The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1910-08-25
RAIN IS ALL THAT CAN SAVE
TIMBER LANDS IN THREE
STATES.
FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES
homeseekers, Fire Fighters and
woodsmen Are Seeking safety
Beyond Danger zone-Rsil.
roads Run Relief Trains.

Spokane. wash. Aug 23.--Twenty
persons are known TO be dead as a
result OF the forest fires within a
radius OF 100 miles OF Wallace The
death list for the entire nresWept dis
trict Of northern Idaho Is expected 10
reach 100 and probably more
Thousands Pray for Rain.
Missoula. Mont. Aug. 23.-From sv-
cry corner OF western Montana and
Idaho there are prayers that the
weather bureau has forecast accu.
rately In predicting showers Moth
ing but rain can save the situation.
The hundreds Of weary men Who for
days have bsitled with the danes In
the forests are staggering 10 safety
with bloodshot syes aud aching limbs.
immersing themselves In streams OF
buryins their faces In mud for pro
lection frcm the maddening heat Of
their conQuerinE foe.
The towns OF Taft. DsborEiA. Hen.
derson and the cid part OF 81 Regis
are IN sshos The old placer town Of
Murray. In Idaho. n Ia danger Tue
flames have the upper hand Of the
situation Ia a SCORE Of places. RAin
u the only salvation % hundreds OF
miller OF timber and Of many camps
and small towns Men have fought
the danes 10 the limit Of human 90
turance and are Withdrawing from
the contest In many places
Situation ., Wallace improved.
The only improvement IN the situA.
ton Is 90 wallace, where the remnant
VI the town that IL left seems to be
safe from fire, and Al Mullau, where
the town. which was lmmlnently
threatened. Il believed 70 be safe. IL
y reported that saltese. IN western
Montana Is slso out OF danger. but
this may prove BIT Of overconn.
5ence.
The situation is especially serious
In the densely timbered country along
the lines Of tho Milwaukee, western
extension, here the railway has suf
tered tremendous loss from are Ia the
very region where snowsides wrought
havoc ali last winter Bridges have
been burned and little stations wiped
Oh the map.
Wherever possible the railway com.
pany has brought the men TO safety
In special trains. Two rescue trains
on the Milwaukee sped towards Mis-
soula with about 500 people aboard.
There Is another on tho Northern Pa.
eihc Occur d'Alene branch with 9yo
women and children taken from the
burned twn OF St Regis. and a sec.
ond Is following
Unless there are more men In
isolated positions In the woods than
IL believed to be the case. the loss Of
life In this section will not be great.
The men In tho forest service xanEs
are ip charge OF experienced woods
men and they know how 10 take care
Of themselves Il IL oaly whsre they
are utterly exhausted by their bat.
tie with the flames or have suffered
disabling accidents that they are liza
BILE 70 be overcome BY the fires
In Wallace. however, the death
ist may grow. The ares swept that
town with such terrible swiftnoss
that II Is feared there will be more
bones found In the ruins A the
search progresses.
Fire Fifty Miles Lena.
The hercest forest nres In this dis.
trict are those in saners county. be-
tween Thompson and the Idaho line.
These nres extend along an unbroken
line for more than fifty miles and are
In dense timber. There are several
towns In this district. built In the
very midst Of the timber.