Semi-weekly herald., 1908-08-06
LATEST
OF FIRE
Loss of Life andProp.
erty in the North
west Appalling

WINNIPEG. Man. Aug. 3.-As a re
suit OF bush fires the town of Fernia
b. c., is wiped off the map as clean
as child's slate; Michel, fourteen
miles distant is In flames, and the
Fate Of Hosmer, Olsen and Sparwood
Intervening towns, is In doubt, they
being cut off from all communication.
Two hundreds lives are known to
have been lost, seventy-four of them
In Fernia- Ten million dollars is the
estimate loss in the burned district,
and territory Of 100 square miles in
extent is seething mass Of flames.
Through 1t are scattered hundreds
of lumbermen and prospectors, SO that
the actual loss of life may not be
known for days. The property of the
Canadian Pacific and Great Northern
railways is destroyed. bridges and
rolling stock burned, SO as to make 1t
impossible to enter or leave the burn.
ing area.
VANCOUVER, Aug. IA report
from 5ranbrook. the first station west
of Fl mia. says sixty-one men and
women were burned to death In No.
logging camp of the Elk Lumber
company. The camp was surrounded
by nre and not single person es-
capped. Hundreds of refugees are be-
Ing. sent through from Fernia to Gran.
brook tonight.
WINNIPEG. Aug. "A special re-
ceived here from Nelson, B. c., places
the number of dead around Fernia
alone at 10 to 100. The death list
may be double this number.
OTTAWA, Ont. Aug. 3.-Sir VIII.
frid Laurier has received the follow.
ing telegram from Cranbrook, B. c.:
Disastrous fire in the Kootenay val.
ley. Fernie. Hosmer, Crows Nest and
other places almost completely burn.
ed. Not less than 5000 people home
less. The Canadian Pacific railway
is carrying them to Elko and Gran
brook. Every effort is being made
locally but the people are utterly with
out food or shelter. The fire covers
seventy miles. Seventy lives lost. I'm
mediate relief required. Telegraph in.
strNtions at once. (Signed) Thomas
hH5erts, Liberal association, ]. H.
King. N. p" | p"
The premier is consulting with his
colleagues this morning to see what
action can be taken by the federal
government.
WINNIPEG. Aug. SO a. m)-
Repf " morning show that the
fre ~ .ssas~g under control The
list AGd not greatly over one
hundred and hfty. Loss over millions.
WINNIPEG. Aug. s.-The fire is
still raging. although believed the
worst of damage has been done. When
ever railroads are not already destroy
ed trains are dashing through smoke
and flames. carrying loads of home
less survivors to places Of safety
Hundreds have camped in the open
prairie land. whore they sought com
parative safety from the flames when
driven from their homes. 4-
Tho most dreadful conflagration in
the history of Canada held full and
terrible sway since o'clock Satur.
day afternoon. The latest estimates
Of dead In the Elk river district Is
100 persons. The property loss is
Ave million in Fernie and 5000
persons Of that city's inhabitants are
homeless
WINNIPEG. Aug. 3.-(Afternoon)- y
Conservative estimates now place the
,tead at ITO. There are wild stories
current of three or four hundred Hives
lost, but these are not authentic. The
disaster, however, is overwhelming
and but for the fact OF It being sum
mertime the aftermath among the
homeless thousands would be terrible.
VANCOUVER, Aug. 4.-This morn
ing's news from the burned district
is no more reassuring. The dead now
number three hundred and may sx
ceed that. The property loss is ten
million and 5000 homeless. Yesterday
the the wind was driving the fire on
Michel which may burn. Spokane sent
the first relief car Winnipeg and
Vancouver also have rushed aid to-
day. Race riots are feared and the
refugees are arming. Eighty loggers
are knoS. 4 to have perished in the
lumber camps. Searching parties this
morning brought In dozen bodies.