The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-08-25
AN ESTIMATE
PLACES.LOSS.
Of Life Conservatively At
Seventy five but Appre-
hension Of Loss of 600
Rangers.

Spokane. Wash, Aug 24.--The end
of the Northwestern forest fire hor-
ror is not in sight, despite the inn
proved conditions. according to to-
days reports to the United states for
estry office from all parts of the fire
zone. The apprehension expressed by
supervisor Wiegel at Ellenburg yes
terday over the fate of 300 rangers
of his fire-fighting force, was In
creased today when report came
from Thompsons Falls, Montana. that
600 forest rangers fghting the flames
in that vicinity have not been ac-
counted for.
The alarm was increased when M.
+. Kottkey, ranger in charge of the
800 men reported missing by Wiegel
yesterday. staggered into Missoula
last night with few of his men and
reported that he did not know what
had become of the rest When last
he saw any of them, said Kottkey
they were out in the burning district
near Avery. seeking means of es-
cape. Several large parties of res
cuers have gone out from Missoula
and Spokane to search for the other
missing men OF Kottkey's force.
Despite the apprehension OF the
forestry officials at Thompson's Falls
over the fate Of the 600 missing rang
ers. the officials refuse to believe that
the men could have perished.
Dispatches from Thompson's Falls
today expressed hope that they had
merely lost their way temporarily and
would soon reappear in some of the
safer towns In the fire zone Search
ers started out from Thomp pson's to-
day
News of the disappearance OF the
600 men was brought here by Forester
Barney, who reported that the 600
men four days ago were sent to the
Cabinet reserve to fight the flames.
Barney says that Forest Supervisor
Bushnell at Thompson's. says that he
had no word from the 900 men since
they left Thompson's. He expressed
the belief that 1t would have been al
most impossible for them to obtain
food in the cabinet reserve and said
he feared they had been cut off from
relief
Aside from the many reported dis
asters to forest rangers, the forestry
officials both here and at Missoula de-
clared that at conservative esti-
mate, about seventy-five men, women
and children, have perished, and thai
the loss to timber alone will not be
less than S10,000.00O. They said they
could not estimate the damage to 9TH
er property.
The calling out of the entire state
militia of Idaho and part of the
militia of Oregon and Montana is be-
lieved to mean a long step in the
right direction. President Taft has
teegraphed the executives of these
three states commencing their action
and has promised to rush all avail
able United states troops to the fire
section on the sole condition that they
must not do police duty.
The fire near Thompson's Falls Is
now the most serious in Montana.
Forester Barney reported at Missoula
that when he left Thompson's yes
terday morning, a wall of flames sew
eral hundred feet high was sweeping
towards Thompson's from the west.
The 700 inhabitants OF Thompson's
were packed and ready to flee, but
barney leareu not oHIy iHoihPSoH
but several nearby towns, including
Plains and Paradise would be con-
sumed.
In the Bear Tooth forest the condi-
tions are most serious and the Gala
| tin county fires along the edge of
| Yellowstone park are as bad as ever
| Reports from several other Montana
points early today are that light
rains have begun to fall and that 1t
is believed the worst is over in those
sections.