Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-08-25
LED BY YALE EXPERT.
Two Hundred Rangers Surrounded by
Forest Fires,


Spokane, Aug. pa special from
Wallace says that Forest Supervisor
Weigle has received word that 200 mer
under Chief Ranger Kootkey persisted in
camp near Falcon, at the head waters cf
the St. Joe river
Supervisor Wegle tonight said that he
took the most gloomy view Of the situa-
ton regarding the 200 rangers missing in
the St Joe river country. Ranger Root
key Is a graduate Of the Yale forestry
school and an expert forester. The place
in which they were working when last
heard from Is now a seething area Of
flames. The distance from Wallace is 50
short that 1t Is thought that Kootkey
would have sent word to his chief II hs
were alive
steve r. Marquette. a member Of
Ranger Bells party Of 81 men who
We're hemmed In by the flames at
Beauchamp's ranch on the Big Fork
river. arrived in Wallace to-day and
reported that 10 Of the party are dead
and eight in a hospital camp, four
blind and four with broken legs.
LAY IN A Pool. OF WATER.
when the flames swept up tns
canyon Of the Big Fork" said Mar
quette, we found ourselves surround.
ed BY fire. We ron back to the clear.
ing that contains Reauchanps ranch.
Ranger Bell ordered us TO lie down in
pool Joseph Beauchamp. Roder,ch
Ames and the others who persisted
sought shelter In cave which Beau
champ had dug for hts valuables. The
water In the pool was only five inches
deep and the sparks and hot wind
compelled us to turn over every few
minutes to avoid being roas ted
We breathed through wet garments,
Tobacco boxes and razors In the pockets
Of the men cracked on account of thu
heat. We lay two hours in the water be-
fore the flames blew over enough TO allow
our escape"
OTHER LOSSES OF LIFE.
The most startling rumors Of loss Of l'ft
pour In but It Is impossible to verify them.
II seems possible that aside from los,es
among national rangers, the number 4
deaths In the three States will not *.
coed 100.
a list of known dead to date compiled
in Spokane contains only "a names. OtheI
deaths have not been verified.
The mining town Of Gardner is alb
solutely surrounded by flames and
miners are out lighting the fire.
The fires in the occur d'Alenc ma
tional forests are beyond control and
timber worth millions Of dollars is
burning.
The fires on the Occur d'Alene In
dian reservation are checked, as are
those of the Palmous national forest.
Along the St Joe river, which runs
through the largest body of white pine
timber in the United states. there is
n continuous fire from Palmer to a
point In Montana.
L. S. LARGEST LOSERS.
The United states is the largest
loser. Next in Importance are the
Chicago Milwaukee Il Puget Sound
railroad, which has suffered destruc-
ton of bridges, buildings and timber
lands for 40 miles.
The fires along the Northern Pacific in
western Montana have diminished. They
we're largely In timber that had been
burned over In former years, The Idaho
fires are burning virgin forest
The Pan d'Oreille valley, heavily tlni-
bered is on fire In several PLACES. and
loss of HE is feared, II Is difficult TO get
news from that region.
The weather service says no rain Is IN
prospect
Dispatches state that -four colored
soldiers are missing and that number
OF families near Avery have been burn
ed out and many persons are dead or. mis-
sing.
Railroad employees at Avery say that
all the Bitter Root mountains are burning
ard that the entire Occur dAlene nation.
al forest may be destroyed.
FAMILIES WADED 10 MILES.
Four families OF homesteaders reported
burned to death I'm Kootenai county, Idaho
escaped to St. Joe, wading Is miles alonl
the bed OF the creek with fire burning
down to the waters edge, forcing thl
refugees frequently to submerge them.
selves. An old man In the party wat
borne on a stretcher all the way. Theii
clothes were nearly burned OF
While 800 forest rangers are missing il
Idaho and Montana. II Is proba BILE that
most OF them win escape death.
The telephone lines through the nationa
forest have been destroyed and the rang
srs might he safe. but unable to report.