The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-10
IMMENSE DAMAGE DONE.
Efforts to Stay the Torrent of
Flames Prove of No
Avail.
FARMERS ARE HEAVY LOSERS.
Many Towns In the Wooded Country
Are Threatened With Total
Destruction.

SEATTLE, WASH, Aug. 9.-Forest fires
in this part of the State have caused enor-
nous damage to property, and for the past
two weeks the smoke has been so dense
in the Puget Sound cities that it has been
with difficulty people are able to stand the
sitting atmosphere. 1t has been several
weeks since there was rain, or shower
of sufficient duration to dampen the path
of the forest flames, and the fires have con-
sequently assumed tremendous proper
tions. Fortunately they have been more
remote than in former years, and the rail-
roads running In all directions through the
dense woods have escaped serious loss,
although some alarm had been felt and
men are keeping constant watch on the
wild flames along the lines of tracks.
In some of the country towns situated
in the forest men have worked assiduously
to keep the flames from the woods in
check. At the towns of Sedro, Woolley,
Burlington, Sumas and Blaine alarm has
been felt, and at one of the towns the
people worked all of one night to save
property.
Mount Vernon, in Skagit County, was
threatened at one time, and few days ago
the largest shingle-mill in the place-that
of Metcalf & Dodge-burned to the ground.
No one knows the origin of the fire, but it
is thought that the sparks from the forest
fires about 400 yards away ignited the mill
property. The forest all about the town is
ablaze, and the sea of flames reaches far
up the Skagit River. These fires will cause
much damage to the logging industries,
which are very heavy in that county.
In Whatcom, Claliam, Thurston, King
and Pierce counties the fires have caused
much damage, but at this time the extent
cannot be ascertained. On Monday the
fires from the woods reached the eastern
rim of this city, and great many resi-
dences situated in the ho1lows were threat
ened with obstruction. The people living
in the district and the campers along the
line of the flames went out in force and
worked to save property with such good
effect that only two or three small shacks
and minor buildings were burned.
Fires this year have ragged in districts
where they never occurred before, and are
supposed to have been started by summer
campers, who are now scattered in great
numbers along the inlets and arms of the
sound for over four hundred miles. Vast
forests of timbers are being destroyed in
the Olympics south of the straits and west
of the sound.
News came from Clallam County to-day
that several ranches had been destroyed.
The home of one rancher named Hales
was totally destroyed, and he and his
family had to fee from the flames with
only their night clothes for wearing ap-
parel to the home OF neighbor miles
away.
In Jefferson County the damage has
been confined to the timber districts, but
the loss will be very great. Chehalis
County ranchers will lose good many
thousands of dollars by the fires. The
flames, which have been eating up the
timber in Oakville for several days, yester-
day swept across Fords Prairie, burning
fences, destroying crops and licking up
half dozen or more barns. Further down
the Chehalis River Farmer John Mckay,
who owned the finest barn in the county,
lost his barns, outbuildings, fences and
valuable timber, together with his crops.
A passenger train had narrow escape
at Oakville yesterday. While running
forty-ive miles an hour, it came in contact
with huge fir tree, which had burned
down and fallen partly upon the rails.
The train stuck to the track, but the en-
CINE was badly damaged and the passen-
gers and train-hands seriously shaken up.
Near McMurray, on the line of the Seat
tie, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad are