Evening star., 1922-08-18
Z DEATHS TOLL
IN FOREST FIRE
Terror of Flames in North
Woods Described by
Refugees.
THREE TOWNS DESTROYED
Rain or Calm Hope Of Saving Vast
Additional Area Under Ma
tional Guard.
THREE TOWNS DESTROYED
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
DULUTH, Minn., August 1s.-Fears
that the death toll from the forest
fires raging in northern Minnesota
would go beyond the reported total
of twelve when additional advices
were received. today from the fame
swept areas. were expressed ny
scores of refugees who were arriv-
ing hourly from all sections OF the
north woods.
While 400 Minnesota national
euardsmen, under command OF AL
jutant General w. F. Rhinow. con-
tinued today the work OF succoring
the refugees, more than 1000 forest
rangers. settlers and others redouoleo
their efforts in fighting the hames'
which already have DESTROYED three
small towns-Cotton, Central Lakes
and White Face.
Rain or Calm Needed.
The fate of a score of other tiny
settlements scattered over st. LOUIS
and Lake counties hung on In, Ine
weather today. Only rain or a cain
could save these places. Terrific
winds were the chief enemies OF the
fre-fghters yesterday.
New fires were reported early to-
day in several sections, including one
at Cronigen, eight miles nortneas. neast
wood. Emeb and Sherwin. north OF
Two Harbors, near Lake Superior,
sent in word that flames were pc
coming menacing, while ten miies
from Cloquet peat fires were showing
MINDFUL Of the 1918 holocaust in
northern Minnesota, when more than
four hundred persons lost their lives,
hundreds of persons ABANDONED theiF
homes, live stock, and, In fact. every
thing they owned. The main thought OF
the % women and children was to reach
a haven Of safety. Most of the men re-
NAMED behind to aid fire fighters.
Refugees Crowd Roads.
lost night and today all main roads
leading to Duluth, Eveleth and other
northern villages. were crowded with
fleeing women and children.
Duluth national guardsmen and other
citizens manned trucks and pleasure
automobiles and vent far into ITO. aane .ne
and aided them in reaching hastily eS
tablished relief stations, supervised by
the Red Cross here.
Chief among the scores directing
this work was Gov. Preus OF Mfnneso-
ia. who came here yesterday to make
plans for speeding up coal shipments to
| the northwest. The governor, after or
dering out five companies OF guarosmen
and six airplanes. stayed up most OF the
night arranging for food, cots and other
necessities for comfort at the armory
| for the arrival from the country.
Relief Trains Sent Out.
Relief trains from Virginia and Du-
! luth were also sent out to the Kelsey
region to aid in bringing in menaced
Inhabitants.
At daybreak three National Guard
| airplanes, one equipped with wireless,
hoped off to reconnoiter and report
on conditions this morning to Gen.
Rhinow. w. T. Cox. state forester
who arrived early today from st.
Paul, and Gov. Preus.
The reported dead today included
Mr.. and Mrs. Donald and their four
children, all of White Face. and six
members of a family named Neimi-
ach at Markham. In addition, four
other persons were said to be un-
accounted Tor at White Face.
A wall of fire surrounding the
| Neimiach home prevented Capt. Leo
M. Perke and two other guardsmen
from rescuing the family, the captain
said today. A wireless message from
! the steamer Hamonic, due here this
morning. was to the effect that 1'ofte
a village on the north shore Of Lake
Superior, was burning. Meager Ad-
vices trickling in here had Drum
mond, in Bayfield, county, Wis, virtu.
ally surrounded by flames
Swinging from the southwest to the
northwest today. q fifteen-mile wind
| was tanning forest fires in the Kel-
| sey, Cotton. Whiteface district, plac.
ing the three towns In q more pre-.
carious position than yesterday.
| Adjt. Gen. Walter F. Rhinow or.
dered all available men of the Duluth
Tank Corps to Kelsey for relief work
and II necessary to aid in lighting the
| flames.
It is estimated more than 200 fires
are burning in the forest sections OF
| the state. The majority Of them are
in peat bogs, but the tinderlike con-
dition Of the woods makes even the