New-York tribune., 1908-08-03
SIX TOXINS DESTROYED.
Heary Loss of Life in FerHie-Frc
May Cross Border.
Rrr.Isrnnh ID rh- Trteun.. )

Telegraph to The Trfounr)
uionfpag Aug 2-One hundred lives lost.
one hundred square miles burned over and six
towns destroyed or partly destroyed. IL ths
story in brief Of the ravages OF a bush fire
which is sweeping through the Crows Nest
Pass country.
The town Of Fernie, B. c.. Is destroyed.
Michel. fourteen miles away. is in flames Hos
mer. Olson and sparwood. intervening towns.
are cut off from all communication and their
fate is in doubt Seventy-four lives were lost
in Fernie alone
The whole country is s-ething mass OF
flames Through it are scattered hundreds Of
lumbermen and prospectors. SO that the actual
loss of life will not be known for days The
properties of the Canadian Pacific and Great
Northern railways in ths section are destroyed.
their bridges and rolling stock being burned
so that it is impossible to enter OF leave the
burning area. The inhabitants OF the towns
have fled to the open districts
The flames are driven by strong winds max
ing it impossible TO fight their advance The
confagration is the greatest which has ever Wis
tied Canada A heavy wind sprang up on Sat
urday morning 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 mountainside. and before fire guard
could be organized had entered the town. With
in an hour the town was doomed and the in
habitants sought safety in flight. leaving all
property behind them All night and this morn
ing the exodus continued. the destination being
a small prairie in the valley. three miles south
of the town. Three thousand persons are now
camped there in ths open. their only protection
being shelters built of brush and blankets
For time communication with towns TO the
east was kept open but with the burning OF the
bridges across the Elk River this closed
Scattered throughout the valley many small
prairies and all Of these have their groups OF
refugees The hills in all directions are
seething mass of flames. cutting or every
nue. Of escape The fire spread with unprece-
dented rapidity. and it is feared that several
parties who tried 10 get through ths pass hav.
been cut off Families have been separated.
and there is at present no means Of estimating
the fatalities
In Fernie the only buildings which remain are
six small shacks the bank OF the Elk River.
the offices of the. Crows Nest Coal Company
and the Fixes & Wood warehouse.
The offices of the c. P. r and C. y. w ara
destroyed together with all the rolling stock IN
the yards. the sleeping car Osceols being the
only car left
At present the fire is following the crest %
the mountain chain above SparwOOd. eating
down into the valleys on either side. II IS trsv-
elIins at tremendous rate. and unless there IA
a change of wind will cross the boundary into
Montana within the next twelve hours.
There are dozens of mines and prospectors
claims in the track OF the fire. all Of which are
in peril A slight change OF wind has occurred.
and Michel has been taken out OF the more
direct path though many buildings the out
skirts have been destroyed Fire fighting appa-
ratus is Of no avail. for the air is filed with
fragments of burning wood and bark. and sheets
OF flame seem to leap ahead OF the confiagra-