New-York tribune., 1910-08-25
$50 KILLED IN FIRES
81 Forestry Men Dead and "a
Others Missing.
WELCOME RAIN AND Snow
Conditions Much Improved and
Settlers Begin Return to
Their Homes.

Spokane Wash, Aug H-Forest hres
have slain one hundred and fifty persons,
many of them fire fighters in Idaho ac-
cordfng to figures compiled tonight from
latest reports.
Superintendent Weig1e Of the Cnur
d'Aiene National Forest, after receiving
many reports of disaster to the various
parties of his six hundred employees, posted
a bulletin tonight in his office. at wallace
Idaho. announcing the death of iftL-one OF
his men, as follows:
Big Creek, 13; Bullion, s. Wallace, 3;
Placer Creek. s: Setser Creek and Avery
%; ST Joe, l.
In addition, the supervisor has received
telegram from a ranger tonight report
ing fifteen dead at Big Creek. but this IS
thought to refer to district already re-
corded.
The foresters at Bird Creek. for whom
fears were entertained, reported safe 10
night to the supervisor, and Ranger Rocks
party on the north fork Of the st Joe
River, has lost only one man.
Superintendent Weighl also expressed
grave concern for the safety Of Ranger
Joseph R. Hahn and ninety-three men who
were surrounded by fire Saturday night In
the forest on the big fork of the Coeur
D Alene River.
Hahn was four years ago the best foot
ball and baseball player of the Washing
ton State College at Pullman.
The charred bodies Of twenty fire fighters
were found Yesterday on Setter creek, in
the St. Joe country.
Ten Japanese Lost
Two severely scorched japanese dragged
themselves to Avery idaho last night, and
told of the death of ten of their compan-
ions. The twelve men, employees of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Rail
road, had gone out to fight fire. They
were surrounded by flames and only two
men escaped death.
The number of deaths in Washington to-
day was reduced to three, all in the Pen
d'Oreille valley near Newport One of these
victims. Mrs. Ernest Deinehardt, wife of
q rancher is the only woman known 10
have been burned to death In any of the
fires.
Most of the loss of life occurred Satur
day afternoon and night. when great bod
les of men were striving to check the
flames in order to save the various towns
that We're tflrea tened
The names of many of the dead will never
be known. The rangers employed all the
men whom they could press into the
service. When the groups of fire fighters
were overwhelmed the camps were also
destroyed. the clothes were burned from
the men and the bodies were often so
charred that searchers stepped on them,
thinking they were pieces of burned log
With all towns out Of danger, and the
settlers in places of safety, the rangers
to-day were able to devote themselves TO
the saving Of tree Various fires are iso-
lated. and will die for lack of food.
In Spokane to-day tie sun shone clear,
and even in Wallace, Idaho, the smoke
cloud was lifted from the half burned
town.
No one ventures to estimate the financial
loss, for the extent Of the burned area is
not fully known. The national forests have
lost many of the finest trees they possessed.
Wrote Farewell Letter.
When the twenty four men who were i'm
prisoned in the Bullion mine tunnel had
abandoned hope of escape they prepared 70
die manfully. They changed shifts. so that
some might hold blanket over the mine
hole while the others prayed and wrote
farewell messages on scraps of paper. The
letters written by the eight men who sue
cumbed will be sent 10 the persons TO whom
they are addressed. The notes written by
the survivors have been returned to them.
The party was in charge of Edward z.
Hale, who wrote a pathetic goodby mes
sage to his mother. Mrs. c. A. Hale, OF
Chicago. He was saved.
Missoula. Mont. Aug "a heavy fall o.
snow in the mountains and rain in the val