Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-23
ELK CITY IS SAVED
BY WOMAN'S BRAVERY
Oh Roofs Of Home All Night Sweep
ing Of Burning Brands.
NILES OF SETTING FLAMES
Tacoma Escapes-Coeur d'Alenes
Counting the Cost--Forest Re-
serves in California Now
Seriously Menaced.

SPOKANE. Wash, August 3.-Three
hundred fire fighters OF total force OF
600 which has been battling the flames In
the burning white pine forest of northern
Idaho are unaccounted for today.
Government Forest Supervisor ". r.
weigIe, at Wallace. today declared his
belief that nearly all the entire number
had perished.
.'Out of my total force of six hundred
men I have received word of TIE safety
of only three hundred said the super
visor. The others. when last heard
from. were working in the districts where
the flames have been fiercest. along the
headwaters of the Occur d'Alene and
the ST. Joe.
Il am forced 10 the appalling conclu-
SION that nearly all of these men have
lost their lives"
Women Save Elk City.
That Elk City is still on the map and
out of reach Of the forest fires ravaging
the surrounding country. which Is abiaze
for miles. is due solely to the heroism OF
the women of the town.
While the male population was fghting
the advance Of the confiag-ation. they
guarded their homes and the business
houses. extinguishing number OF incip-
lent biases started by brands carried
from the burning forests.
Many Of them stayed on roofs or the
buildings all Saturday night. But for
their bravery the town would have been
Q mass Of smoldering enibers
usy out q Danger.
The town Is out OF danger. but the con-
ditions In the surrounding regions are
growing worse. The wind has again risen
to q gale, Adjacent mountains are
seething mass Of flames.
The entire Iron mountain Is again
ablase The fire on Squaw creek is burn
ing with renewed fury.
The American river district is a gigan-
tic furnace for miles. A number Of out
habItants have fled, are certain of de-
struction. 1t Is reported that the plant OF
the American Eagle mine. one Of the
largest I'm the district. Is burning.
Scores Of square miles OF territory are
involved. Hundreds Of men are wanted
10 assist In getting the confiagration
under control.
"situation Desperate"
Conditions are epitomixed in a brief
message from Forest Ranger Porter to
Assistant Ranger Brown at Grangeville.
II says:
Situation desperate. Whole country
ablase. Must have help to save prop
erty."
The fire in the Clearwater reserve. ac-
cording 10 adyices received late last night
by Maj. Fem, Is absolutely beyond con-
troll All hopes of subduing the flames
until II rains have been abandoned.
The pack train reported surrounded
Sunday night reached a place OF safety
on Rocky ridge yesterday. but are un-
able TO reach the rangers camp for
which they were headed.
Fires on Old Man creek and on Selway,
near camp g.. have united. No further
efforts will be made to control them.
List of Dead Grows.
The fires have swept past Wallace. The
towns OF the Occur d'Alene district have
passed the first stage of wild, unreason-
ing panic and have settled down, with
more or less composure, TO wait for the
list Of dead.
The list is constantly growing. as the
forest rangers. with red eyes and black
kened faces. penetrate the trails now
choked with fallen logs. and bring word
Of ire-fghting. crews cut of. camps wiped
out ranchers and homesteaders caught in
the path OF the flames and mountain
towns left In ashes
Since the report of the Bullion mine
tragedy no new deaths have been re-
corded.
Forest Supervisor weigl has heard
from practically all his foresters. He
expresses no alarm except for the iso-
lated gangs Of fire-hghters cut on from
communication.
He 10 also worried about Ranger Nei-
vile. nghting with a large crew on In
dependence creek from whom he has not
heard for several days
Wallace Receivers Sanity.
In wallace the people have largely re-
covered from the shock of their narrow
escape CT Saturday.
Notices have been posted that mines at
Burke and along the canyon Will start
tomorrow Miners are being called back
to work Before the week Is over work
viii have been started on the reconstruc-
tion Of many buildings wiped out Satur-
day night
bridge building crews will be rushed to
vorE Hardly a bridge I'm the whole
country around Wallace is left. The Ore
eon Railroad and Navigation. Northern
Puget Sound lines are crippled to some
The burned district, generally speaking.
extends east TO Missoula. north to the
headwaters Of the ST. Joe. and in other
directions, nobody knows how far. From
the tops of the hills everything. as far
ss the eve can sweep is swept bare.
Until the rangers report at headquar-
fsrs here there will be no accurate esti-
mates Of the ravages-
WaIIace's Loss d 900. 600.
Fear OF contamination in the Wallace
wster supply has caused the water com.
many 10 send men up Placer creek and al
n, feeders. clearing streams OF dead fss
and charred logs.
II IL said that insurance on the buildings
Aestroyed here will total $35O00O. Losses
are still estimated at abou $i.o00Oo0
The wallace city council has appointed
n committee to consider the reiief or thu
SomeIsas -o6axs os assistance have beer