The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-08-25

The atmosphere in Malta and vi
cinity was heavily charged, for the
the forty eight hours ending Monday
night, with dense smoke and very
| fine ashes from the forest fires that
were raging in the locality of Great
Falls. At times Sunday the dense haze
was of a lurld red and gave objects a
greenish tint. Most of the
time during the entire two days the
sun was obscured from view and so
heavy was the atmosphere. it was
/ difficult to distinguish objects at
short distance, and the minds of
i some, who were not aware of the
cause of the atmospheric con-
tanned, were filled with grave appre-
hension.
Sunday, fire two miles from
| Neihart, Mont, started the rumor
| that the whole town had been COM
pletely destroyed. For a time the
city was in danger but through the
heroic efforts of her citizens in fight
! ing the flames none of it was
] burned.
] Wallace, Idaha, was first reported
/ entirely destroyed but later messages
! stated much of it had been saved.
However, fifty people perished in the
flames and over 81 100000 of property
is sad to have been destroyed.
The forest fires in western MOnta-
ma and Idaho have devastated vast
areas and many small settlements
have been destroyed and millions of
dollars worth of property wiped out
of existence.
Many OF the refugees from the
Wallace burned district were taken
to Missoula, one mixed train bring
ing scores OF the homeless, whe were
met at the depot by the sympathetic
Missoulans. Many pathetic stories
were told, some of which we quote
/ from the Great Falls Tribune:
"Among the very first to get out of
one of the box cars was a nurse,
wearing uniform and cap, and carry
ing tiny ten days old baby. AT
her heels was the mother, nervous,
pale and emaciated, trembling from
head to foot like leaf. Following
this trio came another, a nurse, u
nine days old child, and a frail,
frightened mother. From the car
ahead a desperately i'll and fearfully
weak man was lifted. BY his side
hobbled an old, wrinkled faced pio-
neer, travelling on crutches. There
was half dozen other feeble per-
Sons. Workingmen, covered with
CRIME, accompanied their families.
The poor fellows had not had time to
wash their faces or change their
clothes.
Zone mother with four children
was weeping for her husband and an
eight year-old son who had missed
the train. Two of her little ones, a
four year-old boy and small, blue
eyed, flaxen-haired girl, were in their
night clothes. The boy, who had
been aroused from his sleep, IN the
excitement of the moment came out
Ito see if his brothers and sisters
were safe and did not have time to re-
turn for his togs. His baby sister,
who did not quite understand what
had happened, was lifted from the
bed in her nightgown and literally
carried away asleep. The father of
the family, Otto Grafenburg, ran
Back to try to save his house and was
left.
"The most pathetic story of all is
hat of Dorothy and Doris Baldwin,
]even year-old twins, pair of
bright eyed brunettes who got separ-
tied from their grandmother, Mrs.
2ule, who was lost in the race for the
rain. Their mother, Mrs. Ray Bald
win, was out of the city cooking in a
railroad camp and knew nothing of !
heir danger. Their grandmother,
Fith whom they lived, started with
hem, but discovering that she had
eft her purse in their little house,
hrned and went back for it. Later,
he children saw her struggling to
Itch the train, but the fire was
reeping at such terrific pace that
e cars had to pull out to escape.
hey believe that she succeeded in
bunting hand car that carried
Fay number of people.
George Bryan, who was on the Sec
ID rescue train from the fire dis