The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-18
MILLIONS SWEPT AWAY.
Vast Extent Of the Western
Prairie and Mountain Fires.
The Flames Raging for Weeks
Over a Great Territory.

Those who have never Travelled over the
section Of country known as the Northwest
can have little conception of the vast extent
which the prairie and timber fires have COW
cred. Starting away up in British Columbia,
IN the Koutenai country, four weeks ago,
owing to the parched condition Of the coun-
try tho rain Of any consequence having fallen
for ninety days. the fire Travelled with great
rapidity, passing south through Montana,
into Idaho, extending into Washington ana
Oregon on the west; then south again
into Wyoming and Colorado. Montana,
perhaps, has suffered the most, es the nre
ran along through the prairie country to tho
Dakota line, crossed the main divide OF the
Rockies, set the Bitter Root aaame, worked
into the mountains neer Phiipsburg, de-
stroyed the timber in the Jefferson and did
great damage in the National Park. .-.
Throughout the prairie country Of Northern
Montana the bones Of thousands Of buffalo
and cattle lie bleaching on the ground. Since
the completion Of the Manitoba road market
has been found for these bones in the East,
and the half breeds and squaw men have
made business Of collecting and shipping
them East So these people set fire to the
grass to secure bones.
The big cattle companies, employing hun.
dreds of men, were just preparing to round
up and ship their cattle to market when
these fires assumed serious proportions. In
stead Of doing this, the cowboys were sent
out to endeavor to suppress the fires Di-
vided up in parties Of fifty, they were thrown
out in line sixty miles long, and with picks,
ployvs and shovels threw up fire break. In
some instances this was successful, though In
others the fire would fly over a quarter OF a
mile Of plowed ground with ease and burn
until q stream Of considerable size was
reached. Meantime parties were sent after
the bone gatherers, and they were driven out
of the country. Ten days ago, says special
from Helena, Montana, heavy rain fell,
and it was thought the worst was over, but
the fires have started again, and those ranges
which escaped at first are rapidly succumb-
ing now.
The only loss of life reported from the range
fires Is that of four men who were run down
by Wild cattle, stampeded by the fire. They
were found by searching party few days
afterward trampled out Of all semblance Of
human beings.
But il the prairie fires are disastrous the
forest fires are doubly so. Granville Stuart,
one Of the best authorities in Montana, esti-
mates the damage BY these fires in Montana
at at least 800, 600 a day. Thousands OF acres
of virgin timber land have been denuded and
thousands Of cords of cut wood destroyed.
The big mining companies, such as
the Drum Summon, Anaconda, Bt-
ton and the Montana, contract each
year for immense quantities ..d o.
cordwood and timbers to be delivered az ~ sne
works during August and September. These
fires started lust when the contractors had
prepared to fulfil their contracts, and almost
without exception the result has been total
loss. In addition to this sawmil after saw
mill has been wiped out, and with this the
destruction of the timber, throwing hundreds
Of men out of work.
Just now the full. effects Of the fires are
not felt, but when the demand comes tor
fuel this destruction will be heavily felt.
Owing to the high price Of coal nine -tenths
of the fuel used in Montana is WOOD.
While no settlements of any size have been
DESTROYED numerous towns have been IN
great danger and only saved by s'lperhnman
exertions. There are hundreds OF men IN
Montana to-day who have been fighting
these fires constantly for the past four
weeks. In Deer Lodge County, in the vi
cinity of Georgetown and Philipsburg, where
the works of the Granite Mountain Mining
Company are located, the towns were only
saved by incessant work. In that section
the timber is as thick as hairs on brush
and the heat and smoke are almost stdlng
In the mountains Of Montana hve weeks
ago were hundreds Of miners cabins; to-day
the greater part Of them are in ashes: How
many lives have been lost in their destruc-
tion is only a matter Of conjecture. These
men come into the towns when they make 9
rich "striken or in need Of provisions SO II
may be months before their fate is known.
Only a weeks rain will put the fire out
Until this comes the destruction will go or
and no one can say what the total loss Will
be. Already it reaches into the millions ano
the end is not yet -..