Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-08-06
HUNDREDS PERISH
IN CANADIAN FIRE
SIX FLOURlSHING TOWNS ARE
TOTALLY DESTROYED.
HUNDREDS FLEE INTO OPEN
Property Loss Is Estimated at $IO,-
600, oOo-Wr ole District
Seeth 'ng Fire.

invaded Fernie, B. c., on Sunday
and almost destroyed the place. But
a few homes are standing in a region
100 miles square and fully 10000 are
homeless.
The property loss is places at
$4,000, 900.
The whole country Is a seething
IRE on the Crows Nest line of the
Canadian Pacific. Hosmer, Cana
dian Pacific smelter town, was wiped
out.
Thousands are fleeing from Michel
TO the open country. Several lives
have been lost there. The bush fire
covers 100 miles square. Beside
Fern1e, Elko, Cokate, Sparwood, o.
son and Homar are totally destroyed
and 5000 are homeless In the adjoin.
Ing region. The loss of life is prob
ably the greatest since the San
Francisco disaster.
AT Fernie every building except the
coal company's Office and few
shacks are totally destroyed. Fully
three thousand are homeless.
Cranbrook has been wired to for
ward all available provisions and
relief train is now on its way.
The body of Peter Miller was found
on the Canadian Pacific tracks near
Michel. Hosmer, Elko, Sparwood Oh
son and Cokato are reported to be
completely destroyed by the fire. 1t
Is feared the loss of life will be very
great. The Canadian Pacific railway Is
rushing relief trains with doctors,
nurses, food and clothing to the desti-
tutue.
A bulletin from Michel says: "This
town is doomed unless the wind
changes. Canadian Pacific railway
making up special trains to carry In
habitants to safety"
W. w. Tuttle, mayor of Fernie, has
wired Mayor Ashdown of Winnipeg
for relief, saying there are 5000
homeless.
Over 100 lives are known to have
been lost in Fernie alone. A terri
tory of 100 square miles in extent Is
a seething mass of flames. Through
1t are scattered hundreds of lumber
men and prospectors, so that the
actual loss Of life will not be known
for days. The tracks of the Cana
iian Pacific and the Great Northern
railways have been destroyed, and the
bridges and rolling stock burned, so
that it is impossible to enter or leave
the burning area. The Inhabitants OF
the towns have fed to open districts
in the vicinity in the hope of safety.
The railway companies have placed
all available trains at their disposal
and unless there is a change of wind
within the next twenty-fours hours
the whole of the Crows Nest country
will be left to the flames.
There is no possibility Of estimating
the loss of life and property which
will result, for the flames are being
driven by heavy gale. making It i'm.
possible to fight against their Ad-
vance. The confagration is the
greatest which has ever visited
Canada and ranks only with the San
Francisco disaster. Estimates from
several sources place the loss as high
as $10,0OO,OOO.
For the past month forest fires have
been raging in the mountains of the
Elk River valley country, but they
have not been considered serious.
Saturday morning a heavy wind
sprung up from the west and early in
the afternoon the flames appeared
over the crest Of the mountains to
the west CT Fernie. They ran down
the mountainside. and before a fire
guard could be organized had entered
the town. Within an hour the town
was doomed and the inhabitants
oh IN iorht
thing behind. All night and Sunday
morning the exodus continued, the
destination being a small prairie in
the valley south OF the town. At
i present 5000 people are camped there
in the open, their only protection be-
ing shelters built OF brush or blank
cts, while a constant shower Of
sparks from the burning area kept
! falling through the pail of smoke by
which they are surrounded. For a
time communication with towns to
the east was kept open, but with the
burning of the bridges across the Elk
river this was closed. Scattered
through the valley are many small
prairies, and all OF these have their
groups Of refugees. The hills in all
directions are a seething mass of
| flames, cutting off every avenue of
escape. The fire spread with unpre.
cedented rapidity and it Is feared
that several parties who tried to get
through the pass have been cut off.
Families have been separated and
: there Is at present no means of check.
ing up the fatalities.
In Fernie, the only buildings re-
naming are six small shacks on the
banks Of the Elk river, the Offices OF
the Crows Nest Coal company, and
the Fixes wood warehouse. The Of
! fees Of the Canadian Pacific railroad
r and Great Northern are gone, TO-
8 gether with all of the rolling stock in
the yards. One hundred cars of coke
the property of the Great Northern
are gone and the stock piles OF coal
, and coke, holding about half mil
lion tons, are in flames. 1t Is now
, feared that the fire may get In the
mines themselves, several of which
e are open in the neighborhood. This
will mean great damages, as the
: whole of the valley is underlaid with
, coal.
= At present the fire Is following the
;, crest of the mountain chain above
Sparwood, eating down into the val
legs on either side. 1t is travelling al
a tremendous rate and unless there
n is a change of wind, will cross the
!. boundary into Montana within the
:. next twelve hours. There are thou
/. sands of mines and prospector's
G claims in the track of the fire, all o.
which are in peril.
A slight change of wind has occur
red and Michel has been taken ou
of the more direct path. Fire fight
ing apparatus is of no avail, for the
. L oil e. Ind froo Mt Of binrr