Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-04
Dead MAY Number 200.

NELSON. B. c., August NO one can
say as yet. even approximately. how
many lives were lost i'm the bush fires
which wiped out SO many towns.
The estimates run as high az 300. while
the property loss is probably over $5o0O,-
600.
The whole country between Cranbrook
tiai law by the British Columbia gov
ernment. and ELL energies are bent to
| relieving the distress of the survivors.
First arrivals from Fernie place the
/ over forty dead were said to have been
| seen along the track between Michel
and Frank. In one lumber camp eighty
dead are reporte6<; -
area, and the only authentic news is
brought out by men who have worked
their way through the fire zone.
When the flames first appeared in the
started le:surely across the river. But
presently they saw that the fire had
jumped the river in the south end, and
then there was stampede.
The most sensational story i'm connection
with the Fernie fire comes from Gran
brook. where It Is asserted that proof is
forthcoming that three bush fires were
started in 'Fernie. which eventually burned
all the town, with the express object o.
freeing FIVE 'blackhand' suspects con-
fined in the Fernie Jail.
Il is a matter OF fact that while most OF
the prisoners were given their liberty. the
five suspects, heavily ironed. were taken
to Cranbrook and will be brought to the
provincial jail here later.
Families were separated. and children.
| having no one to guide them. wandered
away from the line Of escape and were
cut OF. Shortly after the fire jumped the
river another long tongue of flame ran
through the west town to the bridge,
cutting off this avenue of escape.
Peter Lajo.e was the last to cross the
bridge with his wife and two children
| Two other children, as he supposed, had
gone ahead with his brother in law but
as it proved. they had been cut off and
| had perished.
Mothers Awful Ordeal.
In another instance. while the bridge
| was burning, a woman rushed to the
bank of the river with a child In her
arms. The water at that point was
turbulent, the current being broken by
rocks.
| She tried TO signal those on the east
| bank and. failing. started to wade across
| But the current threatened to sweep her
of her feet and she was forced to re-
| turn
She wept. tore her hair and prayed TIL
she fell exhausted. She lay for a time
near her. rousing her. Again she ran to
the water. holding her baby up to those
| on the other bank.
| There being no sign of aid she finally
hunted UP a log. tied the baby on IL with
| a shawl and then pushed 1t out into the
stream with pole. in the hope that an
eddy would carry II across. But the log
rolled over and over and the shawl came
| loose and the child disappeared
AS the fire came nearer the mother
| waded into the stream again. When last
| seen she was standing waist deep in the
| current Then the smoke rolled over shot
| with hames, and the watchers had 10
look to their own safety.
Mr.. and Mrs. Forester and part Of a
| gang Of men from Sparwood have come
out from Campbells Siding. Mrs For
rester. frai-looking little woman. came
| through In better shape than the major
| ity of the men. Eleven did not dare 10
attempt the passage.
| Most of the party are suffering from
burns and bruises For hours they were
partially immersed In the cold waters Of
| Elk river. while their heads and shoulders
| were scorched by the heat Of the blazing
| forest on either bank.
Mrs. Forrester's Story.
What were my impres sions?" echoed
Mrs Forester to an interviewer. "I
do not know that had any. 1 know that
kept my senses throughout. 1t was not
horror. it was not fear. merely a sort Of
apathy after the first hour.
when the fire started every one around
the mill went to work to try to save the
| buildings and lumber piles. A strip OF the
| forest had been cleared back from the
mill and We thought IL would be pos ible
to hold the FIRE outside that. But pres
emily the pieces OF burning bark and
| branches were falling on all sides and
| the yard was on fire. Then spots of fire
| appeared on the roof of the mill and my
husband called the men of. seeing II was
| no use to keep up the night
| when my husband told me We would
have to leave I wanted to take some OF
our things with me, but he would not al
low me- I cannot tell you much about
/ the trip out. II is all too vague.
| IT can remember wading down the river.
| all holding fast to each other for fear OF
being carried away in the current. At
| times We would get out into the open.
| where there was a patch on which the
| timber did not come close down. AT one
| place we seemed to stand for hours in
! the water and ] remember thinking that