The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-08-24
HOT FOREST FIRES
OFFICERS PULLTHEIR1COATS
Z AND LEAD THE PRIVATES.
Thirty. Five People Burned Out Of
Home and Lost Everything
Frank Cubit, Arson Sus-
pect, Is Arrested and
s} Gives Bail.


Gives Bail.
Vancouver, Wash, 19.-Twen-i
ty.three small children; 12 adults,
and a badly singed cat (which is
n uch better. than it looks are
homeless on Fourth Plain, near
Vancouver, Wash.-burned out by
the fierce forest fire of the past
week. Few of the unfortunate peo-
pie hadn't much in the way ofworld-
ly goods, but, as one remarked to-
day: "a @ i;-z-.-.s...
sit seems good deal when it's
all you've got, and you lose it."
il The end is not yet as the fire is
now threatening the hamlet Of Or
chard, about seven miles east of
vancouver. tr .s
Frank Cubit, who is charged with
having maliciously started the fire
last Wednesday, was arrested at
the Vancouver. ferry clip by City
Marshal Frank Vannati, Thursday
evening. He was released on $500
bond today to appear for exam:na-
ton in the justice court at 10 q. no.
| tomorrow. Feeling against him is
strong, though the evidence appears
to be. circumstantial. ;'3:1) +
r., Cubit, who lives at Woodlawn,
has long been engaged in hauling
! wood. from Vancouver and selling
/ it in Portland. His strongest com
| pettier is said to have been the Var
/ Couver Fuel Company. who cut
their wood and haul it from the
j same timber tract on Fourth Plain
: where Cubit has been cutting ant
where the fire originated. al
1t is asserted that Cubit''s rivals
have been cutting prices lately
Y Furthermore, that Cnbit was in
volved in a law suit whereby b
y feared his own cord wood might b,
I attached; also that his wood wa
y insured. These considerations arr
I. thought to have furnished the mo
\ tive for incendiarism.
& The Vancouver authorities sa,
a that Cubit, accompanied by hi
4 young son. drove to the tract in
Il cart by a circuitous route Wednes
4 day; that the cart and horse left
q plain trail along the byway to
y point near where the first blaz
y sta, ted; that be left the cart an
y walked into the Bluerock slashin
r near where the fuel company ha
= p about 450 cords of wood, symme'
X rically piled; that just as he wa
Ii coming back he was met by ma
n who vii appear as a witness t.
ii moBrow.; that the man stopped hil
n and "Cuhit appeared very nervou
% locking over his shoulder from tin
~ to time IL the. direction whence
" few unomeuts later the FIRE appeare
y Cublt.is alleged to have next pr
z! cesCei 20 his own wood and fired
- TIE blaze WAS we'll under way W be
!, be was met bf Clarence Baldwin,
u woodcnttar of tie vicinity. Bal
\ win says tb&t he urged Cubit to Il
Y to put CUT the fire and offered
y hslp, but tia. C.uoit replied:
\ "u's no use, let it GO"
\ But for the rather strong mort
\ terly and northeasteriy winds whis
< have prevailed all week, the bla
y would doubtless have been contro
y ed long before this.
y The burned district covers an ar
\ approximately five miles long, nor
\ and south) by three wide. 1t W
( bnrning fercely last night at t
Z western side of the strip, near Mi
y nehaha, bat through the beroic
D forts of the Vancouver barracks re
y iulars, aided by favorable wind I
VI day, the flames are fairly rnc
" control on that side.
Y Now anxiety is ielt chiefly
" Orchard, in which vicinity are |
W ing. about 100 people. The postoff
W and houses close by will be sure
M go if the blaze gets rampant
M Paddock's slashing. These "slas
" Y, ings," being full of dry, dead ii
w Der and brush, are invariably {
. worst places the fighters have
NN deal with.
lN Colonel Huston last night ord
wi M cred battalion of about 125 n
III to the vicinity of Orchard. Tt
are armed with gunny sacks, a:
= and other weapons for fre.fghtil
and will remain all night In the
~ fort to prevent the further destr
IL, ton of homes.
Enthusiastic praise is giving
, & soldiers and officers from the b
the racks by the settlers of Fou
GkGe Qlaixa HNla Aa>l-.