Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1902-08-08
FORESTS DESTROYED
s,o TRACTS OF TIMBER ON FIRE.
Flames Seen at Night From Denver
Large Fires in Many Parts Of Colo.
ssds and Wyoming - Mirage
stsrties the People Of leadviiis.


Denver. Aug. "A rirc which threat
ems to destroy the forests In the vicih'
Ity OF Estes Park has been burning
for the past forty-e'ght hours, and the
smoke from the blazing timber can be
plainly seen from Denver. The OH
cials OF the stat. Land Board hnve
been appealed TO for assistance la com
batting III. fire. and will exert them
selves To the utmost to check Its prog
ress. Other fires mr.. reported from
various parts OF the state and Wyo'
ming. Tn. prolonged dry period has
made the underground like tindcr. nnd
even the hardest trees arc easily
ignItcd. Under the conditions only u
few careless campers ARE needed 10
start confiasratlons which Will do In
calcuInbi. damage and stiii further de
nude Coiorado's rapidly decreasing
watersheds.
The main iirc In Estes Park started
In u grand forest VI about fO.pD acres.
II Is assisted by u strong wind. and Is
sweeping everything bcfor. II. II IL
known that several cnmpin. parties
We're In the forest. but II IN believed
that nIl have been accounted FOR. a
heavy rain will L. required To extin'
g,ilsh the confiagraiion.
A ilrc hns broken out ON Crocicr
mountain. about twelve miles north
east Of Estes Park. and another IN
raynging the tall timber OF Horseshoe
park. People In the vicinity nrc cx'
crting themselves To stay the progress
OF the flames. and they hope to extin'
guish the Horseshoe Park blaze.
George phcifcr. mayor OF Aliens
Park, n little town near Estes Park.
has written the land board telling of
the damage wrought by the iircs. Act
Ing Register ltc,imnn has ordered Ap
prnIscr Jennings from L.advilie % the
park, with Instructions To do every
Thing possible TO stop the flames. Ap
| pruIscr Wells lns been sent to Conl
creek. whcrc another IRE IN raging
| Yesterday the watchers In the capitol
could plainly sec the flames creeping
up three sides Of one OF the frou'
peaks.
Adyiccs from Golden state that th'
| forests along the foothills arr extreme
| ly dry. ON Thursday night fire broI'
| out In the stretch OF timber between
| Coal and Raiston creeks. and attempts
to check II have proven futile, Win
out rain vast area OF wcii.tmbcre'
land will bc dcnudcd.
| Up In Wyoming. on the hcndwaicr
| OF the Popo Agile, n big flrc Is burning
| and the Lander valley II covered bi
smoke 20 dense that II obscurcs I'M
I sun. giving the appearance OF nj
cclins,. A large amount OF timber hai
bccn DESTROYED, but no attempt hai
| ,,,u.J., ~. ..hs.E The flames.
| A Lcadviiie dispatch OF last piSh
says: :,
A mirage OF fire was the magnifi
| cent and startling spectacle that citi
zcns Of Lcndvillc were presented TO
\ night. Extending far above the noun
tain and fully u quarter OF n mil'
wide, east OF the city and dircctI!
north Of the Mosquito range. was
solid sheet of flame that attracted TN
| citizens from their homes and sent TN
entire fire department OF the city u
stand guard over the eastern portion
OF the town. The spectacle lasted 70
fully twenty minutes and for that time
| Il was thought by people on the ives
side that the entire eastern part OF the
ely was In flames. Hundreds OF peo
pie started up the east side streets Du
the faster they ran toward the fire tn
farther away 1t got
Investigation proved that the illumi
nation was caused by the reflection
against the sky Of the flames from TN
forest fire that was raging twelv'
miles from Lcadville. The fire Is tn
other side OF Prospect mountain ant
has been burning for several days. Ih'
high wind OF tonight made 1t ham'
| high into the heavens. 1t Is not though
| that there nre any people In the traci
| of the flames.