The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-03
FIVE HUNDRED KILLED.;
TEN THOUSAND HOMELESS
Forest Fire in British Columbia Covering Section of One
Hundred Miles Square, Is Destroying Towns and Leav-
ma Former inhabitants Either Dead Placed in Such
PeriIous Positions They May Yet Be Cremated.

have not been considered dangerous.
Saturday morning a heavy wind came
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 a 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 this morning the ex-
odus continued, the destination being
a small prairie in the valley three
miles south of the town. At present
5000 people are camped there in the
open, their only protection being shell
ters built of brush or blankets, while
a. 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 the
towns to the east was kept open, but
with the burning of the bridges across
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 seeth-
ing masses of flames. Cutting Off every
avenue of escape the fire spread with
unprecedented rapidity, and it is fear
ed that several parties who tried to
get through the pass have been cut
off. Families have been separated and
there is at present no means of check
ing up the fatalities.
City Left in Ashes.
In Fernie the only buildings re-
naming are six small ahacks on the
banks of the Elk river, the offices OF
the Crows Nest Coal company and the
Fixes Wood warehouse. The Offices OF
the Canadian Pacific railroad and the
Great Northern are gone together
with all 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 North
ern, are gone and the stock piles OF
coal and coke, holding about 100000
tons are In names.
May Cross to Montana.
At present the fire is following the
crest of the mountain chain above
Sparwood, eating down into the val
leys on either side. 1t is travelling at a
tremendous rate, and crossed the
boundary into Montana. There are
thousands of mines and prospectors
claims in the track of the fire, all o1
which are in peril. A slight change
of wind has occurred and Michel has
been taken out of the direct path.
Fire fighting apparatus is of NJ
avail, for the air Is filled with frag
ments of burning wood and sheets o
flames seem to leap ahead of the con
flagration. as the air itself were il
flames. The heat is intense and man,
of the fire fighters have gone dowI
ahead of it.
Trains Bring Refugees.
Appeals have been sent out from
the burning section to the mayors o
Winnipeg. Vancouver, New Westmins
ter Victoria, Spokane and Helena ask
ing that relief be hurried to it's resi-
dents. The Canadian Pacific railwa.
has rushed special trains into threat
ened cities bearing food, nurses, ply
sicians and clothing. The supplie
have been used by the refugees from
the burned cities and the returpin;
relief trains have carried out hund
reds of refugees.
The district which is the scene o
| one of the most disastrous fires il
| the records of the country is alon
| the Crows Nest Pass branch of tn
Canadian Pacific railroad and is
part of the richest timber country Q
| Canada. The valley lies between tn
Columbia and Elk rivers, on whic
several of the burned towns were IL
Gated.
In gallant effort to save the hug
Great Northern bridge, fifteen mile
west of Michel. four men, three c
whom were railroad employees, los
their lives. The attempt was futile
and the great structure was a wrec
within a few minutes after the a,
proach of the flames. The Great No
thern railway bridge at Hosmer ais
went up in flames. $50 cars of Coz
and coke sidetracked near the stru,
| ture adding to the conflagration.
In all the towns in the path of tn
flames a race for refuge was begu
when the inhabitants saw the SIX
lighted up by the advancing billows {
fire. The path of the fire still is eas
and west of Cranbrook the flames al
being controlled.
Sparwood is in Ashes.
The stream of refugees began I
pour into Cranbrook- early in the da,
but their stories We're largely inc
herent and unintelligible as the resu
of the scenes through which they ha
passed. A resident of Sparwood d
clared the town to be a mere as
heap when he left it. The loss of lii
he believed to be large. although h
had seen no bodies. Three of the la
est arrivals from Sparwood. who Co
firmed his story, had been badly bur
ed. Their recovery is doubtful.
The bodies of the railway employe
81 fCoufinnod nm poCo CovonN