The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1902-09-19
FATAL FOREST FIRES RAGE
WESTERN wAsH1NGroNs LOSS

| A1Mper Ruined, Several
Logging Camps and sawmills DE.
stroyed by Fire-Many Lives sun.
posed to He Lost-People Take tc
the Rivers to save Their Lives.
Iacoma, Wash. Sept. 15.-Special dis.
patches from Olympia state that the for.
est fires in that vicinity have abated
somewhat, and the atmosphere is much
clearer. Small fires are burning along the
logging roads near Shelton. but no dam.
age OF consequence has been done. ex.
cept the burning Of one or two small
trestles. Trains are patrolling the tracks
all the time to keep the fires under con-
troi. The state land commissioner has
called in all his cruisers until such time
as 1t will be safe for them to again 20
into the woods.
10 the north and east of Aberdeen the
greatest damage has been to the timber
on the upper Wishkaha river. Loggers
estimate that on this stream and the Che
halls at least 10o.00o0o0 of timber have
been burned. Two of Poison Bros.
camps. including 20 horses and outfits.
have been destroyed. The great dam on
the Hoquiam river caught fire and was
destroyed.
| 1t is feared many loggers and cruisers
In that vicinity have perished.
Dispatches from Elma say the danger
In that vicinity has passed as the wind
fell and the fires slowed down. About
100 families are homeless. Several per
sons are missing, but no lives are known
to have been lost. The fire in the Cove
man country has swept all before 1t for
20 miles down the river and across Ka-
lama river. Two men escaped death by
lying in the river for several hours. The
loggers in the J. B. Hills camp were
awakened at midnight and fled for their
lives. leaving everything to burn, and the
camp was destroyed. Many houses have
been burned, and the loss Is very heavy.
| Fires Near Yacolt.
Vancouver. Wash, Sept. 15.-Fred Bur-
lingame has arrived here from Yacolt, 30
miles north, and states that terrific fire
has been raging in that vicinity for the
past two days. The fire. he says. Is now
burning in the big timber district north
and east of Yacolt. While assisting to
fight the flames Burlingame became sur
rounded by fire and had to flee for his
life. He was terribly burned about the
head and face, and upon his arrival here
was taken to a hospital. Twenty fami-
lies have been rendered homeless by the
terrible fire. which burned over a large
| territory In that vicinity on Thursday and
Friday. The fire was driven by strong
wind. which appeared to move with a
circular motion. and consumed every
thing in its path. Buildings and crops of
all kinds and much livestock were de-
neighborhood that a number of families.
unable to make their escape, plunged into
La Camas creek and lay in the water a
greater portion of Thursday night in or
der to save their lives.
The fire has now burned itself out in
that locality and passed on the north and
east. Conditions are believed to be much
worse than yet reported in the burned
districts remote from telephone and tele-
graph communication. and actual results
Will probably not be known for several
days. Millions of feet of valuable timber
have been destroyed. in addition to an
immense amount of farm property.
It Is reported that the hotel buildings
at St. Martin Springs have been burned.
z Portland, Ore. Sept. 15.-Driven
from their homes in the darkness of the
night by raaging forest fire which
swept everything before it from Ariel,
Cowlitz county, Washington, to
Mount st. Helens, a distance Of 25
miles, II people are dead, four are
missing and over 200 people have been
left homeless, and many have not even
clothes enough to cover them.
The dead in Cowlitz county, as far
as known, are:
D. L. Wallace, wifeand,, two children;
Twelve year old son of Mr.. Hanley
John Polly, his brother and child;
! w. E. Newhouse; Mrs. Graves.
| -Four men who were working ON
claim belonging to James Hawthorne
have not been found, and it is thought
thew are dead. Some so or so people
were camped at the lake at the foot OF
Mount st. Helens, and they have not
been heard from since the fire.
It is not known whether they escaped
or not. The first news of the devasta'
ton was brought to the city by Mile
M. Dimmick, who experienced many
difficulties in making the trip out tt
send aid to the sufferers. From his de-
scription, the suffering there is great
and the devastation is the most appall
? ing Of any that has been reported.
r For q stretch of 25 miles, he says
] there are but two houses standing.
! The fine timber from which the peo
d ple expected to realize fortunes has al
: been ruined. The fire came on then
8 in te night, and was entirely unex
pected. Dimmick was asleep, and wa
awakened by the barking of his dog
Z 81 hadscarcely got to the river my
= self. when the flames were upon me
!. and il had had to take time to saw
y anyone else we would not have go
}. away.
While immerced in the river, Dim
mick saw one of the grandest, but mos
n o11;uo, Al i0hta of hia life