Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-17
HALF DOZEN TOWNS ON IRON
RANGE TIRE TENED BY FIRES
TANNED BY SOUTHWEST WINDS
thousand Us Men Battling ii The
Flame. y In Vicinity OF
Eveleth, Mimi. !; | 800 Ore
Miners Held In Readiness
For Fire Fighting Duty In
Case Of Necessity; Town.
Close to Duluth In Danger.

osroH& sOutnWester1y winds
ssWeeping the north country Of
smouldering 6res into threaten
Ing blazes and no less than q
half dozen cities and towns were
reported in immediate danger
late today. One thousand men
are battling a forest fire in the +
vicinity OF Eveleth on the Mes
saba iron range while 1900 orc
miners arc being held in readi-
ness to fight the flames should
they approach dangerously near
the City. Several small settle.
ments near Eveleth and in the
ftrc area are reported in serious
danger. The town of Kelsey, As
rounded by fire, according to
report received at the county
commissioners Office here, while
residents of Toimi, so miles
north OF here are reported to
have fled the town because of flre
approaching from the south.
Duluth. Aug. 17.-(By the Associ-
ated Press:)-Forest, fires west and
south of Eveleth increased their
menace this afternoon, and reports to
The Associated Press, filed at 1:15 p.
M, said: Every man in town was
leaving for the fi-es,' which were re-
ported to be famed by stiff south
west wind. NHi
Eveleth and several nearby towns
are in danger of destruction by for
est fires burning on the west and
south of Eveleth. according to tele-
phone message received by the Assoc
ciated Press at 1:15 p. m: today. The
Eveleth News reported the town was
full of smoke" The News said:
Every man in town was leaving for
S1H k~I S.>
famed by stiff northwest wind.
!. 5ss Kinney in Danger. a
The town of Eveleth is protected on
the west side by a large open pit
mine but it is feared the Are may. be
side 10y the high wind. Kinney, a
nearby town Of 200 inhabitants, is
i said to be in the greatest danger.
| Several peat fires are known to
have been burning in the vicinity OF
Eveleth for several weeks.
Eveleth, a town of approximately
1000 population. is situated on the
north of here.
The Virginia Enterprise had re-
ports of another fire in the vicinity Of
Buhl which is near Eveleth.
Duluth, Mimi, Aug. 17.-(By the
+
! clouds from forest, peat and brush
fires blanketing sections of the north
country and seriously interfering with
| location of new fires from the ground
towers and also the lighting of the
fires. Ranger A. B. Gibbs Of Duluth,
one of the pioneers of the Minnesota
state forest service, was prepared to-
day to report to his headquarters at
St. Paul that there is an urgent need
OF an airplane forest patrol during
the present emergency. a
Ranger Gibbs returned to Duluth
from Virginia where he made several
flights in national guard plane yes
terday to test the feasibility of
utilizing the state aviation squadron
to assist the forest patrol force.
Yesterday was an ideal day to make
who cited the fact that smoke espe
ciall,' from the Kelsey peat fire, had
put! the various lookout towers out
of commission and had rendered the
ground forces virtually helpless to-
ward spotting new fires.
Also he said, while the ground pa.
trolmen were vainly trying to study
the topography of the stricken areas
the airplane riding high above the fire
and smoke. provide ed "a ready vehicle
for mapping the burning areas. In
this way the fighters might be pro-
vided with inform alton with which to
plan attack on the flames.
Farm Homes Burned
The Eveleth, News had a report al
2:45 p. m. that several farm homes
had been destroyed near Corbin, tc
the southwest of the city. The News
also reported Iron Junction, towr
of 200 population two and one-hal1
miles south of Eveleth, was menaceG
: by flames. Another section of thu
same fire which has spread over sew
eral square miles Of territory is re
ported by the News to be creeping
toward Eveleth along the old Virginia
read. The assistes,t fire chief has {
large crew of men fighting this fire
| The News said the wind had increased
in velocity during the last hour ant
it was estimated to be blowing at thu
rate of 80 miles an hour.
Peat Fires Spread. III