Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-04
Dropped Dead From Fright.

n,on1snt then swayed and fell dead O
heart failure. Neighbors paused In ths
preparation for flight long enough 10 dit
SHALLOW trench in the garden lot her
body.
In another case a. aged woman. Mrs
Giuseppe. who had been Ill for some time
was deserted and left to her fate. party
was trying to take her out. but the names
cut across the street ahead OF them
Thinking that they could not get away
with their burden. they wrapped the ole
woman In wet blankets and LEFT her IN
the shelter of large boulder, Where she
undoubtedly persisted.
Amid the smoking embers of their homes
and offices, with the great fire sun roar
Ing in the distance. the men OF Fernie are
clearing away the ruins. pitching tents
checking up the missing and have COM
menced to build a new and better town
In the meantime the great wave or nre
is still rolling eastward through the lot
est. following the line OF the Canadlar
is but a mile wide. in others three miles
Nothing can stop it, apparently. till rain
falls. and that may be days or weeks
Michel. twenty miles from Fernie SUI
a good chance of escaping. Fifteen box
cars loaded with women and children,
have been taken from Michel to Coleman
Blairmere and other points. The men nave
stayed to fight for their homes.
The town of Hosmer between Fernie
and Michel. was in great danger yester-
day. some dwellings having been burned,
but the main part of the town was saved.
Fleeing for Life.
FERNIE, B. c., August 4.-No person
who has not seen it can imagine the awful
devastation which in the short space OF
two hours transformed what was busy
center of industry into a desolate waste
and left 5000 people homeless.
The scene during the progress of the hre
is described as appalling, men. women and
children fleeing for their lives. leaving
everything iey possessed 70 the mercy
of the devouring element.
From Michel, where the fire scene De-
gins. on the east for twenty miles west. Is
yet sea of fire with miles and miles OF
blazing mountain sides.
Michel is yet safe, but the whole valley
of the river is on fire. If the wind starts
up the town is doomed. All the women
and children have been sent to Blairmere,
Frank and Coleman for safety.
All mines are smut down and the men
are fighting the fires in relays, blowing
back firing, clearing underbrush or soak
ing the roofs of houses with water, OF
which. fortunately. there is good supply
Fire ALI Around Hosmer.
Only about dozen houses have been
burned in Hosmer SO far. but the fire
is all around it.
Many from Fernie have taken refuge in
the new coke ovens built by the Canadian
Pacific. where they are safe. even II the
town does burn. They are cared for and
fed as we'll conditions permit.
At Fernie. however. the greatest scene
of desolation exists. BY actual count
only twenty-five houses are left standing.
Not a business house remains except the
Western Canada Company's wholesale
warehouse. and the Office of the Crow s
Nest Pass Coal Company, which stood In
hn nf "A
large number of people took refuge from
the death that ragged around them.
The whole city Of Fernie. West Fernie,
the annex. the old town, French tows ana
all the lumber mills in and around Fer
ME are wiped out with the exception OF
the buildings named
Acts Of Heroism.
SPOKANE. Wash. August MANY
acts of heroism are reported during the
two and a half hours when Fernie was
like a seething furnace.
W. T. Healy of West Fernie, while
crossing the traffic bridge over the Elk
river. came upon a little girl lying face
downward In the dust. Picking her up
he discovered she was alive. Putting her
on his back, he retraced his steps and in
some way reached the brick plant at the
south end of West Fernie.
Charles Erickson of West Fernie. car
penter. found a young girl who had just
risen from sick bed. sitting IN a door
of a cabin holding baby In her arms
The girl did not know what had become
of her parents and the fire was. fast COM
ing on the cabin.
Erickson seized the girl clothed only in
nightgown. under one arm and the baby
under the other and carried them TO the
Great Northern tracks below the fire.
Two other little girls who had lost their
parents were found by Erickson and car
ried to safety. After that he returned
and found two old women In cabin.
One woman refused to leave the mouse.
Erickson was compelled to take her out
by force to save her life.
An old woman, ninety years of age, was
carried by John Volume on his back from
the Fort Steele brewery. below town, to
the Crows Nest Coal Companys ONCE.
over a mile away. The old woman plead
ed to be left to the mercy of the flames.
telling her rescuer to devote his time to
saving more useful people
Twenty Bodies Found.
WINNIPEG. Manitoba. August A.
Search in the ruins at Fernie yesterday
resulted in finding twenty bodies.
They are Engineer Anderson of the Hos
mer mines. eight unidentified bodies, Ford
family. father. mother, two children; Lena
Bell. negress; two unidentified women
in her house. two unidentified lumber
jacks, Mrs. T Warner and an unidentified
child.
This morning the towns of Hosmer and
Michel are safe.
Cash donations for relief, amounting to
So. 900. have been received. The railway
lines into Fernie have been repaired and
relief trains are being rushed in.
Fires are still raging in the bush. but
in the opposite direction from the centers
OF population. If the fires do not shift the
towns are safe.
Men from the lumber camps continue
to arrive at places OF safety and from
their reports the loss of life has been not
more than 80.
The police will investigate the report
that friends of five alleged Blank Hand
suspects lodged in the Fernie Jail started
the fires In the bush.
CRANBROOk. B. c.. August 4.-The
corha grafton which has been sweeping
Elk River valley since last Saturday aft
ernoon already has caused property
loss aggregating $7.5OOWO, according to
careful estimates. The total insurance on
the destroyed property will not exceed
81, 500 900.
Bush Fire in Washington.
ABERDEEN. Wash. August "A care
less traveller who threw a lighted match
into the underbrush started forest fire
twelve miles from Hoquaim on the Hump
Tulips Hoquaim road. yesterday that.
quickly getting beyond control has al
sta