Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-05
WOMEN GIVE GRAPHIC
DESCRIPTION OF FIRE

CALGARY, N. w. T., Aug AIRS.
George Crossnan and her sister, Miss
Maud Holman, came in from Michel
last night. On Sunday afternoon Mr..
Crossman came in to say the fire that
was raging in the brush was threaten
ing the city itself. Hastily they col
lected few things. Mrs. Crossman,
carrying her little baby, took refuge in
a fireproof warehouse, where 1t was
thought they would be safe from the
flames which were then rising from
every part of the doomed town. Soon,
however, an awful shower of sparks
and burning pieces of wood began to
have effect on the building and they de-
cided to remove all the women within
the freightshed, where a freight train
was being made up to carry them to
some unknown place of safety.
They determined to cross the sheds,
a mass of flame, and board the train.
Mrs. Crossman and her sister, botn
soaked with water and the baby
wrapped in a wet blanket, made the
journey safely. Mrs. Crossman said
that on the train she saw men, women
and children of all nationalities, mixed
together and sitting three and four on
a seat. The men were shouting and
frantic while hysterical women, sepa-
rated from their children, were calling
in vain for their lost ones. Some were
dressed in all their finery and others
had scarcely anything at all to wear.
There were children. some of them with
their parents and some who had lost
fathers and mothers in the confusion.
Heart of Town in Flames
"The train then pulled out for Hos
mer," said Mrs. Crossman,. "but we
found the heart of that town in flames
when we reached it. The original in
tention had been to get through to
Michel, but shortly after leaving Hos
mer we heard that the Michel bridge
was burned. The train then backed
again to stop for the night between
Hosmer and Fernie, going on its way
back through the greatest danger, for
we had to pass for a mile between
blazing brush on both sides. The win
dows of the cars became so hot it was
impossible to touch them, and the heat
and smoke was sitting. All this time
the women We're screeching and saying
prayers at the top of their voices, and
adding to the terrible confusion. After
passing through this fire belt the train
reached q safe place and stopped for
the night. While we lay there con-
densed milk for the women and chill
dren was brought out from Fernie by
volunteers"
The train returned to Fernie Sunday
morning and the passengers found the
fire had burned itself out during the
night The dead bodies of several little
girls had been found in different parts
of the city and there were doubtless
many more that have not yet been re-
covered.
James Barclay passed through the
night of terror at Michel. When he
left there he believed there was little
danger to the town except from the di-
rection of SparWood. The night be-
fore was spent by the citizens of the
old town, where he was fighting back
the fire, particularly in keeping down
the sparks. There was no water in
the new town, which was in great
danger.
Furniture Burned
early in the evening it was decided
the women and children should leave
Many persons, he said, had dug deep
trenches and buried furniture; others
simply left all belongings behind and
took their chances.
1T was impossible to say anything
of Fernie, and the wire communica-
ton was lost early in the evening
1t was believed that Fernie was safe,
but that Hosmer was burning up.
Give men were brought into Hos
mer, two dead and three badly
burned. One was an Italian who had
gone back to camp to try to rescue
some provisions. The other was an
old Scotchman, whose name MIR. Bar
clay did not know but who was we'll
known in Michel"
r. A. Howson of Calgary, who had
been in Fernie for several weeks, said
the worst has not yet been told Of the
catastrophe.
Driven by fierce gale the flames
ate up the buildings with rapidity and
the people had no time to save any
thing. It was useless to try All that
could be done was to get families to-
Rether and fee. The railroad COM