Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-06-28
SOUND TIMBER DESTROYED
MILLIONS GONE UP IN SMOKE.
Along the Line of the Northern Pa
cifc, Covering 63 Square Miles
Town of Lester Threatened-Ta-
coma Firemen in Readiness-Many
Mills and Camps Destroyed.

Tacoma, Wash, June 23.-Standing
timber of commercial value to the
amount of 550,000,000 feet has been
burned in the districts along the line
of the Northern Pacific. This timber
comprised a splendid forest of fir,
clean of limb for 100 feet, and all read
lily accessible because it grew within
a few miles of the railroad Two days
ago these giants of the Washington
woods reared themselves in an almost
unbroken mass, covering SO square
miles of territory; today all that re-
mains of them are smouldering, black,
ened trunks, so huge that they still
defy the rapacity of the flames, The
value of the timber destroyed is placed
at $1,100,000
Lester a Threatened Point.
A special from Hot Springs, Wash,
says:
Lester is now the threatened point.
The forests on each side of the vii
lage are in flames and an increase in
the velocity of the wind would likely
doom the town. So menacing was
the situation during most of the day
that the relief train kept steam up
and was held in readiness until 800
o'clock to GO to Lester at a moments
notice with the Tacoma fire engine
At that time the danger was thought
OF have passed and the train returned
to Tacoma.
At late hour the forests above
here are burning fiercely, the flames
being driven into belt of timber not
hitherto touched. The course of the
fire belt is almost directly due east
this direction diverting it from the
line of the railroad. Inc valley for
miles is brilliantly Illuminated by the
blazing trees, but the most combusti
bic material near by has been con-
sumed and the fire is slowly receding
on both sides of the river. It's nor
thern boundary is now about two
miles back from the stream.
Ii the wind remains in it's present
quarter twenty-four hours longer the
fire, will pass the summit of the Cas-
cades. 1t is only 13 miles from here
to Stampede tunnel, with inviting bod
les OF heavy timber al the way and
with an upward slope that favors the
progress of the flames. 1t is not
thought the fire will reach the tun-
mel, however, as it's present course
will carry it to the divide few miles
north of that point
Down at Kanaskat, % miles below
here, tract of several square miles
is in names. At Covington, eight
miles east of Auburn, there is a fierce
fire covering two square miles and
rapidly spreading.
Special dispatches report the fol-
lowing lumber mills and camps
burned.
Mountain mill, Enumclaw, King
county
Hansen Bros Mill, Enumclaw,
King county.
Morgan's lumber camp, haywood,
Pierce county.
Railroads and outbuildings of Kan
askat.
Gould & Blacks logging camp, Sui.
tan, Snohomish county.
Lyman lumber camp, Hamilton, Ska
git county.
Brehm logging camp, near Snoqual-
ME, King county.
These and many other camps have
been burned during the progress OF
three separate forest fires, two of
which started from locomotive sparks
and one from blaze in the Mountain
mill.
At Fairhaven, the Homan Single
mill caught fire and burned last night
and at Ferndale, near that point, Da-
Wis & Sons dry kiln, with 1900 900
shingles, was burned.