The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-08-07
OVER HUNDRED
LIVES ARE LOST
IN FOREST FIRE
Territory of 100 Square Miles in
Crows Nest Country Secth-
ing Mass of Flames.
FtRNIt IS WIPED OFF MAP
Inhabitants of Doomed Towns Flee in
Panic-Loss to Property Will
Be Enormous.

Winnipeg, Man, Aug. 4.-The town
OF Fernie, B. c.. Is wiped off the map
as a child cleans a slate.
Over a hundred lives are known to
have been lost, seventy-four of them
in Fernie alone.
A territory Of one hundred square
miles In extent Is a seething mass OF
flames. Through it are scattered hun
lreds OF lumbermen and p~rospectors,
so that the actual loss of life will not
be known for days.
The properties of the Canadian Pa
ciiic and the Great Northern railways
are destroyed, their bridges and roll
Ing stock burned, SO that it is impossi-
bic either to enter or leave the burn
ing area.
People Fleeing in a Panic.
The inhabitants Of the towns have
fed to open districts in the vicinity
in the hope of safety. From towns to
the east and west the inhabitants are
escaping as rapidly as possible. The
ihiI" companies udSS pldCeQ Hi
available trains at their disposal.
Unless there Is change of wind
within the next twenty-four hours the
whole Of the cDy.s Nest pass country
will be left to the flames. ssEsszEss
There Is no possibility Of estimat-
Ing the loss Of life and property which
will result, for the flames are driven
by a half gale, making it impossible
to put up fight against their I'd
| vance.
The confa"~ation is the greatest
which has { visited Canada, and
ranks only vita the San Francisco dis
aSter.
Flames Sweep Over Fernie.
For the last month forest fires have
been raging In the mountains of the
Elk river valley country. but they
have not been considered seriously.
Saturday morning a heavy wind
sprang up from the west. and early in
the afternoon the flames appeared
over the crest Of the mountains to the
west Of Fernie. They ran down the
RS9ntsll i1de, and before a fire
guard could be organized had entered
the town.
Within In hour the town was doom
ed and the Inhabitants sought safety
in flight, leaving their all behind them.
All night and yesterday morning the
exodus continued. the destination be-
ing a small prairie In the valley, three
miles south OF the tnwn
Three Thousand Refugees.
At present 5000 people are camped
there In the open. their only protec-
ton being shelters b1ilt of brush or
blankets, while a constant shower OF
sparks from the burning area keeps
falling through the pail OF smoke by
which they are surrounded.
For 4 time Communication with
towns to the east was kept open, but
with the burning of the bridge across
the Elk river this was closed. Scat
tered through the valley are many
small prairies, and ali of these have
their groups OF refugees. The hills in
all directions are a seething mass of
flames, cutting off every avenue Of es-
cape.
The fire spread with unprecedented
rapidity. and 1t feared that several
parties who tried to get through the
pass have been cut OF. Families have
been separated. and there is at pres
ent no means Of checking up he IA
talities.
Death List Will Not Exceed 100.
Fernie. B. c.. Aug. 5.-The wind has
abated and gradually the fire is being
got under control. 1t Is not thought
that the death list will exceed a hun
dred. 1t win be some days before all
the returns are In, as the fire has
burned Over an area Of several hun
dred square miles, and through this
territory arc scattered many lumber
ing camps and shanties. This esti-
mate Is . conservative one, based on
the suppositdon that many lumbermen
and squatters: have had pr%ovidential
escapes. However, the injured will
number many hundreds. IS hardly a
man in the afflicted towns escaped
without burns or other injuries.
Loss Reaches Millions.
The loss to buildings Is ~variously
estimated at from $1,000. 900 to 5 $4,000
900. to which must be added the loss
in standing AMI cut timber. Many of
the refugees are In q pitiable condi-
ton. having escaped In scanty cloth
ing, and many Of them In their night
apparel
BROWNS IN A cHURN.