Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-08-06
TOWNS FIRE SWEPT
pLAZE m BRITISH COLUMBIA
LEAVES MANY THOUSAND
HoMElEss.
100 LIVES KNOWN TO Be LOST
u Is Feared the Death Liss VIII ne
the Greatest on the Continent
Since the San Francisco
Disaster.

Winnipeg. Man.-As result Of
bush fires. the town OF Fernie. H. c.
Is wiped OF the map AZ child cleans
a slate: Michel. IA miles distant. IL
in flames. aud the fatae OF Hosmer. OF.
sen and Sparwood. intervening towns,
is in doubt. they being cut OF from
all communication.
over 100 lives are known 10 have
been lost "a OF them in Fernie. A
territory OF 100 square miles in eS.
tent Is a seething mass Of flames.
Through Il are scattered hundreds Of
lumbermen and prospectors. so that
the actual loss Of life will no, be
known for days. The properties OF
the Canadian Pacific and Great North.
ern railways are destroyed. the
bridges and rolling stock burned. so
that II is impossible TO enter or leave
the burning area. The inhabitants Of
the towns have fed to open districts
in the vicinity In the hope OF safety.
The railway companies have placed
all available trains al their disposal
and. unless there II n change OF wind
within the next "a hours. the whole
Of the Crows Nest Pass country win
be left TO the flames There ls no
possibility of estimating the loss Of
life and property which will result
for the flames are driven by a half.
gale. making II impossible 10 put up
fight against their advance.
The confiagration is the greatest
which has ever visited Canada and
ranks only with the San Francisco
disaster.
Ragged for a Month.
For the past month forest fires have
been raging in the mountains Of the
Elk river valley country, but they
have not been considered serious. Sat.
urday morning a heavy wind sprang
up from the west and early in the
afternoon the flames appeared over
the crest Of the mountains to the west
OF Fernie. They ran down the noun
tain side and before fire guard could
be organized had entered the town.
Within an hour the town was doomed
and the inhabitants sought safety in
flight. leaving their all behind them.
All night and Sunday morning the
exodus continued, the destination be-
ing small prairie in the valley three
miles south OF the -own.
Al present 1900 people are camped
there in the open, their only protec-
ton being shelters built OF brush or
blankets. while q constant shower OF
sparks from the burning area kept
falling through the pail OF smoke by
which they are surrounded. For a
time communication with towns to the
east was kept open, but with the
burning Of the bridges across the
Elk river this way closed. Scattered
through the valley are many small
prairies and all OF these have their
groups of refugees.
The hills in all directions are a
seething mass OF flames, cutting OF
every avenue OF escape. The fire
spread with unprecedented rapidity
and II lie feared that several parties
who tried to get through the pass
have been cut on. Families have
been separated and there Is at pres
ent no means Of checking up the fatal.
tiles.
In Fernie the only buildings re-
naming are six small shacks on the
banks OF the Elk river, the offices OF
the Crows Nest Coal Co and the
Fixes WOODWARD house. The Offices
of the Canadian Pacific railroad and
the Great Northern are gone, togeth-
er with all OF the rolling stock in the
yards, the sleeping car osceolS being
the only car left. 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. Il ID
now feared that the lire may get in
the mines themselves, several OF
which are open in the neIghborhoOd
At present the FIRE Is following the
crest OF the mountain chain above
Sparwood, eating down into the val
leys on either side. Il is travelling al
a tremendous rate and unless there
is aLchange OF wind. will cross the
boundary into Montana within the
next ~ hours. There are thousands
OF mines and prospectors' claims II
the track OF the IRE, all OF which arr
in peril A slight change Of wind hai
occurred and Michel has been takei
out Of the more direct path.
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