The Washington herald., 1908-08-04
900 ARE DEAD.
Continued from Page One.

the Elk Lumber Company and Cedar
Valley Mills caught are and in an in
credIbly short time West Fernle was a
hing mass.
The confag-ation Jumped the river and
set IRE 10 the west end OF the town
Crowds rushed TO the railway stations.
and On this manner. numbers reached
Hcsrer IN safety. although the trains had
90 run through sheets OF fame which re
pearedly set fire % the coaches.
The scene during the condag-ati0n de-
f1es description
The blow IS the severest ever dealt
Canadian town But citizens Of Fernie.
many OF them ruined are giving way
20 no respondent apathy. and IN all hu-
man probability q greater Feruie viii
arise on the ashes OF the old
Loss May BE Eight Millions.
The following WIS received at 70 1o-clock
this evening from Ferrie. 3. c.. The
wind has abated and gradually the IRE
Is being got under control Il Is not
thought that the death list here viii
amount TO more than 10 but If VIII be
some days before returns are in. as The
fire has burned over an area OF several
hundred square miles. and through this
territory are scattered many numbering
camps and shanties However. the in
jured vii number many hundreds The
loss 20 buildings IS variously estimated
at from S7603.1l1 70 SSlll.00o. 70 which
must be added The loss in cut and stand
ing lumber"
= report from Cranbrol<e. the first sta
ton west Of Fernie. says that sixty-one
men and two women were burned TO
death IN No logging camp Of the
Elk Lumber Company The camp was
surrounded by IRE and not a single per-
son escaped Hundreds OF refugees are
being sent through from Feraie to
Cranbroke.
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 sprung 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 mountaiaside and before a
FIRE guard could be organized had entered
the town
Inhabitants Leave AL
Within an hour the town was doomed
and the inhabitants sought safety in
flight. leaving everything behind them.
All night and yesterday morning the
exodus continued. the destination being
a small prairie in the valley three miles
south OF tire town
At present 5000 people are camped there
in the open. their only protection being
shelters built OF brush. or blankets. while
a constant shower Of sparks from the
burning area kept falling through the
pail of smoke by which they are sur
rounded
For a time communication with towns
20 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 prair-
les and all Of these have their groups OF
refugees
The hills in all directions are a seething
mass Of flames. cutting OF every avenue
Of escape The FIRE spread with unpre-
cedented rapidlty and it is feared that
several parties who tried 20 get through
the pass have been cut on Families have
been separated and there Is at present no
means of checking Up the fatalities.
One hundred cars of coke. the property
Of the Great Northern. are gone. ana the
stock piles Of coal and coke. holding about
5O0o09 tons. are in flames It is now
feared that the fire may get in the mines
themselves, several % which are enen in
the neighborhood- This will mean incaI-
culable damage, as the whole OF the val
ley IS underlaid with coal
More than a thousand refugees arrived
here to-day from Cranbroke. All Of them