The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-09-18
FORESTS ON FIRE
WESTERN WASHINGTON AND Or
ECON AFLAME.
,,,mepse Loss of Property Is Ger
tain, and It Is Feared There May
Re Considerable Loss of Life.
Darkness Covers Entire Western
Portion of Two States.

Seattle, sept. lo.-hepOrts received
from various sections of Western Wash
;ncton and Oregon are to the effect that
The forest fires now raging in those Sec
t;ons are the most destructive to life
and property yet recorded. While the
fires ere general, the centers of destruc-
tion seem to be in Mason, Chehalis and
clark counties. Full reports from
these are impossible to obtain, as tele-
granhic communication was entirely
ebut off at an early hour last evening.
In Mason county logging camps have
been abandoned and the people forced
10 fee for their lives in territory EN-
bracing thirty miles. Many barely es-
caped, with the aid of rescuers, and it
is feared that fatalities have occurred.
The loss to timber and houses it is now
impossible to estimate, though it will
be very great.
In Chehalis county the village of
Ravville has been wiped out, with
three mills, as reported on Friday.
The town of Elma was reported to be
on fire, and the flames were then adj
vancing swiftly toward Montesano.
Communication with that city has been
impossible, as also with other Gray's
Harbor cities. brief dispatch from
Hoouiam in the afternoon indicated the
seriousness of the situation in that To-
cality.
In Clark county numerous farm
houses have been destroyed, and the
loss of four lives is reported, two
women and two children. The loss to
standing timber will be severe, but how
great cannot now be said.
In King county the town of Enum-
claw was at one time in great peril, but
the exertions of the citizens finally
saved it.
The fires have been general west of
the Cascades in this state, but except
in the instances above noted, there has
been no fatality, SO far as is now
known. In Oregon, the situation
around Portland and in Clackamas
county is very serious.
Lights are burning in daytime
throughout almost the entire western
portion of the two states. the dense
smoke making it almost as dark az
night.
Portland, Sept. 12.-Smoke from
fires in the Cascade and Coast ranges
has become so thick along the william
cite and Columbia rivers as to make
navigation perilous. In the forenoon
the smoke and fog together made it
impossible to see clearly more than a
hundred yards, and steamers are COM
PEELED to run by the compass. The fires
came so near this city that layer of
ashes and cinders an eighth of an inch
thick was spread over the entire city.
The fires are raging in all directions,
destroying many millions OF feet OF fine
timber. Although the United States
government has taken great precautions
to guard against forest fires, it is be-
lieved that not for twenty years has SO
much timber been destroyed in one sea-
son. In many cases barns and houses
in isolated localities have been de-
stroyed. There has been no rain for
nearly two months, and all vegetation
has become so dry that rain storm Is
the only thing that will stop the fires.
1t is impossible to estimate the loss,
but already many hundreds of thous-
ands of dollars worth of timber has
been consumed
Portland, Sept. 13.-The result or
the forest fires which are raging in this
vicinity may be summed up substan-
TALLY as follows up to the present time
The weather bureau gives no promise
of rain within the next twenty-iour
hours.
Tillamook City has been saved from
impending doom by timely change
of wind.
The forests of Douglas and jackson
counties are on fire, but the damage is
as yet small.
Superintendent Ormsby of the Cas-
cade forest reserve says that no fire has
yet entered the reserve.
Sixty people in the town of Spring
water, Clackamas county, were forced
to flee for their lives and rendered
homeless, and fine timber belt des-
troyed.
Bridges were attacked and residences
threatened in South Portland.
The saw mill of the Bridal Veil Lum-
Dering company and the whole town OF
ralmer, situated two miles east OF Bril-
dai Veil, have been destroyed.
The damage in eastern Multnomah
county amounts to $42, 800 and every
family has been fighting fire since Mon
day.
Three dwellings and the county
bridge are gone in Pleasant Valley.
20 OrOtaot tho fouvt, Of q raahanI men