The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-08-03
lore Than One Hundred Lives
Lost in Northwestern Can
ada by Forest Con-
flagration.
-oss MAY BE s1o,ooo,ooo
Railroads Destroyed So That People
Are Unable to Leave Burning
Arca--Arc Fleeing to
Open Country.

Winnipeg. Man, Aug 2.--As result
land still rage for many miles, Fernie.
{B c., is wiped off the map, Michel, IA
*'nlles distant, is In flames, and the fate
<of Hosmer. Olsen and Sparwood inter-
Evening towns, is in doubt, as they are
>Icut off from communication.
More than 100 lives are reported lost,
"a of then in Fernc A territory 100
square miles In extent is seethng
Emass of flames. Through 1t are scat
stered hundreds of lumbermen and pros
tpectors, so that the actual loss of life
. Twin not be known for days. Much
4 sprc pertv of the Canadian Pacific and
The Great Northern railways Is destroy
trd including bridges and rolling stock
blurred So that It is impossible to en-
Rler or leave the burning area. Inhabit-
Nnnts oi the affected towns have fled to
open country to seek safety.
According to meagre reports received
tonight from British Columbia, the
property loss due to forest fires around
4 Fernie will run over slO.0OO.O0O Spar
wood. Oleson and Hosmer are reported
destroyed
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.
Saturday morning a heavy wind
sprung 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
mountain 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 fight leaving everything be-
hind them. All night and this morn
ing the exodus continued. the destina-
ton being a small prairie in the val
ley three miles south Of the town. Az
present 5000 persons are camped
there in the open A constant shower
of sparks from the burning area is
falling through the pail of smoke
by which they are surrounded. With
the burning Of the bridges across the
Elk river all communication with the
east was curt off. 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 off
every avenue of escape.
Fire fighting apparatus Is Of nc
available use. for the air Is filed with
fragments of burning wood and sheet'
of flames seem to leap ahead of the
connagration as If the air itself were
IN flames.
A correspondent at Michel wires al
follows:
"There is now some hope Of saving
the business section of the town ant
every available man Is on duty. Pete
Campbell has arrived from the Spar
wood district on a handcar with three
men. all of whom are badly burned
They were sent 70 the hospital, two o
them in precarious condition. Mr.
Foster, manager of the MILL with hi
wife and about thirty men were las
seen trying to save the mill. A line 0
flames cut them off from to the east
ward and unless they have been abl
to get through to the west all are dead
foF the country is a seething furnace
Reports from Hosemer say that |
has been destroyed with great loss .
life but this lacks confirmation.
Canadian Pacific engine and train /
Z being held In readiness here in case /
Is necessary to abandon this towr
With communication open to The eas
there is not much danger. There ar
5000 people here, many of whom ar
town