Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-10-06
THE FOREST FIRES.
IN ALL PARTS OF COLORADO.
A shower In Middle Park Gives Hope,
but til. Fires Rage 1t Many Other
Points.


Denver. Oct. 1.-The following spe-
cial dispatches to the Rocky Mountain
News give information about the forest
fires:
Steamboat Springs. Colo. Sept. 30
A heavy rain fell last night, with snow
in the mountains. and as result the
dozen forest fires which have de-
slroyed hundreds of thousands of dol
lars worth OF timbeT are to-day
smoulderiny.
Ii was the first rain for six weeks.
If the weather clears up the fires Will
start again. At Columbia the shaft
house and outbuildings ut the Carron
mine We're destroyed. Other build
ings In the town caught fire and were
saved only after u desperate effort.
They have been fighting fire for
week. A great deal of fine timber has
been destroyed.
Visitors report that fully half Of the
White river timber reserve, the grcat
game region, has been burned over
and the smoke almost clouds the sun.
Ranchmen In Williams fork have lost
over 500 tons of hay. The Chapman &
Mole ranches in Egeria have been de-
stroycd by fire. All buildings and
several hundred tons of hay were de-
NLIOyeN. iuCto heSuAusu6
the fire mt Hahn's Peak say that
Judge Rucker unlocked the jury partly
to fight fire End partly for fear that
the county buildings would be de-
stroyed.
Two hundred men fought fire under
charge of the sheriff and his deputies.
Ouray, Colo, Sept. 3O.-The wind Is
blowing a gnle here this morning and
the mountains between here and Sill
la, an NJ In
this afternoon to the effect that the
timber is burning 80 fiercely that 1t Is
impossible to ascertain the amount OF
damage being done. There are several
mines In the track OF the fire, but
whether they have escaped is un-
known.
Glenwood Springs. Colo. Sept. 80
The fires In 'hc mountains near here
have taken fresh life to-day. owing to
high winds. The sun has been nearly
ol,scnrcd all day, and the atmosphere
IL heavy with smoke.
The sto'.; OH the range. as far rs
heard froil,. has escaped the fire.
Hight winds are blowing tonight In
this vicinity and the flames are rapidly
increasing.
Montrose. Colo. Sept. 3O.-rhe in
clpient forest fire southeast of town
about twenty-five miles has now
reached large proportions and can
plainly be seen from town. The range
between Hnirpin mesa and Saw Tooth
mountain is nearly devastated. and
what was Mt first considered to be of
trivial nature may result In serious
loss.
Idaho Springs. Colo. Sept. 30.-The
sky here tonight Is thick with smoke
a.. 4. ,,.,.Is %
ance. Reports coming In from the
White river country and the Gore
range OF mountains are alarming.
Campers who would have stayed an
other month are fast returning
through here or their way home. They
sny the destruction OF timber Is I'M
pnralleled and that every farm has snf-
fered by the loss Of fodder within n
radius OF thirty:iivc by ninety miles.
There IL no doubt expressed anywhere
Ms 70 the cause Of the fire being the
negligence of hunters. There Is not m
Indian in the whole district. This nf-
tcrnoon Mr.. II. Il. May, accompanied
by the Misses Hart. daughters OF Dean
Hart OF Denver, and lady friend OF
theirs from New York. returned from
trip In % park. They report great
danger l On the fire and corrobornte
mnny OF the tales told. They also
say TINT the fire Is making alarming
headway toward North park. Should
II actually reach there the destruction
will he nwful.
!. ]. Shcrwin. president Of the
Chamber of Commerce of Idaho
Springs. accompanied by Ed Chester
and DIR. !. q. johnson and William
Dole OF Denver. have Just returned
from three weeks hunting trip over
the Medicine Bow range to North park.
down the Rear river to California pnrk.
They report the game as exceedingly
scarce owing to the lire. and only OBJ
tnincd the amount necessary for their
own consumption. Fishing was good
on the Bear and the Laramie rivers.
hut the North Platte. where they cx-
peeled to get their best sport. was COM
6lctcly dry. there having been no rain
fall since June. Tile party saw the
conilagration from a distance and
knew great damage was being done.
hut suffered no Inconvenience from II.
Denver Oct. IA dispatch from
Mccker TO the Republican says:
The forest fire on White river has
burned over an area OF 100 square
miles md IL stiiI sweeping eastward in
stretch ten miles wide.
Tic people OF upper White river have
fought frc for three weeks. day and
night. u this they have been aided
Parties from that section say they
have seen nothing OF the other govern.
rncut rangers.
The blaze was started by n man from
New Castle. who got lost and built n
fire for the night and did not cxtin.
gulsh the fire in the morning.