The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-24
FIRE FIGHTERS
REPORTED LOST
Nearly Whole Of Panhandle Of
Idaho Is in
Flames.
STATE TROOPS ORDERED OUT.
Timber Worth Millions of Dol
lars in National Forest
Burning.
STATE TROOPS ORDERED OUT

L y 4al Isl : Z
Butte, Mont, AuEuHt c3-Stx hum
dred nre-nRhters who left Thompson
Falls -<our dayA ago are .rePorted.lo lost,
md Forest Supervisor BnsRnetI i, of the
lgCabine er Reserve, Mt Thompson, fears
all may have perished. The wind II
blowing furiously toward Thompso
to-day, and 1t Is feared the town,
crowded with refugees, will be swept
by nre.
Governor Norris Tonight ordered out
State troops to fight forest fires.
Spokane, Wash, August :3.-Ncarlyl
the whole Panhandle OF Idaho, tim-
bered mountain country, Is on fire,
and 1t In possible 1hnt 400 persons may
have perished. United States Forest
Supervisor w. II. Weigle has not heard
from 800 Of his men who were In the
burning woods, and hc fears they have
perfshed.
Spokane, Wash. August 2s.-The
other loss OF life is estimated at 100.
The mining town OF Wardner Is almost
surrounded by flames, and miners are
out fighting the nre.
The hras in the Occur d'Alene nn-.
tional forest are beyond control, and
timber worth millions or dollars Is
burning.
The f,res on the Occur d'Alene IN
dian reservation are checked. as are
those OF Palmous national forest
Along the ST Joe River, which runs
through what Is described as the
largest body OF standing white pine
timber in the United States" there
is continuous fire from Plummer to
a point in Montana. The United States
is the largest loser. Next In import-
ance are the losses sustained by the
Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound
Railroad. which has suffered destruc-
ition Of bridges, buildings and timber
lands for forty miles. E, 81
The fires along the Northern Pacinc
In Western Montana have diminished.
rhe Pen dOreille Valley. neav1ly
timbered, Is on fire in several places,
and loss OF life is feared. It IS difh-
cult to get news from that region.
Dispatches state that four soldiers
OF Company G. ty-fifth In nfantry
5(colored). !. are missing. and also that
a number OF families near. Avery have
been burned out, and many persons
are dead or missing.
all the Bitter Root Mountains are
burning. and that the entire Coeur
d'Alene national forest may be de-
stroyed. ~. .:s35i s97yy5 s II
G -Four families Of homesteaders, re-.
ported burned to death on La Tour
Creek, Kootenai county, Idaho, es-5
capped to st. Joe, wading fifteen miles
along the bed Of the creek. with fire
downs5 to- the waters edge,
forcing the refugees frequently to sub
merge themselves when the flames
reached their faces, An old man in
the party was horne on stretcher all
the way. Their I othes We're nearly
burned off, Il sis
4 While 900 forest ran ging are!missing
in Idaho and Mon tana, it is probable that
most Of them will escape death.
vs. The telephone lines through the ma
tional forest have been destroyed or
and the rangers might be
safe. but unable to report.
x Forest Supervisor Fem to-day for
warded to the Forestry Bureau 1t Mis-
soula a report from X ooskai, !, Idaho,
He asserts that the Ares have now
covered an area OF more than fifty
square miles; that hi gh winds prevail.
and there appears to be little chance
OF bringing the flames under control.
The town OF Troy is threatened From
the Idaho side, furious ares are res
ported coming over the divide at the
head OF Rock Creek, and heading to-
ward Eli ght + Mile Creek. This fire has
g front Of teen NIL les,g and Is said |
to. be. xtending along Deer Creek In |
the directi on Of Bonner a late res
port from Sur uperYisor X ooh, who $iss sat
81. Regis. In dtoates that man ct the |
ls IContlpued n on soYeuth 4PaKe.)