The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1908-08-06
100 REPORTED DEAD
IN GREAT FOREST FIRE
Canadian Towns Destroyed and
Countryside Swept.
FLAMES EXTEND OVER 100 MILES.
Entire Country on the Crows Nest Line
Of the Canadian Pacific Is a Seetb-
Ing Mass Of Flsmes-Half a Dozen
Towns Are Reported Wiped Out, and
Others Are Threatened.

Winnipeg. Man. Especially As a
result Of bush fires that started Sat
urday and still rage for many miles,
Fernie, B. c., is wiped off the map.
Michel. Ii miles distant. is IN flames.
| and the fate of Hosmer, Olsen and
Sparwood, intervening towns, is in
doubt, as they are cut of from COM
munication.
More than 100 lives are reported
lost, "a of them in Fernie. terri
tory 100 square miles in extent is
a seething mass of flames. Through
1t are scattered hundredS~of lumber
men and prospectors. so that the ac
tual loss of life will not be known for
days.
Much property of the Canadian
Pacific and the Great Northern Rail-
ways is destroyed. including bridges
and rolling stock. burned, so that it
is impossible to enter or leave the
burning area. The inhabitants of the
affected towns have fed to open coun-
try to seek safety.
The railway companies have placed
all available trains at the disposal
of refugees and unless there is a
change of wind within the next "a
hours the whole of the Crows Nest
Pass country will be abandoned TO
the flames
There is no possibility of cstimat-
ing the loss of life and property
which will result, for the flames are
driven by half gale, making ii inn
possible to put up a fight against
their advance. The con1agration is
the greatest which has ever visited
Canada.
For the past month forest Gres
have been raging in the mountains
OF the Elk River VALLEY country, but
they have not been considered scri-
ously. Saturday morning a lcayy
wind sprang up from the west and
early In the afternoon the flames
appeared over the crest OF the noun
tains TO the west Of Fernic. They
ran down the mountain side and be-
fore 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 everything
behind them. All night and Sunday
morning the exodus continued. the
destination being a small prairie in
the valley three miles south of the
town.
At present 5000 people are camp
ed there in the open, their only pro-
lection being shelter built OF brush
or blankets, while a constant shower
OF sparks from the burning area
keeps falling through the pail OF
smoke by which they are surrounded.
For time communication with
towns to the east was kept open,
but with the burning OF the bridges
across the Elk River this way was
closed. Scattered through the val
ley 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 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 off, Families have
been separated and there is az pres
ent no means Of checking up the
| fatalities
At Fernie the only buildings re-
naming are six sman shacks on the
banks of the Elk River, the offices
of the Grows Nest Coal Company and
the Fixes wood warehouse. The Of
| fees of the Canadian Pacific Railroad
| and Great Northern are gone togeth-
| er 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 a 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 neighbor-
hood. This will mean incalculable
damage as the whole of the valley
Is underlaid with coal.
At present the fire is following the
crest of the mountain chain above
SparwOod. eating down into the
valleys on either side. 1t is travell-
Ing at tremendous rate of speed
and unless there Is a change of wind
will cross the boundary into Mon
tana within the next ~ hours
There are thousands of mines and
prOspector's claims in the track of
the fire, all of which are in peril.