nashwauk some building.
are burned and fires are reported nea,
Virginia. Eveleth. Hibbing and Gilbert
Part OF Proctor end West Duluth
we're 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 tn,
ga'e-driven forest fires. The charret
bodies are beyond Identification an,
great crowds of eager searchers VIII,
have relatives Missing are filing in an,
out Of the undertaking establishments
: uncertain whether they have ;dent'
fed their people or not.
When day broke on the Pike LAX
road, gruesome sights greeted res
cuers. Bodies were strewn along tn
: roadside. six in the space OF half
mic the charred remains of Ave ante
mobiles still stood uprisht in the ditto.
great trees reared their blackene
, Pine County Farms Destroyed.