The record-union., 1898-10-01
Flames Which Have for Several
Days Ragged in Colorado
Bid Fair to DeVastate the Greater Part Of
the Forests of the State.
High Winds Give Fresh Life to the
Flames, Giving Little Hope to
People Residing on the Western
Slope-The Fires Now Three
Hundred Miles in Circumfer-
ence.

| DENVER, Sept. 30-Reports from
the western portion of the State con-
tinue to tell of the ravages of the for
est fires which bid fair to devastate the
greater part of the forest of the State
| A special from Glenwood Springs, the
center of the burning district, says:
The fires III the mountains near here
have taken fresh life to-day, owing Il
high winds. The sun has been nearly
obscured all day, and the atmosphere
is heavy with smoke
The fire east of Glenwood is, fortu-
nately, in an unsettled portion of the
| county, and aside from the immense
| loss by the burning of timber, no loss
| has occurred up to the present time.
/ The stock on the range, as far as heard
from, has escaped the fire.
| The Weather Bureau man here
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-
ment able to stay the flames fury.
| Throughout Eagle County high winds
have prevailed, giving a fresh impetus
to the forest fires that are devastating
| the timber domain.
In consequence new territory is being
| devoured. The blaze is rapidly extend
| ing along the grand reserves of Girard
Mountain, west of Homestake Creek
and from present appearances will
sweep the country to Bear Mountain, at
Minturn.
| Back of Minturn, to the heads of Will
low and Two Elk, the country is devas-
tated, little remaining to feed the
| fiames. From Hoosier Mountain the
wind has driven the fire to the edge of
Gypsum Creek. The settlers of Upper
| Gypsum, Cannon, Collins and others
are fighting desperately to save their
homes and stop its passage across into
the magnificent forests of West Brush.
If it gets into Brush, the finest body of
timber in the State is gone. No loss of
life has been reported, but several peo-
pie have lost their homes and their
crops.
All the game is leaving the country,
escaping the smoke and heat Of the
blazing woods.
Dispatches received here say that
Wheyley's Peak, between North and
Middle Park, is now a mass of flames
and it is greatly feared that they will
extend to both of those beautiful camp
ing grounds.
The fire has already cut a swath
thirty-five miles long, from the Grand
River almost to Dillon, in Summit
County. The width is as yet unknown.
Kremming, in Grand County, has had
a narrow escape and the danger is not
yet entirely over.
The fires in the vicinity of Ouray are
not as bad as for several days pre-
vious. but the smoldering embers may
be famed into an awful conhagration
by the slightest wind.
The fires around Aspen are working g
down the mountain toward town, al
though it is not burning with the force
it has been.
At Gunnison, Crested Butte. Wolcott
and Glenwood Springs the fires are still
raging.
No estimate Of the damage to timber
and ranches can be given. but ii will
unquestionably run far into the thou
sands of dollars.
The Battlement Government reserve,
bounded by the Grand River on the
north. the Roaring Fork on the east and
Gunnison on the west, is a mass of
flames. This reserve runs through the
counties of Garfield Delta and Mesa.
The big White River Government re-
serve. starting in Garfield County and
extending through Routt and Rio
Blanco, is also on fire.
Reliable reports show that the fires
are now nearly 300 miles in circumfer-
ence, with Glenwood for a center. and
practically every mountain range with
timber is ablaze.
The only cessation of the fire that is
reported comes from Cottonwood and
Four Mile Creeks, where the flames
have consumed everything that will
burn on the mountain sides.
On the south side of the Rio Grande.
from Minturn to Gratford, the railroad
men report steady blaze of fire plain
ly visible from the smaller valleys.
Many ranches have been abandoned.
There appears to be no hope of a
cessation of the conhagration except by
very heavy rain or the demolition of
the timber by the destroying element.
]. S. Swan, Game Commissioners
states that there is no doubt but that
the fires are caused by carelessness of
campers and people generally during a
StSSoI VI eACSptlOudI ulynSSS.
Colonel w. t. d. May, Chief United
States Forester, has gone to the west
slope to inspect the country under Gov
ernment control, where fires are burn
ing.
GREAT HAVOC IN WISCONSIN.
CHIPPEWA FALLS CWis1. Sept. 30
The forest fires are still creating
great havoc throughout this section of
the State. No rain has yet fallen IN
the district tributary to this point and
lumber companies are sending hundreds
of men into the woods in an endeavor
to save the standing pine. Tt is estf-
mated that already five hundred million
feet have been destroyed All trains
coming into Chippewa Falls from the
north and west are hours late. The
Wisconsin Central is experiencing great
difficulty in handling traffic as its wires
are all down. A movement has been
started TO assist the homeless farmers.
who have been burned out Thousands
are still fighting the flames, but are
making little headway, as evidently the
lumber is as dry as tinder.
MILWAUKEE. Sept. 3O.-Reports re-