The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-01
On a Trail Flanked by Burning
Forests They Dash for
Their Lives.
GAIN A BRIDGE JUST IN TIME.
Over Fifty Men, Women and Children
Narrowly Escape an Awful
Holocaust.

POwLAND, ORE, Aug. 31.-A thrilling
tale is that of the escape of S. Benson, his
wife and three children, and the four men
employed in his logging camp, from the
fierce forest fire of Friday last, which
ragged between Oak Point and Eagle Cliff,
on the Colum bia River. Beuson's main
camp consists of quite a village, there
being fourteen cabins ana a store in the
clearing. In the center of the little town,
and in front of the store, is a well, fitted
with powerful pump while on the edge
OF the clearing to the east is live spring.
When the fire was seen approaching,
Benson gathered his men at the camp and
proceeded to pump water into all the
empty barrels to be procured, some sixty
in number. These were ranged about the
cabins, and the work of thoroughly wet
ting the roofs and logs commenced.
The clearing consists of about ten acres,
and never dou biting for moment that the
water supply from the well and spring
would hold out the loggers proposed stay
ing with their camp and saving it from
the flames, which were galloping through
the forest toward them. a bucket brigade
was formed, and as fast as the water in
barrel was emptied against a cabin it was
Immediately refiIled, those handling the
water going to the next full barrel in the
meantime. In this way some 200 barrels
OF water had been pumped from the well.
The fire had Jumped" the camp, and
was reaching down toward the logging
railroad and Eagle Cliff trail. Already
the Oak Point trail to the river bank was
q seething mass of flames, and now the
Eagle Cliff trail was on fire, but with the
inn ifuy fri
the camp could be saved. The fire was
growing about the edges of the spring,
cutting off that supply. Still there was
no lear so long as the well held out.
Suddenly there came shout from the
men al the well, THE pump is suckingI'
Benson, who was at the rear of the
store building, passing water, ran
down TO the pump. 1t was true. The
well had run dry. Make for the railroad.
men; drop everything; let the camp co.
he cried, as he rushed back to the store
TO get his wife. baby and daughters Alice
and Carrie. There was no second bidding
needed. The flames were eating up
toward the first trestle, the burning of
which meant the cutting off of all escape
and fearful death in a blazing forest.
Gathering his family about him, the
awful run for the first half-mils, where the
fire had traversed the Eagle Cliff trail, was
commenced. Everything was left behind.
The women folk, owing to the intense
heat of the previous twenty-four hours
had donned light calico wrappers, and it
was with these they arrived in Portland.
Down the fiery gauntlet of the trail,
through the binding, suffocating smoke,
the logger, with his family and men.
started. So long as human beings had
stayed within the clearing the cam o cat
tie, although FESTIVE, had also STAYED,
Now, with the flight of their protectors.
the poor animals went wild with fright.
and believing dashed down the trail with
the fleeing people, on through the fierce
heat, surrounded on each side by racking
boughs and crushing timber, until at last
the trestle was reached. Once across this
there was safety. Already the underbrush
about the uDderpinning was ablaze. They
came just in the nick of time. Five min
utes lost and the entire party of fifty-two
men, women and children would have met
death in an awful holocaust
Benson piloted his party across safely:
not so, however. the dumb brutes that had
followed. To them the trestIe, with its
open ties, was an impossible barrier. The
cattle tried to make the crossing, only
after step or two to founder and fall.
Reaching safety on the other side of the
ravine, the fugitives of the fire turned to
look back. The sight was horrifyiug.
= There were the cattle surrounded by fame
and smoke. Each minute or so the low
hanging pail of smoke would lift and
they could see an animal reel and fall into
the abyss of fire beneath. Out on the tres
tie were three oxen which had, tie by tie.
worked their way beyond the death range
OF the fire and, half suffocated, could pro-
coed no further. Their efforts but brought
them death in another form, for as Ben
son and his party turned to resume their
flight down the track the burning trestle
fell with a crash, carrying with it into the
ravine below the suffering brutes.