The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-08-04
towns WIPED
OUT BY FIRE
100 Square Miles in Canadian
Northwest in Flames.
OVER 100 LIVES LOST

Fire. Driven By Sigh Wind. Makes Il
Impossible 20 Check Its Advance.
SNs Towns Believed to Have Seen
Destroy eo-?eopie Flee to the Open
Country 70 Seek ssfety-Are Sur.
Fouroed On Prairie BY Fire ard
Escape Cut oH-Over COCO Persons
Are Homeless.
Winnipeg Man Aus. S.-As a result
ai bush fires taat started Saturday and
san rage Tor many miles. Feruie. b C.
is wiped GA the map: Michel. fourteen
ai.cs distant. Is Ia flames. and the
.a.c OK hosner. Olsen and Sparwoot.
Intervening towns. Is IN doubt. as IA y
,rc cut on IRON communication
More than 100 lives are reported
lose. sevonty-tour of them in Fcruie.
over oopo people are homeless a ter
ritorN loo square miles in extent Is a
.cc-dinc mass Of flames. Through 30
age scattered hundreds OF lumberrnen
md prospeetors. SO that the actual
loss of life viii not De known for days.
Much property OF the Canadian Pacific
and The Great Northern railways is de-
iroycd. including bridges aud rolling
stock burned. SO that IL Is impossible
% enter OF leave the burning area Tho
inhabitants OF ths affected towns have
ici to the open country 50 seek safety.
'f1 railway companies have placed all
tFaiiahie trains al the disposal OF tac
rttueD -. and unless thtre is chanee
q wind within the next twcnty.foar
lours the waole OF the Crows Nest
Pass country viii De abandoned 90 the
DANES
here is no possibility OF estimating
'ao loss of life and property which viii
result. for the flames are driven by
DO gale. making il impossible O. plt
lp drht lsainst their advance. The
onhagraticn is the greatest which has
.vcr visited Canada.
Fcr The past month forest fires have
been raging In the mountains OF The
-4A tlNcr valley country but they have
not been considered seriously. Satu-.
lay morning a heavy wind sprung I'D
rom The west and early in the after.
ioon the DANES appeared over IL
reruic. They ran down the mountain.
side ana before a FIRE guard could &
lrgenizci hai entered the town In
IA hour the town was doomed ana tho
inhabitants sought safety in hieht
eaving everything behind them AN
light and Sunday the exodus coutin.
red. The destination being small
prairie Ia the valley three miles south
q The town. At present 5000 re pie
are campcd there In the open. tlo 3
My protection being shelters built ~
brush or blankets. while constant
hover Of sparks from the burning
area kept failiug through the pail OF
smoke by which they are surrounded
Scattered throueh the valley are many
small prairies. and an Of them have
heir groups OF refugees.
The hills in all directions are
'cethins mass OF flames cutting OIL
very avenue OF escape. The IRE ha.
pread with unprecedented rapids,
md 10 IS feared thar several pa-rlc.
Fho tried 20 get through the pass have
cen cut OF. Families have been sora
a'ed. and there Is al present no means !
AZ Fernic tho onIe buildings remain.
ng are six small shacks on the banks
Il the Elk river the Offices of tho
Cross Nest Coal company and the !
7ikcs wood warehouse. one hundred !
ons OF coke. the property o. the Great !
Northern. are gone. ans the stock plies
Il coal and coke. holding about half
million tons. are In flames Il BE- now
cared that the FIRE may get into tha |
mines themselves. several OF which cr, /
open IN the neighborhood. This VIII
mean incalculable damage as The en-
ire valley is underlaid with coal.
At present the FIRE is following the 1
rest OF the mountain chain about
Sparwood. eating down into the valleys
IN the other side II is travelling a. a |
tremendous rate. and unless there s . |
'hange OF wind will cross the boundary
nto Montana within the next twelve |
lours There are thousands OF miners
and prospectors' claims in the track
y the fire all of which are IN ,,ars1