Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-24
FOREST FIRES
SWEEP NORTH
END OF STATE
FORTUNES TURNED TO ASHES
NEAR EUREKA
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS LOST
AND MANY HOMELESS
Great Lumber Mills Destroyed--TraIn
Plunges Through Wall of Flames.
Blaze Worst in History
of County
[By Associated d. Press.l

EUREKA, Cal, Sept. %. : With
n strong south winds tanning 1t to
= increase the fury, forest fire
which broke out this afternoon at
camp 16 of the Vance Lumber company
has already spread to Little River,
following a southeasterly course to
that point and from there turning east
into the heavy timber, where it Is still
burning furiously.
The numbering plant of the Kellstrom
| company, which laid in the path of
the flames, was totally destroyed, as
were all the houses of the settlement
there, but Kellstrom and his family,
with the crew of the plant, escaped to
Trinidad, where they are being taken
care of by the people of the town.
At first it was thought Miss Kell-
strom had been lost in the flames, as
she was left behind in the hurry of
departure; but she arrived at Trini-
dad tonight after terrible trip last
ing three hours, which she made on
foot through the timber.
Kellstrom and his wife made their
escape in an automobile, which is the
only property they saved The loss at
Kellstroms is estimated at 100000 with
no insurance.
Sweeps Over Road
The fire has swept over the tracks
of the Hammond Lumber conpany's
logging road, destroying several miles
of track and number of trestles.
Traffic over the line is tied up for
several weeks.
The Hammond company has sent all
its engines to the scene of the confia-
grafton, and the crews are fighting the
blaze, which is gaining on them stead
lily, urged on by a fifty mile an hour
wind.
Late reports from fhe scene state
that the immense plant of the Little
River Redwood Lumber company Is
threatened, as the flames are within
two miles of the mills and running to-
ward them fast.
The plant is valued at a million dol
lars with it's surrounding timber re-
serves, and has been in operation since
completed several months ago.
Refugees Arriving
People from the numbering settle
ment of Luffenhaltz are arriving Ell
Trinidad, leaving eveFything behind
them to be destroyed by the flames
which are so close to the settlement
that the refugees were glad to escape
with their lives.
All the vast stretch of timber land
from Little river and Luffenholtz to
Trinidad is being swept over by the
names ana IlI1DeT NdluSQ dI Gus
of thousands of dollars is being de-
stroyed.
The smoke In dense clouds is drifting
in advance of the flames, causing great
suffering to people miles away from
the scene of the fire. AT 3 O'Clock the
fire fighters of the Hammond company
reported that they could do nothing
to check the spread of the fire, and
unless the wind dies down this whole
section of the country is threatened.
Train PIunges Through
The Hammond company's passenger
train arrived at Samoa at 8 o'clock
with refugees from Luffenholtz and
Fieldbrook, who escaped with nothing
but the clothes they wore.
The run of the passenger train.
through the burning forest was dar-
ing feat and was all that saved the
train crew and passengers from certain
death.
The people tried escape on the sea-
shore to the north and east, but were
hemmed in before they realized It..
To the south the forest was burning
on both sides of the track, with t?e
ties in some places smoking.
AS a last resort all got in the train
which was stalled at Lufenholtz, ana
with, the paint on the coaches shrivel-
ing the conductor gave the engineer
orders to make a desperate run.
For several miles the train passed
through g. veritable sea of fire, the
coach windows nearly breaking and the
heat SO intense that several women
tainted.
Exnecting to meet disaster at every
turn OF the wheels and running at a
high rate of speed, the train shot
through the inferno into the open
country above Samoa with passengers
cheering wildly, thankful for their mar
row escape.
Town May Be Saved
The latest reports are that the fire
at Fieidbrook is under control and that
the town is in no immediate danger,
but at Luffenholtz the town is COM
pletely wiped out, tracks, roundhouses
and fiat cars destroyed, with the flames
still raging and spreading from heavy
wind.
If. A. Poland, owner of the mill there,
who arrived on a late train, stated that
his property was in no danger as the
fire was going eastward, but II the wind
kept UP during the night the entire dis
trict from Trinidad to Fieldbrook, COM
prising thousands of acres of valuable
timber land, would be swept by fire.
Up to the present time no deaths are
known ot but there were numbers of
narrow escapes.
The fatalities, If any. will not be
discovered until after the fire burns
out.
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER