The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-08-07
FERN|E B. c. IN ASHES
Flames In Canadian Woods Lick I'm
Lives and Property In the
Vests Greatest Fire.

The most awful confiagration ever
known in the western country mas
wiped out the whole city of Fernie,
West Fernie. the annex, the old town
and the French town aud all the lum-
Der mills in or about the city of
+ rnie, B. 9.
A brisk breeze that had been blow
ing all of Sunday morning famed into
flame the smolderlng bush fires in
the slashings of the Cedar Valley Lum-
Der company south of town. on the op-
posite side of the river. The wind
steadily increased in velocity and vol
ume. tanning the flames into strong
conflagration. which licked up the
Cedar Valley yards, West Fernie, the
Elk Lumber company's mill and 1O,-
600, 900 or $1,000, 900 feet of lumber
in the yards, leaped across the Elk,
renewing its vigor with the fuel for
flame which it found in the annex of
Fernie.
The magnificent railway bridge of
the Great Northern. the lumber camp
traffic bridge and the Elk Lumber
company's private bridge spanning the
Elk. connecting Fernie with West
Fernie, were all devoured in the tor
rent of flame.
About 3 O'Clock the fire was discov-
cred on the east side of the Elk, below
town a little piece. and the raging
wind soon famed this into another
confiagration, which swept toward the
city. taking in its course the Fort
Steele Brewing company's brewery
and all the buildings surrounding it
were wiped out, as we'll as all the
buildings in the old town extending
up Cow creek to what is known as
French town, destroying everything in
it's course.
The flames leaped Cow creek and
licked up Edgeoliff, the most southern
house in the part. II came across the
Canadian Pacific railway tracks,
burning the coal ohutes. and was soon
in the heart of the city.
The flames coming from the two d.
rections aud meeting in the heart of
the city confused the people SO that
they scarce knew from whence the
greatest danger was approaching, or
whittier their road of escape was open.
After the fire had subsided it was
found that except the Western Canada
Wholesale company's warehouse,
concrete block building near the Cana
dian Pacific railway beyond the sta.
tion, not business house of any kind
remains standing in the city.
Eighteen bodies have been taken
from the ruins and there are scores Of
people missing.
Smoke and embers are still flying
over the site of the destroyed town,
making it extremely disagreeaEle for
the homeless people, but there is no
danger unless another gale arises.
The bodies of the victims have been
placed in the basement of the office of
the Grows Nest Pass Coal company,
a cemeut building. and one Of the two
Buildings standing, where those which
are unknown await identioiation.
Noo VA Ouo uOnl tIuRlC AdtdlA1o5 VI
the fire, and one which shows the ex-
tremes to which people were driven to
escape the heat, was the finding of the
todies of family of four in a we'll.
A miner and his wife and two child
rem bad tried thus to gain refuge from
the terrific heat. Tho head of the man,
whose name was William Ford, was
badly burned, while bis wife aud
children, boy OF two and girl of
eight years. had all died of suffocation.
There was only little water in the
we'll which was cnrbed with wood.
After climbing into it the miner and
his family were evidently unable to
get out again. and the curbing burned
down almost to the waters edge, suffo-
eating them.