The Mankato free press., 1921-09-09

was swept on py SUN on snore
breeze.
In the valleys near Knife River
three fires were raging. Several hun
dred volunteers in automobiles re-
sponded when a man interrupted a
Labor day meeting at Two Harbors
threatening fires were near Onamia
Most Serious Fire at soIana
McGrath, Mimi, September g.
The village of White Pine, about
eight miles north of here, which was
seriously threatened by forest fires
Monday, is safe, according to fire
fighters this morning. Efforts to
run the fire away from the lumber
ing village >were successful during
the night, and with ideal fire fight
ing weather. w. T.. Cox, state forest
er, said great strides will be made
in checking the fires running in
peat, underbrush and grasses, If
the calm continues through the day.
The most serious fire now Is near
Solana, where big details of men
were engaged in backhring and
ditching.
A fire at Arthyde, three and an
eighth miles northeast of Solana,
caused some great concern among
forestry officials, but 1t is not
thought that the two fires will join.
One hundred state troops, under
unity of Arthyde, fighting the flames
which developed In large stand of
| tamarack.
Reports received this morning by
the state forester were to the effect
that fires in the Warroad and Clo-
quet districts were under control,
and that the fires in the Baudette
district have been stopped. The
situation in the Knife River district
Is still grave.
Women and Children Safe.
- According to Miss Claire Nelson.
one of the refugees to reach McGrath
at 1:05 p. H., all women and children
were safely removed from the burn
trucks. The entire town seemed to
catch fire at once, she said Nothing
Of value was saved from the town,
the refugees starting Immediately
down the south road toward McGrath.
They walked three quarters of mile
through fame swept side road and
suffered greatly from smoke Many
| of the women were on the verge OF
collapse from The excitement and
smoke when they reached McGrath.
Cox at White Pine.
State Forester w. T. Cox, on a
tour of inspection, came through
White Pine an hour before it burst
into flames and on his return here
reported the fire to be no nearer the
town than previously when 1t Tapped
near the lumber yards and was stop
ped by fire breaks. Mr.. Cox could not
account for the fire starting in the
mill, unless the wind changed and
drove sparks back into the town from
the northeast. When Mr. Cox drove
through White Pine no fires were In
the immediate vicinity of the saw
mills from the west.
Miss Nelson, after she had beer
given minute to revive from an al
most fainting condition, said she
could hardly understand how the fire
began. They had been watching the
main and apparently only fire to the
southwest. east and northeast, wher
the sawmill burst into flames from al
lsides.
i The seasoned. sheds burned lik.
tinder and what they said was {
twist" in the wind soon spread the
fire over the entire town.
Had Barely Time To Get Out.
eff we hadn't seen the fire at tn,
} minute we did" said Miss Nelson
I'VE undoubtedly would have beer
} burned to death. We each picked VI
a child and stared by the southwes
J road at the very edge of the old fire
The fireswas so close to the road tina
} we were forced to walk single file
We thought for a while that we woult
be unable to continue through tn,
smoke, but we younger girls, assisted
L
| dren and soon the trucks met us.
"The smoke from the old fire wa
: so dense at the tine we boarded tn,
trucks we were unable to see the BIZ
fire at White Pine but we could hea
distinctly the crackle Of the flame.
as they swept over the dry lumber.
} That few cattle and horses wer,
left at White Pine are. believed tt
J have perished.