Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1896-09-11
RUNNING A gauntlet OF FIRE
Escape of Logger Benson With
Family and Crew.
STARTED IN THE NICK OF TIME

4 Tried to Save the Camp From the De-
vouring Flames, but the Water Gave
Out-CAttIe Were Burned to Death.
| Portland, Or, Sept IA thrilling
tale il connected with the escape Of s.
Benson, bis wife and three children,
and the four men employed by Benson
in his logging camp, from the fierce
forest fire Of Friday last, which ragged
between Oak Point and Eagle Cliff on
the Columbia river.
/ Benson's main camp consists Of quite
village. there being fourteen cabins
and store in the clearing. In the
center Of the little town, and in front
Of the store, is well, fitted with a
powerful pump, while on the edge Of
the clearing to the east is a 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 thor
oughly wetting the roofs and logs COM
menced.
The clearing consists of about ten
acres. and never doubling for moment
but what the water supply from the
well and spring would hold out, log
gers proposed Saying with their camp,
and saving it from the devouring
flames which were galloping through
the forest toward them. A bucket
brigade was formed, and as fast as the
water in the barrel was emptied against
a cabin, it was Immediately refilled,
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 we'll
The fire had jupmed the camp, and
was reaching down toward the logging
railroad and Eagle Cliff trail. Already
the Oak Point trail to the river bank
was seething mass Of flames and now
the Eagle Cliff trail was ON fire, but
with the well pumping its powerful
stream Of water the camp could be
saved. The fire was growing about
the edges Of the spring, cutting of
that SUPPLY. Still, there was no fear.
so long as the we'll held out.
4 Suddenly there came shout from
the men at the well: "The pump IL
sucking"
Benson, who was at the rear Of the
store building. passing water, ran
down to the pump. II was true. The
well had run dry.
Make for the railroad menl Dfop
everythingi Let the camp go to -r'
he cried. as he rushed back to the
store to get his wife, baby and daugh-
ters, Alice and Carrie.
Gathering his family about him, the
afwul run for the first half mile, vi here
the fire had traversed the Eagle Cliff
trail, was commenced. Everything
was left behind. The women folk,
owing to the intense heat Of the pre-.
vious twenty 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
with the clearing, the camp cattle, al
though restive. had also stayed. Now
with the fight 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 cracking boughs and crushing tim
ber, until at last the trestle was reach
ed. Once across this there was safety.
Already the underbrush about the un-
derpinnning was ablaze. It was just
in the nick of time. Five minutes
lost and the entire party-ifty- two
men, women and children-wouldh have
met death in an awful holocaust.
Benson piloted his party across safe
ly; not 80, however, the poor dumb
brutes that had followed along. To
them the trestle with its open ties was
an impossible barrier, The oaitle
tried to make the crossing only after a
step or two to founder and fall.
Reaching safely on the other side Of
the ravine the fugitives Of the fire
turned to look back. The sight was
horrifying. There stood the cattle sur
rounded by fame and smoke. Each
minute or SO the low.hsnging pail OF
smoke would lift and show an animal
reel and fall into the abyss Of fire be-
meath. Out on the trestle were three
oxen which had tie by tie worked their
way beyond the death range Of the fire,
and, half suffocated, could proceed no
further. Their effort brought them
: death in another form, for as Benson
and his party turned to resume their
flight down the track, the burning
: trestle fell with crash, carrying with
it into the ravine below the suffering
brutes.
From the camp along the track te
the juncture with the Eagle Cliff trai
is trifie over two miles From thence
to the river bank Is three quarters OF
q mile. Arriving at the river the
: steamer George ". Shaver was found
waiting for any fugitives from the fire
that might appear, and boarding the
steamer the party were brought g
Portland. IS