The Washington times., 1908-08-03
FLAMES KILL 500
IN CANADA FOREST
(conlInued from - Page.l

the burning area keeps falling through
the pail Of smoke, they being sur
rounded.
For a time communication with the
towns to the east was kept open. but
with the burning Of the bridges across
the Elk river this was closed.
The ire spread with great rapidity,
and II is feared that several parties who
tried to get through the pass have been
cut Off One hundred cars Of coke the
property Of the Great Northern, are
gone, and the stock piles Of coal and
coke. holding about half a million tons,
are in flames.
The fire IS following the crest Of the
mountain chain above Sparwood at
present, eating down into the valleys
on either side. It Is travelling at a ire
mendOus rate. and unless there is a
change of wind viii cross the boundary
into Montana within the next twelve
hours.
No Use to Fight.
Fire fighting apparatus is of no avail,
for the air is filed with fragments of
burning wood and bark. The heat is
intense and many OF the fire fighters
have gone down before it. Four bodies
Of men who lost their lives trying to
save the Great Northern bridge across
Elk river We're found
Fire is not the only danger the people
Of the burning area have 20 face.
Hunger has been added to the terror.
When the people left their homes for
the protection camps, little or no pro-
visions We're taken, and now there are
| many thousands on the prairies with
! nothing to cat
The mayor Of Fernie has sent out
call for assistance which is being read
ily responded to. A .arge number Of
/ homeless have been cent on TO Gran
brook and viii be distributed among the
towns in the vicinity.
Mr.. and Mrs. Forester and twenty
| FIVE men have arrived at Campbell s
siding. having been forced to give UP
their tight 10 save tie Spar wood mill
| Five members of the original party sue
cu'nbed and the others escaped only Oy
| the greatest difficulty. They Travelled
an night by the light OF the burning
bushes, making their way In places
along the bed OF the creek. where the
water. protected them in part from the
terrible heat
w Carswen, assistant superintendent
| Of the Great Northern, has arrived in
CTanbToOk from Fernfe. having made
his way out at great risk. Part OF the
| trip was made on a haHdcaT, and the
rest on foot Every stick timber along
the railway line is gone ant not living
thing Is left.
Second to San Franci.co.
The conhagration is the most disas-
trous OF the kind which ever visited
the Canadian Northwest. and is ranked
among recent holocausts as second only
TO the San Francisco disaster.
The territory visited runs from the
Nest Pass, on the east, and from the
4 international boundary to n point some
miles north of Fort Steele.
The forest fires which have been rag
Z #HH I'm b IL H. "a
started their march OF destruction Sat-
urday morning, when a gale blew up
/ from the West. driving the names ra-
pidly eastward
Late in the afternoon, the FIRE swept
over the mountains and down on Fer
ME So suddenly did the flames sweep
down that the town was enVelOped be
fore a IRE guard could be organized.
In less than an hour nearly every build
ing In the village was in flames. and
| the inhabitants. leaving all behind them,
were fleeing 10 the mountains.
a prairie IN valley three miles from
the town was the haven Of the refugees.
and there hundreds Camped and watch
/ ed the fire deVOur their homes. Com
muniCctiOn with the West was main
| tanned until almost midnight Saturday.
when the bridges across Elk river were
From Fernie the IRE spread with IN
pTecedented rapidity. and the towns OF
/ Hosmer. Coal Creek. Olson, SparwOcd,
/ ana A4Clel were quickly elftiopeu.
Montana Fears Fire.
Reports received here early today in
/ dicated that the flames were travelling
with great rapidity along the crest Of
/ the mountains near SpaTwood, and were
/ expected 10 sweep across the interna-
/ tional line into Montana in a few hours.
Scores Of mining settlements are direct
/ IS in he path OF the flames, and fur
/ Their holocaust is feared, unless these
places are warned at once. In Fernie
/ the only buildings left standing are
six small structures on Elk river the
/ Offices of the Crows Nest Coal Com
pany. and the Fixes wood warehouse
Every stick Of property owned by the
/ Great Northern Railway Company is
gone, and the huge stocks Of coal.
about q half million tons in all. are in
/ flames This mornings reports were
| that the flames had penetrated the coal
mines in the vicinity. If this be true
/ the loss may be incalculable.