The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-09-20
The FIRE FIEND
MORE TALES OF DEATH AND Ruin
FROM CLARK COUNTY

Two Hundred People Are Home
les and Fifteen Persons Have
Lost Their Lives-Whole
Families Have Perished.
Vancouver, Wash, Sept. 10
The great forest fires Of Clark coun-
ty are on the wane, but the ruin in
their wake is terrible. Upwards OF
Zoo people are homeless and not
less than fifteen persons have lost
their lives and the bodies have
been scared and charred in the dev-
astating ocean of fame that for the
past week has added an epoch to
the history of local disasters that
will not soon be forgotten.
Reports of ruin and loss of life
are heard on every hand. Last
night William A. Macarthur, of
Chelatchie, brought the news of
the burning of whole family and
several relatives and friends while
returning from an outing at Trout
Lake. The dead are: Oren f..
Reid, wife and four children, rang
ing in age from 8 to 10 years;
Reid's brother.in-law, George Smith
wife and child, who were visiting
here from Iowa; Mr.. and Mrs. G.
A. Mexican. It is also rumored
that James A. Smith, father of Mrs
Reid and Mrs. Mexican, and two
children, recently from the East,
are among the lost, besides two
children of Mr.. and Mrs. Mexican.
Conflicting reports are rife concern.
ing the number of people n the
party. The Reids live near La
Center, and accompanied. by the
other members of the party, they
were at Trout Lake camping when
the great fires broke out. While
returning the party was overwhelm-
ed by the flames near Spelel Greek,
across the North Fork of the Lewis
River. There can be no doubt that
the patty is lost, the only difference
in details being in relation te the
number OF dead. The country is a
densely wooded district and when
surrounded by fire the chances of
escape are few.
Mr.. Newheuse, the mailcarrier
between Woodland and Yale is
missing. His horse has been found
dead, and the extreme probabilities
are thought to be that he, too, is
lost.
Mrs. Smith and three children,
aged 2, 8 and 5 years, respectively,
living near Bell's Mountain, were
suffocated in cellar.
Vancouver, Wash, Sept. 6.-The
bodies of six persons have been
found dead in a trail leading
through stretch of country about
four miles wide. between Canyon
and Sauson Creeks, eight miles
north of Bells Mountain, and Is
settlers residing in that district are
missing, number Of whom, if not
all, have perished in the big forest
fire which swept through there last
week, says L. M, Smith, who arriv.
ed in Vancouver from the burned
district last night.
Mr.. Smith says that the whole
country in this region is wiped
clean by the fire, and practically
every one living there has been
rendered homeless. The Is settlers
referred to have not been accounted
for, and the supposition is that they
have perished. Subsequent reports
serve to show that the loss of life in
the Bell's Mountain region is great
er than was at first supposed.
Reports of the great forest fires
jof Clark county continue to come
in and each successive bit of intel
tligence but adds to the tale of woe,
ruin and disaster that reeks in the
wake of the mighty sea of fame
that wrapped miles of settlements
and valuable timbe in an atmos-
phere of destruction. Without
doubt, reports of loss of life and
property will pour in for weeks to
come, as exploration of the burned
districts continue. Vast areas of
land in Clark county are divested
of every semblance of human habi-
tation and the shock to the rural
districts is appalling.
If the opinion of those who are
comparatively we'll acquainted with
the extent of damages caused by
the big forest fires in Clark county
and who have seen portions of the
ruined districts are reliable, the
loss of property in Clark county a.
lone will Approximate $1,ooo,ooo.
This includes the timber losses so
far as is known, but it is said that
should the fire have killed vast
tracts of valuable timber which are