Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1910 — HUNDREDS ARE DEAD FROM FOREST FIRES [ARTICLE]

HUNDREDS ARE DEAD FROM FOREST FIRES

Seieral Towns in Minnesota Destroyed by Flames. v

Blackened corpses, hundreds of them, mark the path of the most destructive forest fires the Cadadian borderland has ever experienced. Not less than 5(0 are believed to be dead. Minnesota gave its lull quota of victims, besides several towns wiped out. Rescue parties have already taken into Warread, Minn,, seven ty-flve bodies found along the trails near that village Tiny report that they saw scores of oilier bodies, but were unable to recoier them. Forty bodies were recovered in the vicinity of Kaidy Hi ver Governor Eberhart of Minnesota has arrived in the fire zone to see what releif niea ures can be taken by the state. More than 250 dead, millions upor\ millions of dollars worth of property destroyed. 3,000 refugees fleeing from the flames, is an epitome of the happenings 01 the day's hell session In the Beltrami county forest fires. Thirty-five typhoid fever patients Were carried on Improvised litters from Spooner just before It was wiped off the map. Forty-five were carried from Beaudette, and the Mecca of aH the refugees, carried or loitering from exhaustion, was Rainy River, across the water from the fire ridden districts of Minnesota. Then the flames hit Rainy River, destroyed the lumber mills and 2,000 panic stricken refugees piled into freight cars and all but mobbed the engineer of a switch engine, who thinking there was no danger, started, to pull them out of the town. l.ater the flames subsided, and at night 500 refugees landed in International Falls, strong men shaking like leaves in a gale, women and their children, fever patients on shutters; burned men and women swathed in bandages and a whole mottley crowd in stock cars like so many cattle. International Falls met them at the station, opened the city hall and hotels for them, gave them beds, such as could be provided. There was no escape <0 the west. The east was the only chance. Bridges and culverts had burned out, wires were down and trains were run at top speed. All the way from Beaudette and Rainy River west to Warroad, a distance of fifty miles, was one solid mass of flames. The prompt work of relief, engineered by the Canadian Northern offiials saved many lives. The railway has been running relief train in every direction, stopping at any point where frantic people were to be found along the tracks. The heroism of these train crews is a part of the heroism of the season displayed by so many. Eight hundred were taken to International Falls. It Is expected relief will be supplied by the United States tn a few hours. In the meantime the Canadian people are feeding them. The women have found shelter with the Canadians, but most of them are living in box cars. Most of these unfortunates have lost everything they possess. Many of them being almost naked. Tents are badly needed.