The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-08-30
PUBLISHED THREE TIMES A WEEK.
Loss OF LIFE
h the Forest Fires Of Idaho and Hon
.tana is Appalling
MANY HUNDREDS DEAD

MANY HUNDREDS DEAD
Fires Swept Through Forest With
Such speed That None Gould Es'
cape.-srore Than Two Hundred
Persons Perish in Idaho Alone
Property Loss sao,ooo,ooo.
r. the stories Of men who returned
last Friday from the ST. Joe country
are to be believed. the loss of life
along Big Creek, tributary Of the
St, Joe river, was appalling and the
dead in Idaho alone will number
more than 200, even if Ranger Hahn
and his "a men turn up, Of which the
forest officer in Wallace is not hope
full. ,af.
All estimates Of the financial loss
es place it at over s20,000,0OO, most
ly in timber. Supervisor Weigle has
given hope for the safety OF Ranger
Halm and "a or the headwaters OF
the St. Joe river. Ranger F. A.
Herns, at the head of still larger
party on the St. Joe, is safe.
The loss Of life occurred mostly
last Saturday and Sunday week, when
a gale famed smouldering embers
into great fires and drove flames
through the mountain with the speed
of an express train, giving fire fight
ers no chance to flee for their lives.
None OF the town in Idaho and Mon
tana is now in danger and the crit
ical period is passed.
With 86 employees OF the forest
service known dead and grave 1ears
felt for a number of others who are
missing, headquarters Of the Couer
d'Alene forest service at Wallace
Idaho, is anxiously awaiting news
from the relief expedition sent to
rescue Ranger Joseph B. Hahn and
81 men who have not since been
heard from when they were on the
headwaters Of the st. Joe.
With the opening Of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and ,Pudget Sound into
the. St. Joe valley, discouraglng news
is beginning to come out. It appears
that 500 men were at work On. Big
Creek last Sunday when the wind
blew flames through the canon. Ap-
parently truthful accounts of the loss
of Al of the men were eceived Fri
day. These deaths should not be
confused with the losses reported
from Avery.
Near Avery Al bodies have been
found and 10 Japanese, four negro
soldiers and an unknown number OF
settlers are missing.
SiXty-fve men, natives Of the Med
iterranean country, arrived in Spok-
ane from Big Creek and said IS Aus
trians aad two American choppers
were burned to death last Saturday
week. From the story of the sur
vivors it appears that these victims
were working at a point farther up
the creek than the 80 Italians al
ready reported dead.
The Austrians were undertaking
to back fire but their work was so
unsuccessful that they were killed
by the fire they themselves had just
lighted which ran back on them and
drove them against wall OF flames
advancing from the opposite direc-
ticn.
The towns along the line of the
Columbia and Puget Sound, short
coal road, are in greater danger than
those along the Milwaukee line. The
Columbia's agent at Tailor reported
Friday that the. fire was within 700
yards Of the town. He added:
1.-TWO houses on the outskirts were
burned last night Wind blowing
hard. When fires get into heavy
timber above here nothing can save
the town. Worst is yet to come"
The Columbia & Puget Sound sent
q passenger train to Tailor Friday
night and is holding it there ready
to bring out the people. Tailor is
town Of 500 population.
Warden, ,Simons received the fol-
lowing telegram from Ranger Stone
at Moncon, on the line OF the Mil
waukee:
'The fire here is from one to three
miles wide. Need all the help I can
get. Can not keep fire back. Loss
to personal property great and posi-
bly, some lives lost"
Warden Simons has telegraphed to
the navy and war departments ask,
ing that the forts and warships on
Puget sound fire all their big guns
at s o'clock Saturday morning In
the hope the detonation will start
a general rainfall over western Wash,
ingtOn.