Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-08-03
TOWNS ARE
BURNED IN
FOREST FIRE
Many People Made Homeless
By q Great Flame That
Swept MOuniaiHsIde.
MILLIONS DAMAGE
Several Villages Now in the
Midst Of the Fire Loss Of
Life Is Enormous.

Winnipeg, Man, Aug. -3.-As a result
of bush fires that still rage for many
miles, Fernie, B. c., is wiped off the
map; Michel, fourteen miles distant,
was reported in flames and the fate of
Hosmer, Olsen and Sparwood, inter
yening towns, is in doubt, as they are
cut off from communication.
More than a hundred lives are re-
ported lost, seventy-four of them In
Fernie. A territory hundred square
miles in extent is a seething mass of
flames. Through it are scattered hun
dreds of lumbermen and prospectors, so
that the actual loss OF life will not be
known for days. Much property of
the Canadian Pacific and the Great
Northern railways is destroyed, includ-
ing bridges and rolling stock, so that
1t is impossible to enter or leave the
burning area. Inhabitants of the af-
fected towns have fed to open country
to seek safety The railway companies
have placed all available trains at the
disposal of refugees, and unless there
is change of wind the whole Of the
Crows Nest Pass country win be
abandoned to the flames
No Estimate Of Loss Possible.
There is no possibility Of estimating
the loss Of life and property which
will result for the flames are driven
by half gale, making it impossible to
put up a fight against their advance.
The confagration is the greatest which
has ever visited Canada. The proper
ty loss already is estimated at S2.5OO.-
O0O.'
For the past month forest fires have
been raging in the mountains of the
ELK river valley country, but they have
not been considered seriously. Two
days ago heavy wind sprang up from
the west, and the flames appeared over
the crest of the mountains to the west
Of Fernie. They ran down the noun
tainside and before a fire guard could
be organized had entered the town.
Within an hour the town was doomed
and the inhabitants sought safety in
fight leaving everything behind them.
-Four hours the exodus continued. the
destination being small prairie in
the valley three, miles south of the
town. Three thousand persons camp
I'd there in the open.
Hills a Mass Of Flames.
The hills in all directions are a
seething mass of flames, cutting off
every avenue of escape. The fire
spread with unprecedented rapidity,
and it is feared that several parties
who tried to get through the pass
have been cut of. Families have-been
separated, and there is at present no
means Of checking up the fatalities
At Fernie the only buildings remain
Ing are six small shacl5s on the banks
Of the Elk river, the offices of the
Crows Nest Coal company The Of
fees Of the Canadian Pacific railroad
and Great Northern are gone, together
with all of the rolling stock In the
yards, the sleeping car Osceola 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
million tons, are In flames. 1t is now
feared that the fire may get In the
mines themselves, several Of which
are open in the neighborhood. This
will mean incalculable damage, as the
whole of the valley is underlaid with
coal.
Fire May Cross Line.
At prese ent the fire is following the
crest of ahe mountain chain above
EparwoOd, eating down into the val
leys on either side. It is travelling at
a tremendous rate and unless there is
a change of wind win cross the boun~
dairy into Montana soon. There are
thousands of miners and prospectors'
claims In the track of the fire.. all of
which are in peril.
Fire fighting apparatus Is of nc
available use, for the air is filed with
fragments OF burning wood, and
sheets Of flames seem to leap ahead
Of the confagration as if the air itself
were in flames. The heat is intense,
and man. of the fire fighters have
gone down.
The whole population Of the region
is clearing out. Fire is not the only
danger which the people of the burn
Ing area have to face. Starvation has
been added to the terrors. When the
people left their homes for the protec-
ton camps little or no provisions were
taken, and now there are some 6,00Q
on the prairies with nothing to eat.
Measures are being taken to send aid