The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-23
APPEALS FOR HELP
TO WASHINGTON
Government Is Asked To Save
Lives From Fires
CONFERENCE Is HELD
Fire situation in the Northwest Is
Taken UP and President Taft Or
ders Every Assistance Possi-
BILE To the People

| Washington, August 22.-Appeals for
help from the federal government not
to protect the burning forests of the
northwest but to save human lives,
poured into Washington today. As a re-
suit every means at the disposal of the
officials was bent toward rendering aid
and the precarious situation laid before
| President Taft by telegraph.
| The situation was taken up at a con-
ference at the war department between
Associate Forester Potter Of the forest
service Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, chief
| of staff of the army, and Adjutant Gen.
eral Ainsworth. The immediate result
was the ordering into service of the last
five companies available in the stricken
regions for f1re-fghting duty. and of
pack trains carrying medical supplies and
army surgeons to the immediate relief
of the sufferers.
| Mr.. Potter laid before the army Off
Gals his latest information from the
fire regions. His advices were that high
winds prevailed Sunday, which resulted
| In many dangerous fires. At Wallace,
Idaho, one-quarter of the area of the
|
was said to be threatened and Libby and
Troy, Mont, in grave danger, each town
asking for $50 troops
Twenty-Five fire-hghters had been killed,
according to the forestry report, and
Mr.. Potter was inclined to believe that
these all had been In the employ of the
forest service.
His reports only mentioned the loss of
two men at Wallace, Idaho Fires were
reported to be racing toward Mullan and
Burke Ilaho, not far from Wallace, and
the whole west end of Lolo, another
Idaho town, was said to be blazing. All
inhabitants of ST. Regis valley were re-
ported to have been taken out on special
| trains.
Two hundred forest rangers were re-
ported to be In grave danger on the Idaho
side of the east fork of the St. Joe
river in the Bitterroot mountains.
Fires in the Bitterroot. Mssoula and
Cabinet forests were beyond control.
The war department has already or
dered 30 companies into the field. If
other federal troops are to be ordered
to the threatened regions they must come
from distant forts and emergency funds
must be provided for their transporta-
ton.
Not only incendiarism, but also made
quate means OF protecting the forests
and unusually dangerous conditions are
blamed by Associate Forester Potter, in
statement issued today, for the fires
now raging in the northwest. The pres
emit situation has proved SO serious that
Forester Henry G. Graves. who was on
his way to Washington. has telegraphed
the service from Rochester. N. Y. that
he has turned back and is now on his
way to the front to take charge of the
fighting.
I'VE are summoning aid from every pos
sible source and will continue to make
the best fight we can, but unless a turn
in the weather favors US some of the
fires will burn on until they go out for
want of more fuel" said Associate For
ester Potter, after his conference with
war department officials.
Mr.. Potter compares the present meth
DDS of dealing with the connagration
with the handling of San Francisco
or Baltimore fire with hand bucket
crew.
President Taft Sends Aid
Beverly, Mass, August 22-Presdent
Taft has received alarming reports as to
the situation In the forest fire districts of
the west, and has directed Gen. Leonard
Wood, chief of gtaff Of tho United States
army to render every assistance In his
power. In addition the President tonight
sent the following telegram
| "(yOyernOr6 RradV of Idaho. Norris OF
Montana and Hay of Washington: Gem
| eral Wood has sent 30 companies of fed
! eral troops in addition to pack Transports
| ton and extra medical officers to the
forest fire districts. and have directed
him to do everything in his power to CO.
operate In saving life and fighting hre
Please telegraph me the exact situation.
The reports which reach me are most
| serious, and I desire exact information.
civilian H. TAFT"
| The President tonight received the fol-
| lowing response from Governor Brady OF
Idaho:
"Boise. Idaho, August 22.-To the Presi-
dent, Beverly, Mass: Your telegram just
received. Have been wiring all day for
particulars. Understand wires down into
wallace. Associated Press dispatches
approximately correct, Business section
and portion of residence sI~~o on Of Wal
lace have been saved. Fl reported to
be under comparative rol, unless
| wind changes. VIII give benent OF
any Information I am to get.
thank you sincerely for a ~ have sent
ana are sending. M
| JAMES BRAQ Governor"
! The entire situation al federal aid
in the fire districts wal lit up to the
President this afternoon by the war de-
partment, and his kilograms to the gov
ernor followed.
|
Belief In Incendiarlsm
Washington, August 22.-Postive evil
dence that many Of the forest fires in