The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-08-25
MANY ! PERISH N. !.
WESTERN FLAMES
Twenty-Five Known Dead,
Nearly 100 Missing.
SEVERAL TOWNS HEMMED in
Idaho and Montana Are Fleeing From
Devastating Forest Fires Which
Nothing Can Stop Except
Rain.

! Spokane, Wash, Aug. 3d.. Special:
With the known dead placed at 60 at
least 200 seriously injured, and as
many more missing, progress against
the forest fires raging now in eastern
washington, Idaho and western Mon
tana, was reported by the forest rang
ers Of tho U. s. troops today. A sum-
mary of the situation made out this
morning by one Of the government
foresters here showed that st. Regis
which was reported in flames yester.
day, still has a slight chance Of be-
ing saved; that Mullin, Saltese and
Henderson, all OF which were In i'm
minent danger yesterday, are now
considered out of Immediate danger,
besides Wallace and Taft, the towns
of Bryson, DeBorgia and Haughan
have been wiped out. The progress
made at st. Regis, Mullin and Saltese
which yesterday seemed to be doom
ed, has encouraged the fire fighters
and they now hold out hopes of being
able to check the flames until rain
comes that will be sufficiently heavy
to sxtinguish the fire. The wind is
dying down, according to reports to-
day. ..-... Il.
! Washington, d. G., Aug. 23.--The
population of Wallace, Ida, which
| 10 80 al ltr Arac
was 1900, as compared with 2,265 in
1900. ~.
Wallace, Idaho. Aug. 23.-The ap.
palling statement was made today by
Supervisor Weigle that he believed
| 300 of the government fire fighters in
the Cour de Lane district has perish
ed Weigle says that one.half of his
force of 900 are missing and that he
has no hopes of rescuing them alive.
| Spokane, Wash, Aug. 23.--Twenty-
three persons are known to have per-
/ ished and between rs and 100 are
missing In the Panhandle of Idaho In
the Occur d'Alene district.
4 The seriously injure6s mostly FIRE
\ fighters, win number. according to
the statement of w. r. Weigle, forest
superintendent of the Occur d'Alenes,
more than 100. Many of them have
been stricken blind and others have
broken limbs. ' a..
! Three families of homesteaders,
comprising Is persons, are believed
to have persisted In La Tour creek,
near Catoldo, Idaho, in the forest fires,
At many points hundreds are
hemmed in by a narrowing wall of
flames and 1t is impossible to reach
them with help. ... o..
Town of Burke Doomed.
From Wallace came reports that the
town of Burke is In flames and certain
of destruction. The, fire rangers In
that territory are SO exhausted that
no effective battle against the flames
can be made, the 300. residents Of
the town are in flight toward Wallace.
Forest Ranger Pulaski reports to
Superintendent WE'LL that six of his
men are dead, FIVE having been smoth-
cred in the War Eagle tunnel. where
the entire crew took refuge. s...s.
Ranger Bell reports IL dead, three
; permanently blinded ana 13 suffering
. from broken legs.
In the hills near Sand Point, Idaho
Forest Ranger Van Dycke and crew
of IS enlisted in Spokane are report
ed surrounded by flames.
A woman and her daughter per
ished at Cabinet, Idaho.
Five and perhaps more are known
to have died near Newport, Wash, in
an attempt to reach the town.
Fires Cripple Telegraph.
All along the Great Northern and
; Northern Pacific tracks between Spo
kane and Helena numberiess Ares are
known to be raging Hereby. but def
5 mite reports cannot be secured, DIS the
:. telegraph and telephone wires are al
: down.
T Before communication with Libby
!. Mont, ended It was reported thai
e every male resident OF the town wa.
5 working. with 200 paid FIRE fighters, t.
I divert Flower creek to the south sidt
I of the village as a protection agains
Q the flames driving up from that direc
{ ton.
Montana Situation Grows Worse.
/. Helena, Mont, Aug. 23.-Reports re
! ceived here from every fire district Ii
Montana indicate that the situation 1
!, by long odds the worst In the histor.
OF the state. Despite the large nun
!, Der OF troops, civilians and railroad
: employees that have been put into tn
= field, the flames are absolute master
Of the situation, and there Is only on,
! salvation general rain. but for whicl
y there Is no prospect
q Governor Norris received two call
2 for troops, one from the Gallatin fol-
= est where FIVE sections OF state Ian,
4 have been burned over and with still
g more in peril. as well as the yellow
stone National park district, and tn
other from Lewistown.. where 1t ID Il
ported that fires have again brokel
! out in the snowy mountains The 80,
9 Sfnor Is en- route to Libby to secure
a personal knowledge pf the Flathea
It and Lincoln county situation. and 1
+ consequence. he has taken no actin.
II courlers Warn Settlers
e From Thompson Falls to the Idah
it4~A 49,. 49, f-tarkn ff.rt f.f AZ. N.