People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1894 — FIRES IN THE FORESTS. [ARTICLE]

FIRES IN THE FORESTS.

Northwestern Towns Threatened with Complete Destruction. Duluth, Minn., July 18.—Forest fires again threaten the destruction of thousands of dollars in pine and other property in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. The long drought of the summer has produced its usual effect of forest and brush fires. In every direction dozens of villages are threatened. Duluth and Superior are enveloped in a cloud of smoke, and the fog whistles at the harbor entrance are kept blowing. All trains entering Duluth report fires all along the lines. Back of St. Louis, New. Duluth and FoDd du Lac the fires are unusually severe, and all these villages are threatened, though no destruction of life or property is as yet reported. Along the south shore of the lake in Wisconsin the fires can be seen rolling up great clouds of smoke. The damage there will be to-standing pine, as there are only a few scattered settlers. The suburbs of Superior also are threatened and serious trouble is expected there if rain does not fall soon. All along the Mesaba range, from the towns which were practically wiped out a little moie than a year ago when conditions were much as they are now, fires are reported, and also along the line of the Duluth & Winnipeg. There are about fifteen villages in this district and a sudden change of the wind to an unfavorable direction would leave them practically helpless. The loss so far reported is in damage done to the improvements of settlers and to standing pine. This last will be heavy but cannot yet be estimated. From Carlton and the adjacent villages on the liue of the Northern Pacific there are similar reports. The forest is burning all about them, but no great damage has been done. Hinckley on the line of the St. Paul & Duluth, which has been threatened for three days, is still in great danger.