Chisholm, MN Fire, Sept 1908 - Thousands Homeless

Thousands Homeless Loss is Millions.

Chisholm, Minn., Wiped Clean Off the Face of the Map Wisconsin Towns Also.

Fires Which Had Been Raging for Several Days Swept Down Upon Towns Yesterday Noon and Afternoon Was Devoted To Efforts on the Part of Inhabitants Trying To Save Themselves-No Loss of Life As Yet Reported.

Duluth, Sept. 5.-Forest fires which have been burning for three days closed in several towns and small settlements near Duluth this afternoon wiping them out, rendering several thousand people homeless, destroying property valued at several million dollars and sweeping over lands in many counties in northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota.

Chisholm, Minn., a town of 4,000 people on the Mesaba Iron Range, ninety miles north of Duluth, was completely wiped out as a slate is sponged.

The most destructive of many forest fires was that which embraced Chisholm in it fiery grip and completely destroyed it. For three days the dry wood had been on fire west and north of the town and small brush fires were reported to the eastward. Gradually these closed in upon the doomed town but no danger was felt by the citizens as the town is protected on the east by Longyear Lake, a small body of water, and there are many mining locations to the west, in which district the citizens believed the advancing flames could be stopped.

Swoops Down On Town

At noon today three walls of fire joined making a semi-circle of threatening flames which swept toward the little mining town with a rush and a roar. The hot breath of the conflagration was felt as the advancing holocaust rolled over the hills licking up every tree, stumps and every vestige of plant growth, and sending up a hurricane of red hot brands that fell upon the doomed town.

At the first advent of the flaming couriers, the citizens of Chisholm went forth to fight the fire. The fire was not able to cover the large territory and although intermittent blazes were started by falling fire-brands, they were quickly extinguished, the big wall of fire rolled onward toward the town and the citizens soon realized that its destruction was inevitable.

Citizens Escape

So quickly did the fire communicate to the outlying buildings that the citizens did not have time to save any household goods or personal effects. The people had ample time to escape with their lives and soon the roads leading from town were thronged with fleeing people in wagons, on horses and on foot.

There are two roads fro Hibbing to Chisholm and the most direct was in the path of the fire, necessitating travel by the longer road.

Conveyances were at a premium. A foreigner with a small wagon and horse offered to take a woman and three small children to Hibbing for $25. A man overheard the conversation and drawing a revolver he pointed it at the foreigner’s head and climbing into the rig compelled him to drive the party out of the prietor [sic] of a disorderly resort, is said to have been under the influence of liquor when the citizens began to leave the burning town and she refused to go with her companions. They were forced to flee for their lives and she was left behind. It is not know whether she perished as it is impossible to enter the town and the woman has not been seen since.

OSCAR LAFRANCE, editor of the Chisholm Tribune, was in his office and the roof above him was in flames before he was apprised of the danger. He was compelled to break a window to escape. Business men ran home to get their families and many separations occurred as they in turn fled toward the business district. Consternation reigned but the road leading out of the city was without the fire zone and the pall of smoke did not hang as heavily over the burning town, recognition was easier and families were soon reunited.

Carloads of Homeless.

The Great Northern, the only road running into Chisholm, took fifteen box cars crowded with homeless people to Hibbing this evening where citizens are throwing open their homes and tents are being erected to care for the refugees, who are entering the city by hundreds.

The sheet of flame from the falling and crackling forests toyed with the western outskirts of Chisholm for several minutes late in the afternoon and then, driven by the strong west wind, swept across the city, buildings falling and disappearing before it like tender plants before hot blasts of simoon.

The ball park was quickly destroyed and the frame business building at the west end of Main Street were soon ablaze. Within a few minutes every structure on both sides of the thoroughfare was burning and the residence districts were being ignited. By this time most of the citizens had left the burning town and they stood on small rises to the south west and watched their homes go up in smoke.

The residence districts caught fire soon after the business portion was ablaze. Alone on the hill in the southern portion of town stands the new high school which was recently erected at the cost of $125,000. No houses were within several blocks of the structure and although the flames beat toward it fiercely, it survived.

List of Losers

As the fire swept though the business portion it quickly destroyed the First National Bank building, valued at $25,000. City Hall, $25,000; R.S. O’NEILL Hotel, $25,000; Chisholm Filter Plant, $15,000; LAWRENCE KOVACH Building, $13,000; SAPERE & Sons company building; $12,000; business structures of A. BERGERON, JOHN TURJAFWAFWIER, JOHNSON M. PESSAT, MATT MATSELLE, SOL RUBLEOFF, JESS DOWLING, JOHN MCDONALD, JOHN ANSELMO, JAMES PEROVICH, BEN LEDOUX, W.A. MASTERS, J.H. DAVID, J.J. HAYES, M. AUDA, M. TAULUS, FRANK ROBINEAVITZ, H. TOSTSLOFF, JOHN WINQUIST, D.C. HACKETT, WILLIAM JACOBSON, the Miner’s Bank and other small structures were also destroyed.

The loss on buildings at Chisholm is estimated at about $2,000,000. Last year $64,000 was expended on new business structures and all these improvements as well as other portions of the city are in ruins.

Chisholm is a mining town in the central portion of the Mesaba Iron Range. Until recent years it derived considerable support from the lumber industry also, Chisholm was started about ten years ago by a tow site company, headed by A.M. CHISHOLM, a wealthy mining man of Duluth and has been one of the most flourishing and prosperous towns on the Mesaba range. Refugees poured into Hibbing tonight until the population of 1,000 was almost doubled. To relieve the congestion the Duluth Mesaba & Northern railroad started a special train from Hibbing to Duluth crowded to the guards with homeless people, who will be taken care of here. Nor organized efforts have been started here to succor the refugees but the mayor is expected to take the situation in hand and extend welcome to the thousands who are temporarily homeless.

Chisholm, a town of 3,000 people, five miles east of Duluth is on fire and all may be rendered homeless in a short time.

Aberdeen Daily American, Aberdeen, SD 6 Sept 1908