The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-08-05
HUNDREDS ARE LOST
LARGE AREA IN BRITISH
COLUMBIA DEVASTATED.
TOWN COMPLETELY WIPED OUT
Up to Last Accounts Seventy four arc
Dead; With Many Casualties Yet
to Be Reported.

Winnipeg, Man.-As a result Of bush
fires, the town of Fernia, B. c., is
wiped of the map as child cleans
slate; Michel, fourteen miles distant
is in flames, and the fate of Homer.
Olsen and Sparwood, intervening
towns, is in doubt, they being cut on
from all communication. Over 100
ives are known to have been lost,
seventy-four of them in Fernie. A ter
ritory of 100 square miles in extent Is
a seething mass of flames. Through
it are scattered hundreds OF lumber
men and prospectors, SO that the
actual loss of life will not be known
for days.
The properties of the Canadian Pa
cific and Great Northern railways are
destroyed 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-four hours the whole OF
the Crows Nest Pass county will be
left to the flames. There is no pos
sib;lity Of estimating the loss of life
especially which will result, for the
flames are driven by hard gale, max
ing It impossible to put up a fight
against their advance. The cOnflagra-
ton is the greatest which has even
been witnessed in Canada and ranks
only with the San Francisco disaster.
For the last month forest fires have
been raging in the mountains OF the
Elk river valley country, but they
have not been considered serious.
Saturday morning heavy wind
sprang up from the crest OF the
CONTAINS to the west of Fernie.
They ran down the west and early
in the afternoon the flames appeared
ovr the mountain side. and before
fire guard could be organized had
entered the town. Within an hour
the town was doomed and the inhabi'
tants sought safety in fight, leaving
their all behind them. All night and
in the morning the exodus continued
the destination being a small prairie
in the valley three miles south OF
the town. At present 5000 people
are camped there in the open, their
only protection being shelters built
Of brush or blankets. while a con
slant shower of sparks from the burn
ing area kept falling through the pal
of smoke. For a time communication
with towns to the east was kept open
but with the burning Of the bridges
across the Elk river this way was
closed. Scattered through the valley
are many small prairies and all o.
these have their groups of refugees.
The hills in all directions are
seething mass of flames. cutting of
every avenue of escape. The fir
spread with unprecedented rapidit!
and it is feared that several parties
who tried to get through the pas
have been cut of. Families have
been separated and there is at pres
ent no means of checking up the ia
talities>
At present the fire is following thu
crest of the mountain chain allow
SparwOod, eating down into the val
leys on either SIDE 1t is travelling a
q tremendous rate and unless Their
, is a change Of wind will cross tn
boundaries into Montana within tn
next twelve hours. There are thou
, sands of mines and prospectors
, claims nj the track of the IRE. all
which are in peril.