Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-22
FIRE REFUGEES
EVERYWHERE PRAYING
THAT RAIN MAY COME

Missoula, Mont. Aug. 22-From
| every corner Of western Montana and
Idaho this morning there are prayers
that the weather bureau has hit IL
risht In the forecast for showers for
today. Nothing but rain can save the
situation, The hundreds OF weary men
who for days have battled with the
flames In the forests are staggering to
safety with bloodshot eyes and aching
Limbs. immersine themselves in streams
or burying their faces In mud for pro-
lection from the rcsistless when endur-
able. naddening heat Of their conquer
ing foe.
The only Improvement In the situa-
ton Ia at Wallace, where the remnant
OF the town that IL left seems To be
safe from FIRE. and at Mullan. where
the town. threatened all day yesterday,
Ia believed to he safe II In reported
that saltese, In western Montana, is
also out Of danger. but this may prove
to be bit of over-confdence.
TOWNS IN ASHES.
The towns of Taft. De Borgia, Hen
derson and the old part OF ST Regis are
IN ashes The old placer town Of Muir
ray In Idaho Is in danger The flames
have the upper hand OF the situation
in a score of places Rain IL the only
salvation Of hundreds OF miles of tim
Der and OF many camps and small
towns. Men have fought the flames TO
the limit OF human endurance and are
Withdrawing from the contest In many
places.
Especially Is the situati serious In
the densely timbered country along the
lines OF the Milwaukee Western OK.
tension. Here the railway has suffered
tremendous loss from Are in the very
region where snowslides wrought havoc
all last winter. Bridges have been
burned and little stations wiped of the
map. Wherever possible the railway
company has brought the men to safe
~ In special trains as there has been
no effort spared to make the rescue
complete This morning there are two
rescue trains on the Milwaukee, speed
ing toward Missoula with about 500
people aboard. There is another on the
Northern Pacifc's Occur dAlene
branch with 250 women and children,
taken from the burned town of st.
Regis. There will be a second North
ern Pacific train before noon.
FOREST GANGS
Unless there are more men In isolated
positions In the woods than IL believed
10 be the case the loss OF life in this
section will not be great. The men in
the forest service gangs are in charge
~ experienced woodsmen and they
know how to take care OF themselves.
Il is only where they have utterly ex-
themselves in their battle with
accidents that they are liable to be
overcome by the fire
In Wallace, however. the death list |
nay grow. The Are swept that town |
with such terrible swiftness that II is |
cared there will be more bones found |
n the ruins a. the search progresses.
FIFTY MILES OF FIRE.
The fieroest forest fires in this DIS
rict this morning are those in Sand
re- county between Thompson and the
daho line. These fires extend along
N unbroken line for more than 30
niles and are in such dense tim Der that
hey are extremely destructive. There
re several towns in this district. built
\ the very midst OF the timber and
IL likely that they will suffer.
There Is no telegraphic communication
18th the west owing to the fires de-
truction OF wire lines and nothing las
cen heard here from Thompson since
The story Of today will de-
end upon the correctness OF the wealth
forecast.