New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-16
MANY DIE IN FOREST FIRES
HUNDREDS LEFT HOMELESS BY FLAMES
ON PACIFIC COAST.
RELIEF PARTIES HELD BACK BY BLOCK
AIDED ROADs-SMOKE IN PORTLAND
STOPS NAVIGATION.

Portland. Ore. Sept. 15-Driyen from their
homes in the darkness of the night by raging
forest fire, which swept everything before 1t
from Ariel Cowlitz County Wash to the foot
of Mount st. Helens, a distance of twenty-five
miles, eleven persons are dead four are missing
and more than two hundred have been left home
less. many with not even clothes enough to cover
their nakedness. Fifty or sixty persons who
were camped at the lake at the foot of Mount
ST. Helens have not been heard from since the
fire.
The first news of the devasta ton was brought
to this city by Milo NJ. Dimmick who expert
enced many difficulties in making the trip to
send aid to the sufferers. He reached here last
night. From his description the suffering there
is great and the devastation is the most appall-
ing of any that has been reported. In stretch
of twenty-five miles. he says, there are only two
houses standing. The fire came to them entirely
Unexpectedly.
Il scarcely had time to get to the river my
self said Dimmick when the flames
upon me, and if I had undertaken to save any
one else would not have escaped"
While immersed in the river Dimmick saw
of the grandest but most appalling sights
of his life.
Great balls of fire would roll up" said he,
and then burst with a mighty roar. I have
never heard a noise to compare with it,
AS soon as the fire passed over him he rushed
to a neighbours house and found that the family
had been driven from home and had escaped
death. When morning he set out for relief.
He found that the bridges all burned and
the roads we're obstructed by trees which had
fallen them, that his progress was
very slow.
DENSE SMOKE IN PORTLAND.
Smoke from the forest fires was thicker in
Portland this morning than at any time this
year. Between midnight and daylight it was
impossible to see fifty feet away and the arc
lights could hardly be In the harbor the
steamboats, did not dare to stir, the smoke was
dense. In Multnomah and Clackamas coun-
ties the fires have practically burned out and
the settlers returning to their homes. Along
both sides of the Columbia River fires are still
burning, though the worst is over In Oregon
as far as reported only two lives have been
lost. a special from Elma. Wash, says fully
one hundred families have been burned out in
that vicinity. The total loss is estimated at
S2000O0 Contributions of money, food and
clothing sent to-day to those made desti-
ture in Mutnomah and Clackamas counties.
The supplies will reach the burned districts to-
day, so that it is unlikely there will be any
actual suffering for want of food or clothing
Seattle, Sept 10. - A special from Kali
anna, Where great loss OF HE from forest hreS
was reported Saturday and yesterday says:
News from the fire on Lewis River yesterday
confirms the report of Saturday night and adds
to the losses. The fallen timber has blocked
the only road leading up the river that the
work of the rescuers is slow. a party of ten
persons with a team was known to be camping
in the timber. The charred remains of the
horses and the wagon were found. but no trace
of the people can be discovered"
A great number of people were in the timber
in and around Trout Lake fishing and hunting.
but no authentic reports have been received
from them, and it is feared that there has been
much loss of life there