Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-08-23
THREE HUNDRED
ARE MISSING
Brave Fire Fighters Are
Perishing by the Score
in Idaho
BEATING BACK HUNGRY FLAMES
Conflagrations Are Being Grad
ually Subdued But Situation
Still Critical.

Gardiner, Idaho, Aug. 23.-Four
fires are raging within a mile and a
half of Wardner and the town is in
great danger. Six hundred men from
! the Federal, Caledonia and Bunker
Hill mines have been sent out to back
the fire Women and children are pre-
pared to leave, the route to safety be
ing still open.
Thirty-three Fire Fighters Dead.
| Washington, Aug. 23.-Forest sery-
ice officials issued a statement today
Summing up the reports from their
agents in the field concerning the
fire situation. Thirty-three fire fight
ers are known to be dead in the Lolo
and Occur d'Alene regions and two
more men are reported fatally hurt.
These figures are only for the lives
of fire fighters and no attempt is made
to estimate the loss of life. The fol-
lowing message was received from
Associate District Forester Silcox at
Missoula: The known dead fire
! fighters in the Lolo and the Coeur
dAlene regions number 33, with two
more perhaps fatally hurt. Several
large crews are yet unheard from,
and are in danger All of the towns
of st. Regis and Altese are burned.
The wind is less violent today and
the hope to get rescue and fire fight
| ing parties started tomorrow. The
town of Troy is now in grave danger.
The entire Fisher river watershed
is on fire. Hundreds of fighters were
forced to abandon tools and supplies
and fee. Sylvanite is destroyed and
the Yakt river watershed is afire for
miles" The fires on the Colville In
worse, and cannot be eXtinguished
without the aid of rain. According
to telegram from the superintend-
ent, call for troops To- fight fires
which have broken out on the Tahoe
national forest, California, have been
received The information is of seri-
Gus fires in that vicinity The ex-
|pense of the war department render
ling aid in fighting fires is getting up
into the thousands. 1t is probable
that Congress will be asked for de-
ficiency appropriation to cover the
lexpense incurred.
Terrible Slaughter.
Spokane, Wash, Aug. 23.-Three
hundred fire fighters of the total force
of men which are battling with the
flames in the burning white pine for
ed for today. Government Forest Su-
|pervisor W. R. Weigh in an interview
at Wallace today declared his belief
that nearly all had perished. The
missing men have been working
where the fires have been the f1ercest
along the headwaters of the Occur
ld'Alene and st. Joe rivers.
| Man Comes Off Victor.
Missoula, Mont, Aug. 23.-The for
est fires which have ragged along the
Occur dAlene branches of the line
of the Northern Pacific the last few
ldays are gradually being subdued, ac-
Icording to reports being received by
railroad officials today. The high
winds which prevailed yesterday died
down last night and in nearly every
burning district the fighters are able
to make progress against the flames.
| Thirteen in One Grave.
Wallace, Idaho, Aug. 23.-The
bodies of thirteen fire fighters are be-
ing prepared for burial at the juno
tion of Pine and Big creek, south of
Warden according to report reaching
here. Government Supervisor Weigle
says that these are not his men and
suppose that they are Idaho state
rangers. They are to be buried in one
grave.
| Incendiaries Still at Work.
Missoula, Mont, Aug. 23.--Forest
Supervisor Fem today reported to the
local forestry bureau from Kooskia,
Idaho, giving distressing picture of
conditions in that district. The fires
now have covered an area Of more
than SO miles square. High winds are
prevailing today and there appears lit
tie chance of bringing the flames un-
der control The town of Troy IS
threatened. The fires are coming over
the boundary from Idaho at the head
Of Rock creek. Reports were heard
today that incendiaries attempted to
spread new fires at st. Regis last
night.
Montana Dry as finder.
Butte, Mont, Aug. 23.-Although no
forest fire of consequence RACES with
in hundred miles of Butte, smoke
hunk heavily over this city last night.
The conditions in central Montana
are little improved. The entire state,
prairie forest, is like tinder and one
cannot tell where the fire will sweep
next.