The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-14
HUNDREDS PERISH
IN FOREST FIRES
6 VILLAGES GONE
Property Loss Runs Into
Millions in Minnesota
Holocaust.
p EOPL F. TRAPPED
Moose Lake Raced In 20
Minutes-Refugees
Are Taken to
St. Paul.
, f OPLE TRAPPED

st. Paul, Mimi, Oct. 10
Estimates from all points in
the zone swept by forest fires
more than six villages wiped
out and property loss that will
run far into millions.
The number of dead at one
is 1853, while at another it is
100. The fires are still burning
but the wind has abated some.
what.
The town of Schultz Lake is
now on fire and meagre reports
declare sixty persons are
trapped.
The first relief train from the
Are zone arrived late today in
St. Paul, bringing more than
900 refugees. More than q
score of these were injured and
were taken to hospitals. Ply
'iclans, nurses and supplies
nave been sent to every avail
able point.
SfnOse lake. Mimi. 0cs. iss-~~Bcsisee
/ of sixtythveSvicttn,s had kson picked
np along the roads west of Moose
Lake and brought to improvisesi
morcucs here when dusk settled over
the stricken town late today. Search
er-S are still travelling the country
side with trucks piled high with their
tragic burdens. In one cellar the
bodies of twelve persons were found.
accounting for every member of two
families.
Automobiles were piled In confusion
nj points in the sandy roads where
they had stuck and coiiidcd in n mad
rush for safety. At one point five cars
were piled In "A lcap and near by
lay the bodies of The victims. Along
the roads were fouad the bodies of
mothers with babies ciaspcd to their
fifeless beasts and children clinginS
together
Through the yellow pail of pine
smoke that hung low over the rains of
Mooss, Lake, frightened ,otl,ers
carrying thinIy clad children In arms
and others tied to the apron strings
to guard against separation. conduct
ed frantic and often hopeless search
for missing husbands and fathers.
After sweeping Moose Lake in less
than twenty minutes the flames leap
cd threc-quartcrs- of y mile across tho
lake, igniting tho brush and trees on
the opposite side like 80 much finder.
Telegraph poles were cut of like
were consumed In the earth and the
rails themselves twisted and bent.
-Ruy Liberty Hends-
Duluth. Mimi, Oct l3.-With more
than 500 persons estimated dead or
missing. at least $4,000 made homeless
and fourteen towns wiped out. five ter
rifle -foFe<t-AFas sFe-S~ eefiHf across
the northern parts of Wisconsin and
Minnesota. laying a trail OF desolation
and ruin in their wake.
! The towns which were destroyed
are Cioquette, Brookston, Brevator
Corona. Adolpho, Oden. Oneida. Carey
Basey, Bundy. Thompson. Arnold.
who fed through the ruins Of these
towns in their effort TO escape the
flames declared they had seen many
charred bodies in the smoldering
ashes. In the Duluth morgue tonight
there were seventy-hve bodies. TWEEN
ty-nine OF which have been in some
measure identified
Besides these. hundreds of small set
Elements and isolated homes of set
tiers have been destroyed One train
which pulled in here Was ahre and
other coaches and cars in the North
ern Pacific yards caught Are from it.
One hundred and eighty-two coaches
| in all were burned. The timber and
property loss. now estimated at many
millions, will beyond a doubt surpass
in amount the toll taken by any pre-
vious FIRE in this region.
| Both the twin cities OF Duluth and
| Superior now seem safe. although on
! several occasions saturday night
suburban property was consumed and
I the sparks, fed by strong wind. set
fire to many buildings in Duluth and
at more than one time threatened the
total destruction OF the large ship
yard
-Buy Liberty BOnds-
Ludender0 stu There.
New York, Oct. l3.-The German Of
ficiai bulletins on military operations.
transmitted by way of London are
still prefixed 'Ludendorff." This indi-
Gates reports of the generals resigna-
ton or dismissal were erroneous and
that he is stili quartermaster- general
One Of his functions In that capacity
y the issuance Of the daily reports on
lthe fighting.