The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-13
INDESCRIBABLE
 SCENES OF CHAOS
 AMONG REFUGEES
gaging Flames Sweep Whole Towns out of Existence and Frantic Citizens Fight for Boats
 to Escape

millions of dollars. Only three of the S4 employees of the West Dome mine have been accounted for and 200 miners help CTS, etc., in the Dome mine have been suffocated The mines burned include the Dome, North Dome, Preston, East Dome vipond, Foley OBrien, Philadel- phia. United Porcupine, Eldorado, Por- cupine, Standard Imperial, West Dome and Success.
 Among the dead are Robert Weiss, manager of the West Dome and his wife and child. The Philadelphia mines loss is about s50,O00 and the United Porcu- pine s2O.oo0, all buildings destroyed; Stan dard about s4oOoo; Imperial about s95.OOo; Success probably destroyed; West mines about s75,00o.
 Following is partial list of victims of Porcupne district fire:
 Suffocated burned:
 Angus Butt, assayer, West Dome, and Mrs. Butt.
 Robert A. Weiss, manager West Dome. wife and 3-year-old daughter
 Capt Jack Hamilton, West Dome mine.
 - Mcqueen, carpenter, West Dome, and wife.
 Andy Yuyll, foreman United Porcupine mines.
 Frank Flynn, Joseph Fletcher of Unit ed Porcupine mines. c. E. Adams, Philadelphia mine.
 William Gohr.
 Thomas Geddes
 Dan Smith,
 Capt. George Runbar.
 Twenty-seven known to be dead in West Dome shaft, names not available. Thirty foreigners known to be dead in Dome shafts.
 Drowned in Porcupine lake:
 William A. Moore.
 R. F. Mundue.
 Mervne Strain, Haleybury.
 Andrew Lane.
 Nathan Haas, mining engineer Spokane. Missing:
 Dwight of Porcupine mine.
 Only 36 employees of West Dome had been accounted for up to late hour today. There is no means of estimating the dead at Dome mines, but tie manager and Mrs. Meek, Captain Lawson and Henry Hansan, foremep. are safe.
 Like Rats in Trap
 Tn four short hours commencing at 12 80 yesterday noon the fire swept from the Standard mines through 10 the shores of Porcupine lake, where it ate up the towns of South Porcupine Pottsville and part of Golden City as we'll as many small DuliuluSS dloHB tue ldAS lTOHt
 While some loss of life occurred in the vicinity of Porcupine lake, the greatest havoc was wrought around the main mines, notably West Dome and Big Dome. There the entrapped miners cut off from escape. were forced to take to the shafts for safety and penned in by flames, perished. This is especially the case at Dome and West Dome mines. At Pres- ton. East Dome, an untmbered shaft gave shelter and none perished.
 The streets of South Porcupine are strewn with dead persons. horses, dogs and cattle. Along the mine roads are the charred bodies of those overcome trying to escape.
 Dome List 300
 Of the staff of 300 at the Dome, but few were saved and at the West Dome bu, three out of S4 employees are known to be alive Along the highway between West Dome and South Porcupine over com paratively open section were found six charred bodies
 In the ruins of the town of South Porcu- pine were found the bodies of William Cohr and his clerk Mac Smith, Capt George Runbar and Tom Geddes
 Early yesterday morning the miners saw dense clouds of smoke to the south west where the fires were raging Later . small blaze started in Iakeview of the Porcupine town site, but it passed almost unnotced because of the recent frequency of bush fires. 1t not until noon that the dense smoke clouds began to ioll over the Porcupine district Then tie miners became alarmed and the camps took on unusual activity. Mes sengers were sent out and soon returned with warnings that the fire was travelling through the forests at rapid pace and was licking up many townships.
 Shortly after noon the fire had covered 1raQ nf In a fuyn miles in width and was licking up the base line of Tisdale. sweeping over the Standard and Imperial mines at Delore, the Philadelphia, Inshaw, Eldorado and United mines in southern Whitney.
 Many Fell Exhausted
 When the seriousness of the situation was apparent the fire call was sounded with the Dome mine whistle. Miners and women and children scurred about in the dense smoke packing valuables and light baggage. In half an hour the flames were raging on the spot They swept over the OBrien mine then jump ed 10 the Preston East Dome and fol- lowed over the Dome, West Dome and North Dome. Hundreds fled before the flame, but the dense clouds of black yIroke hung very low over the land and made progress difficult, Many fell ex- hausted before the raging fire as 1t swept over the town of South Porcupine. The frame buildings burned fiercey.
 Twenty minutes after the flames struck Che outskirts the town was in ashes. All who escaped the flames made for the water, where all sorts of water crafts. launches, canoes and skiffs were pressed into service.
 Women and children were first huddled into the small boats and started off from Pottsville and Golden City, where they were temporarily safe from the flames. Many miners lost their lives in eff forts to safe others and some were drowned Panic and chaos prevailed when the flight by water from South Porcupine began. Men fought with each other for places in the boats for their families. Police officers had to stand off the panic stricken foreigners who rushed for each boat as 1t came in. Men were owed into the water and many plunged in as the only place Of safety Z, Thirty launches and as many canoes soon had the women landed safely on the other side of the lake
 0rewsome scenes abounded. One man