The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-05
Many Men Proved Them
selves Heroes in British
Columbia Fire.
CITIZENS ARE RESPONDING.
LARGE SUMS OF MONEY HAVE
BEEN SENT TO THE STRICKEN
DISTRICT FIRES CONTINUE,
BUT ARE NOT so FIERCE.

Nelson, B. c., Aug. 5.-Although the
fire is still raging. the latest news
from the Crows Nest pass disaster
shows a death list of sixty-two. which
will probably be increased to seventy
or eighty, a property loss exec eding
$500. 900 and about 1000 homeless
people.
Fernie and Michel have been wiped
out, and Coal Creek, five miles east
of Fernie, is also destroyed. Hosmer
lost some ten houses, and the coal
company's surface works were de-
stroyed. The powder magazines at
Hosmer exploded, killing one man.
Money Sent to Stricken Towns.
Nelson raised $4,000 yesterday and
sent Alderman McMorris and two car
loads of food and clothing to the
scene. Vancouver wired $4,000 and
Spokane rushed in a car load of pro.
visions.
Insurance men total up the insur-
ance on Fernie and the district affect
ed by the fires at 100000 on damage
roughly estimated at S. 900. 900.
Nontariff companies on the Pacific
coast may carry another additional
100000. 1t is not out of the way to
suppose that the property in Fernie
and other towns is insured only up
to one fifth of it's value. This rate is
as high as 8 per cent.
From Michel. where the fire scene
begins, for twenty miles there is yet
sea of fire. with miles and miles OF
blazing mountain sides.
Michel is yet safe. but the whole
valley of the river is on fire. and II
the wind starts up the town is doom
ed. All the women and children have
been sent to Blairmore, Frank and
Coleman for safety.
Only about a dozen houses have
been burned in Hosmer so far. but the
fire is all around it.
Take Refuge in Ovens.
Many from Fernie have taken re
fuge in new coke ovens being built BY
the Canadian Pacific, where they are
safe, even IL the town does burn
They are being cared for and fed al
well as conditions permit.
Great Heroism Shown.
Many acts of heroism are reported
during the two and half hours wher
Fernie was like a seething furnace
w. T. Healy of West Fhrnie. whilc
crossing the traffic bridge over the Eli
| river came upon little girl lying face
downward in the dust and picked hel
up, and discovering that she was alive
and, putting her on his back, retracec
his steps and in some way reached tns
brick plant at the south end of West
Fernie
Charles Erickson. young carpen
ter of West Fernie found young
girl, Who had just risen from a sicf
bed. sitting in the door of a cabin
holding a small baby in her arms. The
| girl did not know what had become o.
| her parents and the fire was fast com.
| ing on the cabin. Erickson seized tht
girl. who was clothed only in hel
nightgown, under one arm and the
| baby under the other. and carried
! them to the Great Northern tracks
below the fire.
Two other little girls who had los
their parents were found by Erick
son and carried to safety, after which
he returned and found two old womer
/ in cabin One of the women refused
to leave the house and Erickson wa,
compelled to take her out by force ts
save her life.
Aged Woman is Saved.
An old woman, so years of age. val