The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-08-07

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, IA miles distant, is in flames,
and the fate of Hosmer. Olsen and
Sparwood, intervening towns, is in
doubt, as they are cut off from COM
munication.
More than 100 lives are reported
lost, "a of them in Fernie. A terri
tory 100 square miles in extent is
seething mass of flames. Through
it 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 estimat-
ing the loss of life and property
which will result, for the flames are
driven by half gale, making 1t inn
possible to put up a fight against
their advance. The confagration is
the greatest which has ever visited
Canada.
For the past month forest fires
have been raging in the mountains
of the Elk River Valley country, but
they have not been considered seri-
ously. Saturday morning heavy
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 Fernie. 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 fight, leaving everything
behind them. All night and Sunday
morning the exodus continued, the
destination being 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 constant shower
of sparks from the burning area
keeps falling through the pail of
smoke by which they are 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 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 at pres
ent no means of checking up the
fatalities.
At Fernie the only buildings re-
naming are six small shacks on the
banks of the Elk River, the offices
of the Crows 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 a tremendous rate of speed
and unless there is 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
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