The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-08-23
FOREST ! FIRES
- Ilfs.Q d. g'5..,2 e
Sweet Whh Relentless Fury Over Parts
Of Montana and Idaho
MANY. PEOPLE PERISH

DEVASTATION and Destruction Left in
the Wake of the Flames, Which
Sweep Over Great Distances, Sur
prising Sleepers and Drive Them
From their Homes.
NIerciless and relentlessly the for
est fires in western Montana and
Idaho are sweeping over vast area,
driving hundreds of fugitives before
them, destroying small settlements
and wiping out of existence millio rs
Of dollars worth of property. One
half of the town Of Wallace. Mon
tana,s has been destroyed, entailing
a lost Of 81 900, 900 worth of prop
erty and thirteen lives.
Elsewhere in the fire zone the sit
uaticn has gone from bad to worse.
The most serious incident is reported
from St. Coe county, where $50 men
engaged in the foresty service are
missing and it is feared they have
been burned to death.
When the fire approached the
camp where there were 200 men,
two of the fire fighters took horse
and, riding the animal to death, rode
from the camp and ordered a party
which penetrated the fire line to Bird
creek.
Eighteen of the men were found
in the water, where they had gone
for safety, and were unharmed. From
the remaining 1S0 men. no word has
been received. A relief train equip
ped with pack animals, has been or
dered, carrying provisions and hos
pital supplies and will endeavor to
get through the fire.
About 1000 refugees have been
brought into Missoula, Montana.
There Is much distress among, them
but their wants are being supplied
by Missoula people and they have
been given temporary homes. The
first of the train came over the Nor
,thern, . Pacific Cour d'Alene branch
and brought the patients whc had
been .inathe Sisters hospital at Wal
lace and as many refugees as could
find places on the small train.
l.. There were $50 on this train and
a second train at noon brought as
many more. These people came from
the small towns along the line be-
tween Missoula and Wallace. Many
of them had been reused from their
sleep. The people on the train were
those whose summons had been the
first intimation that the fire was
near, as there had been no sign Of it
when they went to bed Saturday.
In most instances these escaped
only scantly clad. A woman who
had fed from her home at midnight
gave birth to child in box car
Just after the arrival of the first
train at Missoula. Hospitals are car
! ing for the sick.
IMissoula homes have been opened
freely and the hotels are comfortable
for the present.
A dense pail of smoke hangs all
over eastern Montana. In Missoula
it was as dark as midnight at five
o'clock, the dense smoke being given
lurid hue, which had all the SEM
blance Of the glow Of fire, which was
probably due to the sun. The town
of Taft, near the Idoha line, was en-
tirely destroyed by fire before day
light Sunday
Saltez, just below Taft, has been
abandoned by its inhabitants and IS
known to be surrounded by fire. De
Borgia is seriously threatened and
one man is missing. At St. Regis
the fire has crossed the river and
threatens outlying buildings, though
no fears are felt for the town.
Cuaghan is reported deserted.
The last word from there is that the
fire is dangerously near and the tele-
ephone operator was preparing to
flee. The area covered is roughly
estimated at 100 square miles, most
of it in the mountains and sparcely
settled. 1t is difficult to obtain in
formation from any of the points,
and it is impossible to reach some
of the isolated places at all.
There is a probability that there
has been serious loss of life, as there
are camping parties and lumbermen
all through the mountains, and the
fire may have come upon them while
they slept Saturday night or might
have awakened Sunday morning to
find themselves cut off from escape.
George Wallbillig and two COM
panions reached Missoula Sunday
night from Adair, station about
200 miles west of Missoula. They
left Adair Sunday morning on horse
back. One horse was ridden TO
death but the men got over the
range.
They say a car of dynamite and
car of oil at the construction camp
near Adair exploded soon after they
left, the FIRE spreading rapidly and
Wallbillig believes the camp was de-