El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-27

With the Wind Calm, the
Fire Fighters Are Making
Roadway Against Flames.
DEATH LIST rs
REDUCED SIXTEEN
The Party of Forest Ranger
Hahn Located Safe-Gov-
eminent Must Aid Victims

Ogden, Utah, Aug. 2z-Dfstrfct for
ester Sherman, whose Jurisdiction ex-
tends over southern Idaho. received a
message today that a fire of huge pro-
portions had broken out near Island
Park ON the Yellowstone branch of the
Oregon short line. The railroad has sent
a force OF $50 men to the scene and 100
others are being recruited.
Survivor Arrives.
Missoula, Mont, Aug. 27.-John ".
Bell. ranger who lost II of his crew
Of At on Big Creek near Wallace, ar
rived here last night weak and sick
with scorched lungs. He continued to
his home at Sheridan, Mont
Conditions Improving.
Spokane. Wash, Aug. PA dispatch
from St Mary's. Idaho, says there is
no wind and that the fires are being
brought under control
a member OF the Hahn party wires
from Iron Mountain that all Is are
safe, and uninjured
The Spokane city council last night
adopted resolutions asking the ma
tional government to render assistance
to the thousands of persons made home-
less and helpless by the fires
Sixty-seTen forest employees are miss
ing and still unaccounted for. Complete
returns have not vet been received from
the Ceur D'Alene region in the Vi
entity of Wallace, Idaho.
When these are in it is thought the
list of missing will be materially re-
duced.
The missing include the following:
Ranger Holiugshead's crew on Big
creek. % men,
Ranger Thenon's crew at Indian lake,
81 men.
At the setser creek camps. five men.
Hahn Party Not Large.
The discrepancy in the number OF
men in Halms crew which has been re-
ported from Wallace to consist OF 20
men and which, according to the rec
ords of the district office is only COM
posed Of 10, can be explained through
the fact that the original party con-
sisted Of 20. but after starting out many
were transferred and some discharged,
reducing the number of the party to 16.
1t is also further explained that
ranger Haines, who first had charge OF
the party, has since personally report
ed to the district forester in this city,
that when he turned it over to Hahn
it only contained Is men including
ranger Hahn
The district office has been hopeful
all along that the Hahn party is safe.
Fire Serious.
During the present year the forest
fires on the national forests have been
the most serious since the forests were
established. This has been due TO the
very severe drouth which in certain
regions of the northwest Is the worst
experienced for many years The for
ests have been extremely dry and there
have been almost constant high winds
Under these conditions a small spark
is sufficient to start a severe fire in
very short time. The forests service
has maintained an increased fire pa
troll Innumerable fires have sprung
up. but the patrolmen have been able
to extinguish the bulk Of those starting
near the roads and trails before they
reached any considerable proportions
Thus. in this region. over 5000 fires
have been put out IN their incipiency in
addition to over 90 fires Of considerable
size which have been extinguished-
The fires starting in the less accessi-
Continued on Page Four.)