The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-30
FIERCE FOREST FIRES.
Ravaging Colorado and No
Relief Possible Until
Rain Comes.

DENVER, Col, Sept. 80, 1898 The
weather man can offer no hope for those
on the western slope whose homes and
crops are threatened by the forest fires.
There are no indications whatever of
rain. and this seems to be the only ele-
nlent able to stay the flames fury.
Throughout Eagle county high winds
have prevailed. giving fresh impetus to
the fires that are devastating the timber
domain. In consequence new territory is
being devoured. The blaze is rapidly ex-
tending along the grand reserves OF Girard
from present appearances will sweep the
country to Bear Mountain at Mintu1n.
Back Of Minturn, to the heads of Will
low and Two Elk the country is devas-
tated. little remaining to feed the flames
From Hoosier Mountain the wind has
driven the fire to the edge of Gypsum
Creek. The settlers OF Upper Gypsum.
Cannon. Collins and other places, are
fighting desperately to save their homes
and stop its passage across into the mag
nificent forests of West Brush If it gets
into Brush, the finest body of timber in
the State will go. No loss of life has been
reported, but many have lost their homes
and their crops All the game is leaving
the country to escape the smoke and heat
of the blazing woods.
Dispatches received here say that
Wheyley's Peak, between North and Mid
die Park, is now mass of flames, and
it is greatly feared that they will ex-
tend to both these beautiful camping
grounds. The fire has already cut a
swathe thirty-five miles long, from the
Grand River almost to Dillon, in Summit
county The width is as yet unknown.
Kremmling, in Grand county, has had a
narrow escape, and the danger is not yet
entirely over.
not as bad as for several days previous
but the smouldering embers may be
famed into an awful nfiagration by the
slightest wind.
The fires around Aspen are working
down the mountain side toward town, all
though they are not burning with the
force they have been. Al Gunnison;
Crested Butte Wolcott and Glenwood
Springs the fires are still raging. No
estimate of the damage to timber can be
given, but it will unquesIionably run far
into the thousands of dollars.
On Bald Mountain, above Cattle Creek,
to the east of this place, the entire ridge
is aflame, and the neavy west wind pre-
vailing the last three days is driving 1t
at present it extends for a distance OF
five miles to the southeast.
For miles around TO the northwest 10
the Haystack Mountain, extending across
10 the Muddy country, another large fire
is burning, while due west, above Spring
hundreds of acres, are being destroyed.
The men at fuckers lumber camp. Wnlel
furnishes timber for the mines, are hard
at work protecting the timber and plow-
ing to stop the advance Of the flames.
Northwest of here. above Sunshine, an
=,
between Sping Valley and Grand River.
a large tract of land, over fifteen miles
IN length, is burning.
Battlement Government Reserve, bound
ed by the Grand River on the north,
Roaring Fork on the east, and the Gun-
nison on the west. is mass OF flame.
This reserve runs through the counties
of Garfield, Delta and Moa. The Big
White River Government Reserve, start
ing in Garfield county and extending
through the Routt and Rio Blanco, IS also
on fire.
Reliable reports show that the fires are
now nearly three. hundred miles in cir
conference, with Glenwood for eeniAe,
and practically every mountain range
of the fire that is reported comes from
Cottonwood and Four Mile Greek. where
the flames have consumed everything
that will burn on the mountain sides
on the south side of the Rio Grande,
from Minturn to Glenwood, the railroad
men REPORT a steady. blaze of fire plainly
visible from the smaller ValieyS. MANY
ranches have been abandoned There
appears to be no hope of cessation OF
the confiagration except by Il heavy rain
or the demolition of the timber by the de-
+ Swan. Game Commissioner,
states ther is no doubt but that the fires
are caused by carelessncss of campers
and people generally during a season OF
exceptional dryness. Colonel w. T.. 5.
May Chief United States Forester, has
gone to the west slope to inspect THE
country under Government contral w'here
fires are burning.