The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-03-09


between IL and 1 o'clock, when most
of the people were at dinner, fire
whistles sounded at Virginia, Mimi.
The pioneer metropolis of the
Mesaba range was on fire from
flames that crept up through forest
and muskeag.
A wind furry carried embers for
ward a thousand feet and, before
that advanced blaze could be extin-
guished, fire broke out in still an
other spot. ...
In 10 minutes, nearby residence
was gone. Driven by brisk wind,
the flames swept rapidly over a
space ten blocks wide and fourteen
blocks long.
Inside of an hour and twenty min
utes, $40, dwellings and business
buildings were in ashes. About
thirty buildings, some Of them of lit
tie Importance, remained unscathed.
Fully 1000 people were homeless
and foodless. Property to the value
of about $',250,000 had been wiped
out. Insurance aggregated less than
100000.
Terrible News Reaches Duluth.
BY 2 p. m, the news of the terri
BILE disaster had reached Duluth
from D. M. Philbin, general mana
ger of the D. M. & N. Ry., who had
gone to the Mesaba range Saturday
night because of the. prevalence of
forest fires along the Mesaba iron
range. Supplementing the news. Mr..
Philbin added:
men, women and children loaded
on ore cars ready to leave. For. Gods
sake, send us aid"
At about the same time, Col. ].
L. Greatsinger, president of the Du-
as to desperate conditions at Vir-
ginia.
The D., M. & N. people at once set
about to dispatch q relief train.
President Greatsinger, in behalf of
the D. & I. R., ordered yardmaster
Williams to make up special. A
box car was loaded at the Stone-Or-
dean wholesale house with crackers,
flour, meats, coffee, cooking uten-
sils, blankets and tents.
Greatsinger's Relief Train.
Gel creatsiasss,s selief train een--
sisted of the box car and three
coaches. His business car was at
tached at Two Harbors. "Ginger"
MCGOWAN was conductor and en-
gineer Maxwell was at the throttle.
Accompanying Col. Greatsinger
were o. D. Kinney, J. D. Boyd, John
B. Weimer, F. G. and w. o. Winston
of Minneapolis, Charles G. Brown,
representing the Duluth News Trib-
une and John L. Morrison, repre-
senting the Duluth Evening Herald.
H. S. Moody, whose wife was visiting
at Virginia, and Mrs. Mary Garrison,
proprietress of Virginia hotel, also
were aboard the train.
The train left Duluth at 9 p. m.
and proceeded slowly, being endan-
gered by forest fires at several
points along the line. Merritt was
found to be pretty we'll wiped out
but Biwabik escaped with a scorch-
ing.
Philbin Sends Second Wire.
The Virginia wires were down but,
from another point, a telegram was
received on Sunday by president
Merritt from general manager Phil
bin at $3.50 p. M, as follows:
''The whole town Of Virginia, in
Guiding freight house, is burned. We
are bringing women, children here
and have two engines trying to get
cars out. Tell Mr.. Fisher of Du-
luth & Winnipeg to be prepared to
let us send women and children to
Duluth by special"
In Duluth arrangements were
quickly made to feed and house the
fugitives upon arrival. Towards
restaurant, the old Ideal restaurant
and the st. Louis hotel offered to
care for 100 persons, each.
On short notice, in an hours time,
the old Saddlerock restaurant made
up l 500 sandwiches which were sent
on the D. & I. r. relief train. Other
eating houses made excellent records
for speed. .-..'',"-
The First Refugees Arrive.
The first trainload of refugees ar
rived at the union depot over the
D., M. & N. at 1880 o'clock, Monday
morning. There were close to 800
Of them. Many were only partly
clothed and had eaten nothing since
noon, or even morning, the day be-
fore.
One poor woman had nothing but
a calico wrapper. Another went
through all the excitement and hard
ship, riding all that weary night,
with baby only three days old and,
two children, two and three years of
age, respectively.
A German woman was daily ex-
pecting a visit from the Stork but,
owing to the Interruptions, that
grand old bird did not come until
two days after the arrival in Duluth.
Some theatrical people had chung
to banjo, mandolin, pug dog and
a small satchel.. All their other be-
longings were lost in the fire. Some
had stood for several hours up to
their necks in the waters of Silver
lake to escape the flames. They
were bedraggled and miserable in
the extreme.
The Brave RradJev TAYLOR