The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-08-07
TOWNS FIRE SWEPT
ata,t m Eprnss eo,uss.
Nsvt~ MY fseAstsp
rt0tttsa
100 LIVES KNOWN TO Be LOST
u 10 Feared TIRE Death LET WI ne
the Greatest on ire cc-,'-en,
Since the San Francisco -
Disaster.


Winnipeg. Man-As a result o,
is wiped on the map as n child cleans
n slate: Michel. II miles distant. Is
in flames. and the fatse OF Hosmcr OF.
sen and Sparwood, intervening towns.
is in doubt. they being cut on from
all communication.
over 100 lives are known 10 have
been lost "a Of them in Fcrnio. 4
territory of 100 square miles In cx.
tent is a seething mass OF flames.
Through IL are scattered hundreds OF
lumbermcn and p~rospcctors. so that
the actual loss of life WIN not be
known for days, The properties OF
the Canadian Pacific and Great North
ern railways are destroyed. the
bridges and rolling stock burned. so
that 1t is impossible to enter or leave
the turning area. The inhabitants OF
The towns have fled to open districts
in the vicinity in the hope OF safety.
The railway companies have placed
all available trains at their disposal
and, unless there il a change of wind
WI hin the next "a hours. the whole
of the Crows Nest Pass country will
be left TO the flames. There is no
possibility of estimating the loss OF
life and property which. Will result,
for the flames are driven by a half
gale, making it impossible to put up
a fight against their advance.
The confagration Is the greatest
which has aver visited Canada and
ranks only with the San Francisco
disaster.
Ragged for a Month.
Fol the past month forest fires have
been raging in the mountains of the
Elk river valley country, but they
have not been considered serious. Sat.
urday morning a heavy wind sprang
up from the west and early in the
afternoon the flames appeared yer
the crest of the mountains to the west
of Fernie. They rain 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
fight, leaving their all behind them.
All night and Sunday morning the
exodus continued, the destination be-
ing a small prairie in the valley three
miles south of the Gown.
At present 1900 people are camped
there in the open, their only protec-
ton being shelters built of brush or
h1nnlnfS uhi1n IN constant ,hA,an -
sparks from the burning area kept
failing through tie pail of smoke by
which they arc surrounded. For a
time communication with towns to the
east was kept open, but with the
burning of the bridges across the
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 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 at pres
ent no means of checking up the fatal
tiles.
In rarnie the only buildings re-
naming are six small shacks on the
banks of the Elk river, the Offices of
the Crows Nest Coal Co. and the
Fixes WOODWARD house. The Offices
Of the Canadian Pacific railroad and
the Great Northern are gone, togeth-
err 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
CT 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 neighborhood.
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 unless there
is a change of wind, will cross the
boundary into Montana within the
next IL hours. There are thousands
Of mines and prospectors' claims in
the track of the fire, all of which are
in peril. A slight change of wind has
occurred and Michel has been taken
-.t - H. H..