The Washington times., 1910-08-23
Frightful Experiences En-
dured In Flight Over
Mountains TO Safety.
SCORES IN PONDS
TO ESCAPE EMBERS
Freshening Winds Tanning Flames,
According to Reports Brought
10 Idaho Towns.

BOISE. Idaho, Aug 8--WhiIe fresh-
ening winds today are tanning The
forest fires 10 greater fury. refugees
continue 10 pour into every town be
yon6 the safety line
After terrible hardships, a partv OF
men. women and children reached here,
having fed from the Idaho Panhandle
country near Wallace. escaping only
with the clothes on their backs.
Henry Peas, one Of the survivors, told
a dramatic story OF the fight
I'VE had become anxious at the
smoke" he said, and could see flames
from our little mountain home. but we
believed that the country about Us was
safe We were awakened in the mid
die Of the night by a band Of biackened.
singed fre-fshters-
81. Get out they said The fires then
were sweeping toward our cabin down
the mountainside at the rate Of three
or four miles an hour, and The heat
was so intense that one could not aP-
proach the fire line within a mile
We had no time OF opportunity 10
save our belongings. Ashes were fall
ing as thick as from a volcano. and en-
. bsrs few from gully 10 gully as If they
were shot from guns.
Warning just IN lime
Before we had got across narrow
vaIIey. near our home II was in flames
"On the edge Of the danger zone we
! met hundreds OF forest rangers They
were fighting for their lives in many
cases All were exhausted. and so black
ene9 that they seemed like demons IS
they worked in the glare OF the fires
Again and again saw men drop, Ut
terIy exhausted. while their companions
were too busy OF too tired 70 help them
away. I am convinced that some Of
these men were overlooked and per
. ished.
In some instances dynamite was set
( of from trees. IN the hope OF bringing
rain That was the only thing thai
+ could check the flames
4 Every BODY OF water we came L
/ was in use as a refuge We heard OF
+ instances where men were rescued from
/ ponds after being in them twenJy-fou1
( hours one man in Wardner county
] collapsed. unknown TO his companions
and was drowned Under the rain Ot
I hrebrandS, these refugees could keeT
+ only their eyes and noses above water
. in many cases they were burned Many
F were blinded that way
Smoke ChoLes and Blinds
But sfiI more were blinded while Try
1 inE % set out Of the country The
( smoke was awful II choked Us ans
! infamed our eyes IN one stretch, FOL
five miles we struggled on with We
3 cloths 10 our mouths every foot OF th'
vrav- IF IL hadn't been for the cloth.
we d never have made it.
NO doubt there were magnificent
{ sights to be seen. but few had a minC
. for such things. The fail OF BURNING
4 trees and the geyseTs of embers wer'
! sights that Viu never be forgotten b.
{ any who saw them. But I'd as soon no
I have seen them
/ 1T was noticeable, however, that TIT
/ men close 10 the dangers did not realiz
the horror Of IL all They were tot
+ close couldn't grasp the magnitude o
II Perhaps IN a month OF & year they
VIII see it in its true proportions Bu
not now
Il heard them Jest when they ap
2 peared trapped 1OIed myself. once
when we thought We would not get out
It's only now that the experience i
past that I'm beginning TO see how
awful i was