Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-08-30
rain Brings RELIEF
HEAVY SHOWER OF SUNDAY
MORNING CHECKS FOREST FIRES.
Underground i'm Woods Is Dampened
and Atmosphere Is Cleared of
Smoke; Loss Small i'm Polk.


! ern Polk County early Sunday morn
I ing, clearing the atmosphere of smoke
and checking the scattering forest fires
in the Coast mountains. The rain came
as a welcome relief from conditions
: which had become almost unbearable
and although nothing more than a
: passing shower, will doubtless result
in great saving of loss to the timber
owners of the county
Polk County has not suffered so
seriously from forest fires this year as
has some of her neighbor counties in
Western Oregon. The fires have been
confined mostly to logged-off lands,
the only serious damage being report
ed from the Siletz Basin, where the
ranch house on the Cobb & Mitchell
tract was destroyed and a considerable
amount of green timber burned
| Haven Smith, a homesteader in the
Siletz country, came out to Dallas the
last of the week and reported that the
fires in the Basin were well under con-
troll. He says the fire which started
on the ridge south of Falls City trav-
eled over the summit of the noun
tains, by way of the old tanbark camp.
and after destroying the Hinshaw
house on the Cobb & Mitchell ranch, |
burned on down the county road to !
Sunshine Creek. This fire burned |
through a strip of green timber about
ten miles long and caused a consider
able loss.
The Hinshaw mountain home, ia
nous as stopping place for travellers
to and from the Siletz country, was
totally destroyed by fire. Mr.. Hin
shaw who was alone at the ranch the
night the fire reached his place, bare
ly escaped with his life. Taking ref
1ge in the river, and throwing water
over his body with a willow limb, he
fought the heat and cinders until the
ire had passed. All of the household
goods were destroyed by the flames,
Is well as the contents of the barn. !
When the family saw the fire ap-
over the ridge early in the
lfternoon, Mrs. Hinshaw and her son
litched their team and took fight in e
he direction of Norton. They travel S
ID as fast as the horses could go over n
he rough mountain road, but even
hen barely escaped being caught, as
he fire travelled only few feet be-
lind them for a distance of nearly five e
niles. Had they remained at home
With Mr.. Hinshaw, who stayed to save
s much of his property from the
ames as possible, both the wife and h
on would probably have lost their q
yes. is
Mr. Smith says Left Finseth, Roy O
Wells, Mel Wright and other Dallas
oys who were at their cabins in the
iletz country when the fire crossed
ne summit were at no time in danger, g
Though all held themselves in read M
less to leave at a moments notice.
hiding that the danger had passed
nd that he was short of provisions
r. Smith decided to make the trip to ry
he valley the last of the week. He pt
lme by way of Salmon River, travel sc
* distance of so miles rather than so
attempt to cross the burned tim
'r zone. He will leave for home to-
~ and will probably go in by way TC
Falls City. tie
Damage Small at Black Rock.
T. b. Masters, a prominent mer-
ant of Black Rock, was in Dallas a
W hours yesterday afternoon. Mr.
asters says the damage by fire in ~
d around the mountain lumber town ''
is small. A small house belonging
Mrs. Lucy Darling in the outskirts
the town was burned but little or
damage was done to the green tim -,
r.
For few days the situation was -n''
tical, especially during the times
en strong wind was sweeping
'ough the canyon. At such times,
rning limbs and cinders were blown 20
o the town from long distance p pr
the people We're kept busy watch Wv
the roofs of their houses. Mr. Mas
5 and his assistants spent three
spless days and nights guarding
store building from the flying nc"
ders out
,ba shower os c,r,,a,, ,,,o.,,,,, ,a., par
only twenty minutes at Black Rock,
large amount of rain fell during
{ short time, thoroughly wetting
underground and trash on the -
ged-off lands. and it is now be- -
ed that all danger has passed. ne
at Z