Gilpin observer., 1908-08-06
AWFUL LOSSES
BY FERN|E FIRE.
DEATH LIST STILL GROWING AND
MAY EXCEED THREE HUN
DRED.
RELIEF BEING RUSHED
PROPERTY LOSS ESTIMATED AT
MORE THAN TEN MILLION
DOLLARS.

Vancouver, Aug. 3.-This city awoke
to a full sense of the completeness OF
the destruction around Fernie today.
According to competent authority,
the loss will exceed $10,000,000, and
the death list total will never be
known. 1t is now believed that at
least 800 have perished.
Vancouver wired $4,000 for relief
yesterday and trainload of supplies
went out today. Winnipeg has dis
patched special train with nurses,
doctors, hospital stores and provisions.
Loggers to the number of eighty in
the camps of the Elk Lumber Com
pany have perished in the flames, and
several settlers with their families who
lived on the line of the railroad be-
tween Fernie and Michel have disap-
peared. The death total will prob
ably grow larger and special dis
patch from Winnipeg declares 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 already al
rived at Nelson, the overflow from
Cranbrook. These are being cared for
as much as possible, but their condi-
ton 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 there as follows
"All help needed quickly, or worse
will follow"
No list of the dead has yet been re-
ceived in Vancouver.
Relief from Spokane was the first
to reach the fire region of Fernie.
Over 1000 are being cared for at Gran
brook, and the first car sent out by
Spokane citizens arrived at Fernie
this morning. A special car loaded
with tents, clothing, 1900 loaves of
bread, $50 gallons of milk and other
lOOuSlull5 iSlL thio ditSihoch.
At mass meeting of citizens today
over $4,000 was subscribed in half
an hour and a relief committee ap-
pointed to raise more funds and start
regular shipments of food to the fire
swept district.
For the present the supplies will be
sent to Cranbrook for distribution. At
| that place are gathered women and
children who will have to be cared for
during the next ten days. Other cities
of the Northwest are sending aid and
the famine situation is rapidly being
relieved Nearly all of the refugees
are reported to be destitute, being
barely able to save the clothes on their
backs.
That the Slavs at Fernie are max
ing trouble is feared. The last request
from Fernie to Cranbrook was for all
the guns and leg irons that could be
sent Immediately. Provincial officials
have taken charge and special left
Cranbrook this afternoon with all the
guns that could be secured in that city.
When night fell over the ashes of
Fernie the bodies of fifteen fire vic
tins had been found Among them
were Mrs. Addie Turner. widow,
aged seventy-five; Walter Ford, a
miner; Mrs. Walter Ford and their two
children. The bones of two unidenti-
fled children and of a man. found in
West Fernie; part Of a skeleton, sup
| posed to be that of Lane, a miner;
Lena Bell, colored; the body of an un-
known man found in the old town; An
derson, stationary engineer at the Pa
cific Coal and Coke Company; Robert
Kern; three bodies found on the rail-
road track.
1t is believed that the death list in
Fernie and vicinity will reach $50.
The report that sixty men had per-
ished in the Bush camps Of the Elk
Lumber Company is denied.
The Ford family of four perished in
a well, where they had sought safety.
| The fire burned the wooden curbing
and the family suffocated.