Minnesota Mayhem by Ben Welter

Author:Ben Welter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2012-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Terrified motorists tried to find refuge in the chilly waters of Moose Lake. It’s unknown whether the occupants of these cars survived. Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.

Twelve trains of the Northern Pacific railroad were made up at Carlton when it became known that there was no chance to save the town. The trains were of a nondescript nature, some passenger coaches, some box cars and flat cars, onto which the townspeople were loaded bound for Duluth.

State authorities, headed by Governor Burnquist, who joined the third relief expedition which departed last night for Moose Lake, and commanded on the field by Adjutant General Rhinow, are taking relief to the stricken districts and their people.

The Red Cross responded by dispatching a special train with doctors and nurses and the motor corps of the whole power of the state.

Adjutant General Rhinow and his staff, first of the rescue parties to reach Moose Lake, arrived there yesterday at 5:30 p.m. Their first work was to establish a temporary morgue in a building that partially escaped the flames. At midnight it held 102 bodies. The injured had been sent by special train to Duluth, 30 miles away.

Rescue work was halted at midnight, to be resumed again at daybreak today. The task of probing into the ruins of homes in search of bodies, and of looking beneath the charred remains of automobiles, which are scattered along every roadside, will engage the time of the Home Guards and the members of the motor corps for several days, it is expected.

MOTOR CORPS ON GROUND.

Colonel Stevens, in command of the motor corps, arrived at Moose Lake, which is relief headquarters, shortly after 6 o’clock. The 33 cars under his command arrived within a short time. Members of the motor corps and Adjutant General Rhinow’s staff were the only Minneapolis Home Guards on the scene. Other guards were there from Hinckley, North Branch, Iron City and Rock creek. These men will today help to man the ambulance cars, which are part of the motor corps equipment.

First estimates from an official source of the loss of life in the forest fires placed the total deaths in the Moose Lake region alone at more than 200.

Adjutant General Rhinow, who spent last night in the stricken village, telephoned this figure to the capitol early today.

Adjutant General Rhinow, who has charge of law and order and the direction of relief work in the devastated zone, said that at midnight the fire was fairly under control. He characterized the relief work as well organized and said that all immediate wants were supplied.

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