Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-04
Estimate From Winifred Places Total
at Four Hundred.
SEVERAL TOWNS ARE DESTROYED
Property Loss is Placed at About Ten
Million Dollars.
AID IS IMPERATTvELY NEEDED
Great Suffering Exists Among Thou
sands Driven From HOmes--spe-
cial Trains Enroute
with Supplies.


VANCOUVER, h. c., Aug S-This city
awoke to a full sense OF the completeness
of the destruction around Fernie today.
According to a competent authority, the
loss will exceed SiO,O0O.OOO and the death list
total will never be known. II is now be-
lieved that at least 200 have perished.
Vancouver wired 5000 for relief yester-
day and a train load OF supplies went out
today. Winnipeg has dispatched a special
train with nurses, doctors, hospital stores
and provisions.
Loggers to the number OF eighty in the
camps of the Elk Lumber company have
perished in the flames, and several set
tiers, with their families, who lived on the
line OF the railroad between Fernie and
Michel. have disappeared. The deaeh total
will probably grow larger and specla
dispatch from Winnipeg states that It will
reach 400.
When the flames were consuming Fernie,
all the prisoners, with the exception OF five
Black Hand suspects, were released. Later
they were recaptured and sent to Nelson.
Crowds of refugees have also arrived at
Nelson, the overflow from Cranbrook.
These are being cared for much pos
sible, but their condition Is pitiable. In
their flight they brought nothing away but
the clothes they had on
A telegram from Editor Simpson of the
Cranbrook Herald sums up the situation as
follows:
"Ar help needed quickly or worse will
follow"
No list OF the dead has yet been received
in Vancouver.
Thousands Flee for Lives.
CRANBROOK, b. c., Aug. S--The most
destructive conflagraton in the history of
Canada is sweeping the Elk river valle"
| "a n
suffering. Already more than 100 lives have
been lost, hundreds OF persons have been
injured and thousands homeless and desti-
tute have been forced TO flee for their lives
before the relentessy onrushing fire.
Properly valued at more than $4,000 has
been destroyed and still the flames are
: sweeping onward, reaching out on either
, side in ever widening line. The long
4, list OF fatalities Is increasing steadily. Re
ports of death, disaster and suffering are
coming in from every quarter. Few OF
:, those who escaped with their lives saved
any OF their belongings and the stores OF
food in towns which thus far have escaped
destruction must be conserved carefully to
= feed the hungry.
Fernie, on Saturday a prosperous COM
munity of $500 inhabitants today is a de-
. serted heap of ruins. Coal Creek, which
had population of 1900 is marked only
by smoldering embers in blackened.
smoking waste more than forty miles In
area, while half a dozen smaller towns
have been erased as completely as II they
, never existed. The railroad, the only means
a of communication left to the stricken coun-
r try. now is seriously threatened. Many
Il bridges already have been burned and the
movement OF trains, by which fire fighters,
q refugees and provisions transported
q from one point to another, is being carried
8 on with the greatest difficulty.
e Path of Fire Mile wide.
IS FERNIE, b. c.. Aug 2-Amid the smol-
h ing embers of their homes and offices. with
d the great forest fire stil roaring in the
o distance, the pucky OF Fernie, b. c.,
70 are clearing away the ruins, pitching tents,
checking up the missing and announcing
IT plans to build a new and better town where
o the hot ashes of old Ferne lie today A
II village of canvas-a village with many men.
IS but few women and children--will be in
= evidence before the sets today.
The great wave OF fire is still rolling
ID eastward through the forest. following the
n lines OF the Canadian Pacific railway. In
e some places its path is but a mile wide,
d in others three miles. Nothing stop It.
10 apparently, until the rain falls and that
d may be days weeks.
le Michel, twenty miles from Fernie, u the
D town In the greatest danger now, but a.
III the Wlnu mas lhllen IL mas a BOOd cnance
n to escape. Fifteen box cars loaded with
women and children have been taken from
IL Michel TO Coleman. Blairmere and other
D points The men have stayed to fight for
re their homes.
le The town Of Hosmer between Fernie and
h Michel was in great danger yesterday,
some dwellings having been burned, but
IN the main part OF the town was saved and
lie probably will escape unless a stronger wind
arises.
While the number Of dead may not be
ct definitely known for days. It is not believed
a 10 be so great as was at first feared Up
ID to o'clock Sunday evening only four
sr bodies had been found I'm the town. those
It victims having been smothered by the dense
4 smoke. Considering the fact that at times
IN It was possible for a man to outrun the
N flames. It is believed the loss OF life was
remarkably small.
n Such was the force of the fiery tornado
n that one frame building seventy feet long
10 was picked up, carried across several lots
E. and dropped into the middle OF the main
II street
Loss Estimates at winnIpeE.
!, WINNIPEG. Mar. Aug. S-The latest
- estimates Of the dead In the Elk river dis
- trict by bush fires. which have been raging
=, from Michel 10 Ferne is 80 persons. The
- property loss is 100000 in Fernie and 5000
persons OF that city's Inhabitants are home
less. The residents have been taken in
e trains TO place OF safety and are now des-
titute Thousands OF dollars have been sent
y. by western Canada cities this morning to
the relief Of the destitute Medical supplies
are greatly needed. Fernie, with its lum-
Der mills and railway terminals is wiped
" out The fire is still raging around Hosmer
r. and sparwood. but Michel Is safe the wind
yo dying out al midnight II gale springs up
m that city will again be I'm danger soon.
be Seventy men in the camps OF the Elk River
ed company perished.
On The following places have been destroyed
Cd Fernie with a population og 1850; Coal
Creek. with q population 0f LOO; Michel,