The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-05
Great Suffering Exists Among the Thousands of People
 Made Homeless
LOSS OF LIFE NOT 50
 LARGE AS REPORTED
So Far Lees Than 50 Dead Are Ac. counted fer in the British Columbia Disaster, But Many Other
 Lives May Be Lost.

Vancouver, B. C., August 4.--The ter- ribly destructive forest fires which have swept through the Crows Nest district of the Elk river valley. in British Colum- bia, since last Saturday, devastating a vast stretch of territory. destroying many lives and millions of dollars of property. w1ping out entire towns and rendering thousands of persons homeless are still raging, but are now sweeping a wild and sparsely settled country, and 1t is be- leived the worst is over. The flames are eating their way through the vast for ests on the mountain sides, and it is thought they will soon burn themselves out for lack of something to destroy.
 It is impossible at this time to arrive at summary of the situation as regards loss Of life and property with even ap- prcximate correctness. So widespread mas been the destruction and so scat tered are the people who lived in the burned area of more than 50 miles in length and three miles in width that any estimate of the number who met death in the flames is nothing more than guess Wofk- stories of missing settlers are coming from Fernie, Cranbrook Michel He smer and other places, but many of these bsve turned up at some point far from their original habltation and it is rot believed the death list will exceed 50.
 Losses Very Heavy.
 The property loss has been very great. but this too, is difficult to estimate cor iectly. A conservative valuation would probably place the amount at between s5oOOooo and s7,00o,00O. Several thousand people have been rendered homeless prin- cipally residents of Fernie, which, accord ing to all accounts, is almost completely wiped out, scarcely more than score of buildings being left where once a pros- 1 porous town of 5000 inhabitants stood There has been suffering among the homeless, owing to lack of food and shelter, but this has been alleviated or partly relieved by the prompt action of the people of every city in British Colum- bia, as well as many of those in border states in sending both money and sup piles to the burned districts. This aid has been most generous, and the tempor- arily destitute people will be adequately and promptly provided for. Means of communication with the burned section has been most difficult. Telegraph and tel ephone wires were destroyed for miles in places. and this fact, taken together with the contradictory reports from the various towns, and led to great confusion and probably much exaggeraton as to the loss of life. A summary of the results of the fire has been prepared here which is believed to be a conservative estimate as to loss of life and property destroyed. It is as follows:
 List of Towns.
 Town of Fernie, about 5000 inhabitants: practically wiped out; loss 95 lives and s4.OO0,0oO to s5,00O,0O0 in property. Insur- ance about 50 per cent.
 Town of Hosmer, about 800 inhabitants; partially burned, with loss of one life and S250O00 in property. Three hundred persons homeless.
 Town of Michel believed not seriously burned, but four persons reported killed and property destroyed in vicinity esti- mated at s1.0oO,00O Details unobtainable, owing to lack of communication.
 Town of Sparwood. sawmill village two killed and large mills destroyed. Dam- age estimated at $2500OO. Damage to standing timber throughout the burned area estimated at from $1,O00, 900 to s2000,- 00O
 Many pathetic stories of flight. and in many instances the death of unfortunate settlers who were caught in the swirl of flames, as it swept through the great for ests of pine and fir. are coming in from the various points with which commun- cation has been re-estabished. It has ncC been determined how the fire started,
 
 but once it had gained headway, 1t swept everything before it.
 Relief Work.
 Superintendent Hussey of the provincial police has been sent by the government of British Columbia to the fire-swept re- zion, and he is now in charge of the re- lief work in East Kootenay. acting with the local authorities. The Dominion au- thorites offered to send detachment of northwest mounted police into the devas- tated region to preserve order, but thus far the provincial authorities have had the situation well in hand. The large number of foreigners employed in the mines in that district have given no trouble, and no footing has taken place, as the fire left little of value to loot.
 A telegram from Mayor Fink of Cran- brook says 2000 Fernie refugees are there and that he has no definite information as to who how many perished.