The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-30
Destroying Splendid Timber
In Cowlitz County.
BENSoN's LOGGING CAMP GONE
The People in the Woods Glad TO
Escape With Their Lives.
Miles Away the Terrible Roar OF the
Fierce Flames Can Be Heard, and
the smoke on the Columbia River
- snfrocating The Town OF Oak
Point in Peril.

Astoria. Or, Aug. 29.--caps. Shaver. o;
the steamer George ". Shaver. stopped
al Oak Point last night and took aboard
a number Of refugees from the IRE. among
them W. :. Benson. owner OF large log
gins camp Ia the burned section. and ais
family. Capt Shaver said:
IL ls beyond u aeaot the largest fire
that aas ever swept the banks OF the Co
lumblsa- How it started is mere con-
jectuse. although 10 our certain knowledge
there has been A Nall fire burning 20 the
west OF the present blaze for the past
three weeks Tals has probably been
tanned into a larger bsaze by the eirciiag
eddy Of TIE land breeze. which gathers
each night Ia the canyon back of Oak
Point and. aided by the draft caused by
its osn heat. has been drawn into the al
joining timber.
''Tais timber. owing 20 the long, heated
dry spell of July and August. has become
as dry as matchwood. and Ii required but
a spark 20 set the forest in a blaze. With
the nrst jump OF the IRE from the under
brush 10 the timber the flames took hold
Of the dry boushs and simply eallopai
through the woods. 80 rapid was the
progress of the fire that people in its path
had only time TO escape in the clothes they
we're wearing, leaving all other posses
siOus behind.
Benson large logging camp. With its
tTamN8S, cars. locomotives ana cut logs.
was swept clean by the flames. Hogan &
Young's coTdwood camp. with l.ao cords
OF wood ready for market. has gone up in
smoke. The Davidson family fought their
way through To the river bank ami boarded
the Shaver. leaving behind them 10 burn
a <2.aa house. barn. fences, harvested
crop and all their personal effects. some
OF t-e men escaping without even coat.
From The pilot house OF the ShaYer the
flames could be seen mounting skyward,
and 1he roar Of the FIRE could be heard for
miles bt fore the steamer reached Oak
Point. Gradually the smoke became
thicker on the river as the steamer ap-
preached the landing, until within a mile
Of the point the atmosphere Was so dense
as 10 prove almost sgffOcating.
Whether there have been lives lost or
not IL will take some time to determine"
oak Point. Wash, Aug. 2s.-The forest
fire is within 800 yards OF Oak Point. with
much timber TO feed It. The LeRoi David
son place is cleaned out completely. In
case the wind changes to the east IL will
put the Hume and Eureka eanneries In
great danger. II Il should switch to north
from northwest IL viii sweep Oak Point.
including the sawmills and every other
building. Nothing has been heard of the
men who stayed TO fight the fire at Ben
sons camp last night. few people who
re4asea Oak Point saved only the clothing
on their backs. The locomotives and dog
key engines belonging to Bensons camp
here have been placed out on some beaver
dam land. bat there is now every proba-
bilty that they will be lost. The ire is
"a aging as fercely as ever.