The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-25

SPOKANE; Wash, Aug. 2a-It is be-
lieved that more than 200 persons, near
ly all fire fighters. pcrished in the Idaho
forest fires. Superintendent Weigle of
the Occur d'Alenc national forest after
receiving many reports OF disaster TO
various parties of his 600 employees.
posted bulletin today In his office at
Wallace announcing the death OF 11S OF
the men, and also stated his grave con-
Germ for the safety OF Ranger Joseph b.
Hahn and scventy-four men, who were
surrounded by fire Saturday night in the
forest on the Big Fork of the Coeur
d Alenc river, near where another party
lost thirteen men. Hahn was for four
years the best athlete OF the Washington
state college at Pallman, renowned
football and baseball player The charrcd
bodies OF twenty fire fighters were found
yesterday upon Setser creek. in the st.
Joe country. Two burned Japanese
dragged themselves to Avery, Ida, last
night and told of the death of ten of
their comrades. The twelve men, en-
poyecs OF the Milwaukee railroad, had
gone out to fight the fire and had been
& surrounded by flames. only two men
escaping death.
More Rangers Missing.
Another death was reported from Mon
tana making the known total for that
SidN' AHos ut I1ilbtiS HlISClI!E III INC
Thompson Falls country OF Montana
were not heard from today. so far as
known here. The number OF deaths In
10 three all in the Pend Oreille val
Icy, near Newport. one of these vic
tins. Mrs Ernest Dclnhardt, wife OF II
ranchcr. the only woman known TO
have been burned TO death in any Of the
fires
II viii be noted that nearly ali OF the
dead were fire fighters The wholesale
ln.G II 70 S1l Ia lf
and night, when great bodies of men
were striving to check the flames in or
der to save the various towns that were
threatened. The names OF many OF the
dead will never be known. The rangers
employed all the able bodied men whom
they could impress into the service.
When the groups OF fire fighters were
overwhelmed the camps were also dcs-
troyed. the clothes were burned off the
bodies OF the men and the bodies OF the
dead were often so charred that search
ers stepped on them, thinking they were
pieces of burned log. The fire obliterated
the trails, and the burned country is
difficult TO go through because OF fallen
trees.
Situation Improves.
With the towns out OF danger. and the
settlers fled To places of safety. the
rangers were able TO devote themselves
entirely today 10 the saving OF the trees,
and with effect Various fires were
isolated. and VIII die for lack Of fuel.
In Montana rain and snow fell. check
ing the flames. In Spokane today the
sun shone clear and even in Wallace
the smoke cloud was lifted. No one
ventures 10 estimate the financial loss,
for III. extent OF the burned area is not
fully known. 4 pine tree centuries old
has a value beyond that OF the lumber
IL contains. and the national forests have
lost many of the finest trees they pos
scSsed
Although for convenience all the gov
ernmcnt fire fighters have been spoken
OF as rangers. only q few OF them are
regularly ia the forest service, great
number having been sent 10 the fire line
by employment agencies in Spokane, who
advertised for them in the usual way
upon the agency bulletin boards offer
ing 60 cents an hour. free board and bed
Many of the men thus employed were
railroad lal,orers and miners used 10
rough work, but possessing no knowledge
of forestry or Of the technical skin re
uuired In escaping when threatened by