The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-08-25
MYST cry TO
Be CLEARED
Twenty y-twoBodiesWere
Not Rangers---Loss of
Life Appalling

Spokane. Wash. Aug 25.-The mys-
terry of the bodies that are being
found In the st Joe country OF Idaho
probably will be cleared away today,
when the Milwaukee runs It's first
train TO Avery One hundred and six
men living in the St Joe valley are
said TO be missing TWENTY-FIVE
bodies. supposed To be of settlers.
were found yesterday Several days
ago twenty bodies were discovered
scattered over an area OF mile. and
II was assumed that they were forest
employees, Supervisor Weigle includ-
ing them In his list OF dead employees
Last night. however. he declared they
were not rangers. Add the number OF
dead rangers. E4 the A bodies found
near Avery, the 10 Japanese who per
ished near Avery. and the various
known dead In Washington, Idaho and
Montana and the total rs 142. This
is without taking Slto account the 1856
rangers imprisoned on the headwntcrs
of tho St Joe.
Appalling Loss Of Life.
The appalling loss of life among
the forest employees has taken the
heart out OF the surviving foresters,
and an order has been issued not to
risk life TO save timber The little
fires are being eXtlnguished. but the
great fires. TO fight which might result
In the loss of more lives. will be al
lowed to burn themselves out. or they
win burn until the rains extinguish
them.
In the Occur d'Alene mining coun-
try the fires have exhausted their fuel,
as also they have done In tho Pen
dOreille valley In the Clearwater
country and in the thickest timber Of
the Occur d'Alene national forest.
however, the flames are as hungry
and active as ever
Difficult to Reckon Cost
No lumberman or forester will give
an estimate of the timber losses. Even
after the fires are out 1t will be difTl-
cult TO reckon the cost. II Is believed
however, that the present fires are
the most expensive the United States
has ever known. An expert railroad
builder estimates the loss OF the Mil
waukec road at S2.5000O0.
The Spokane chamber OF commerce
has begun the raising OF a large RELIEF
fund The chambers representative.
who has just returned from Idaho. be-
lieves that many ranchers have been
burned to death, and that many more,
who have lost everything they pos
sessed, Will need financial aid to carry
them through the winter and re-estab-
lish them.
Subscribers to Relief Fund.
Among the first subscribers 10 the
l.. IL
lace were John Hays Hammond and
United States Hepburn OF Idaho.
Message from, Idaho.
A special to the Spokesman-Review
from Sites. Idaho, says:
Forest Ranger c. H Watson. on
Wednesday night, rode into Major
Fcnn's headquarters at kooskia on
jaded horse. from which every hair
had been singed. and begged that a
relief party be sent to rescue six men
surrounded by fire in Old Mans basin.
Watson left the men Monday morning
at daylight and hSd been ever since
lighting his way 50 miles TO Kooskia-
He passed through burning forests for
% miles. and for five miles was COM
pelled TO ride through blazing trees.
from which masses of burning bark
ana limbs were constantly falling on
him and his horse The smoke was
so dense that he was compelled to
dismount and lie fiat on the ground in
order 10 get breath OF air, and his
horse was several times SO overcome
that IT fell. Watson reported the six
men as exhausted and sick.
a party OF fifteen Is surrounded IL
miles beyond Weitus Meadows. but
are supposed TO be safe. There are
also $50 men surrounded I'm the noun
tains between 10 10 pass and the
ST Marles. and Major Fem has sent
three guides to pilot them out
Conditions Hopeless.
Conditions in the Clearwater re-
serve are hopeless. and Major Fem
has received instructions from the for
estry headquarters at Mlssoula to re-
call all the fre-hghters from the in
terror OF the stricken region and set
them at work on the outskirts OF the
fire zone. The message said:
"Saye the lives OF the men and let
the timber go
There are 50 large fires and many
smaller ones on the reservation.