The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-08-24

companies of soldiers
and seuding them to help the strug-
Cling, exhausted and smoke.chok-
ed settlers. The men were relieved
ateintervals by fresh battalions, SO
that from 40 to $50 soldiers have
been fighting FIRE practically ever
since last Wed nesday. That much
more damage has not been done is
undoubtedly due almost altogether
to the Efforts OF the officers and sol.
.diers.l .ss
..,Uncle Sans boys are allright,'h
remarked q smoke -begrimmed wood
.ssaan1o The Dregonian pond
snt today. II seen a lot of them
ssifo4s sweatin'. and chokin' and
M st sufocated, and them officers
pulled off their coats and holered,
scome on boys and sailed right
h. too.' -
A drive past the barracks and
out along the country road east
ward about FIVE miles brings one
close to the center of the burned.
district. In field to the left, q va
cant dwelling has been occupied by
four of the unfortunate families,
| who have lost nearly all. Their
ftew household effects saved In the
hustle of escape from the woods a
mile distant are scattered about the
shouse and yard, enough bedding
being mustered to accom- modate the
party by crowding the floor space.
| "Not a life was lost except chick
lens and cats" said Mrs, F. n.
E,Bordman. "They went except our
yellow tom there. He got awfully
singed, poor dear, butts bstter' n he
Hooks, See, he can Just walk pain
fully about on his burned feet. Our
house was all a FIRE when he ran
Through it; then out and through
Ethe blazing mill and into the pond
Ebelow. He get on log in the mid.
Idle Of the pond some how and stay.
ed there through it all. Our cattle
I've could not drive nor lead. We
! had to tie them behind the wagons
land just drag them out. We wo'
men loadedgihe three wagons while
the men were trying to save the
,lmill.. The mill cost US So, geo, and
] timber was worth 81 900 and our
homes contained all else we had il
+ the world. The four families of Vi
got out sewing machine each, ont
1 piano and two organs and a littl
other stuff, but not a bite in th'
way Of provisions.
), 1--WE put a lot of crockery in {
Tub and stood it out in the pond
wen, the fire burned that tub to th
waters edge and melted the crock
cry right down into it. We burie'
. some fruit and stuff in glass jars il
| the ground, but 1t all burst and wa
: lost, too. We stayed until the me
had TO give up the mil and as W
j. drove away the flames actually me
S over the road over our heads.'
0 A mile further on through th
: smoking woods brought the CORES
q pondent to the ruins of the HON,
!, stead Lumber Company's mill, an
t a dozen dwellings and barns, b
a longing 10 the two BoaIdmans, V
l.. L. Hash, J. G. Carson, NJ. Iser, I
j. II. Hugan, Frank Augee, Alliso
/. Petit and Louis Petit.
n Three dwellings Just across tt
a creek were almost mir acuiously sa'
! ed though surrounded for hours b
Y the fiercest fire. These were occl
o pied by the families o. Villa
Staley, Louis Petit ana W. E., ,Sn.
der.
l. 1--WE had dn awfal !ime Of it.
b said Mr.. Petit. .'l'ha bridge w
.e al ablazs aud the other familie
l. seeing that we couid't get out. we
sure for time that we all had bet
"a destroyed. You can sse how clet
h the fire took everything up to wit
as in a foot Of my barn there. It g
le in through the windows and burn
q. the bedding There's the remna
f. of one straw mattress that I thrt
g. out blazing. It seemed
O. though I drew and carried fro
er that well thousand pals of W
ter that day, but we stayed with
or "TheTe were II houses in this
" tie place about the mill and
ce called the place Hobson, E.
to Hugan was the oldest inhabital
in he has been here % years; he Il
h. everything-orchard, house a
NJ outbuildings-valued at about S
be 900.
to "The soldier boys saved Bill Sr
der's place up there after four hot
r. of the most desperate fghtir
en- These fellows are all light'I,
ey you. A. j. Petit, who was wol
;esl ing at the Portland sanitarium
g, nurse, lost all he had except a shs
eff. ing outfit. lost three small bui
lc- ings, one of which was used a
church. Four hundred dollars v
he cover nv losa- No ene waa %