The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-07-15
RAGING FLAMES
Hundreds Of People Burued to Death in
The Porcupine District.
THREE TOWNS BURNED


Strewn With Charred Human Bod
les and Dead Carcasses of Animal
that Perished.
A Toronto Canada, dispatch says
the loss of life in Porcupine district,
from Wednesdays fire is known to be
several hundred and the property
loss will reach several millions of
dollars. Only three of the eighty
four empoyees of the West Dome
Mine have been accounted for and
200 miners, muckers, etc., in the var
ious other mines are missing.
Among the dead are Robert Weiss,
manager of the West Dome, and his
wife and child. The West Dome Mine
Company, of Philadelphia, sustained
loss of about $4,000. Reports
from Porcupine give vague state"
statements of the loss of life and
property. The property loss will
lOudl IullAtSAo.
Some loss of life is also reported
from South Porcupine and Eldorado.
At West Dome and Big Dome, the en-
trapped miners, cut off from escape,
were forced to take to the shafts for
safety and penned in by flames, per-
ished. This was notably true at
Dor,o orl r,oct Dn,,, n 40
The streets of Sonth Porcupine are
strewn with dead persons, horses,
dogs, and cattle. Along the mine
roads are the charred bodies of those
overcome trying to escape Of the
staff Of three hundred at the Dome
but few were saved, and at the
West Dome but three out Of 81 en-
ployees are known to be alive.
Early Wednesday the miners saw
dense clouds of smoke to the south
west, where the fires were raging.
They gave small heed. 1t was not
until noon that the smoke clouds be-
gan to roll over the Porcupine dis
lIlCI. utu LuS uluClo UCClluC
alarmed. Messengers were sent out
and soon returned with the word that
the fire was travelling through the
forest rapidly and was licking up
many towns. -,
Shortly after noon the fire had COW
cred IAN area Of twenty-five miles In
length and two miles in width, and
was licking up the base line of Tis-
dale sweeping over the Standard and
Imperial mines at Dolore, the Phila-
delphia, Inshaw, Tldorado and Unity
mines.
When the seriousness of the situa-
tion was apparent the fire call was
sounded with the Dome Mine whis-
tie. In half hour the flames were
raging on the spot. They swept over
the Foley O'Brien mine, then jump
ed to the Preston East Dome and fol-
lowed over the Dome and West
Dome.
Hundreds fed from the flames, but
the smoke hung low over the land
and made progress difficult. Many
fell exhausted. The frame buildings
Of South Porcupine burned flercely.
Mwenty minutes after the flames
struck the outskirts the town was In
ashes. All who escaped the flames
made for the water, where all sorts
of water craft, launches, canoes and
skiffs were pressed into service.
Women and children were first
huddleu into the small boats and
started og for Pottsville and Golden
City, where they were temporarily
safe from the flames. Many miners
lost their lives in efforts to save 9TH
ers and some were drowned.
Fifteen men were drowned at
South Porcupine, when they were
driven into the lake by the dense
clouds, of smoke and rolling wave of
flame. At Ell Dorado two men were
burned to death, and another met a
similar fate at the United Porcupine
Mines.
Three towns have been wiped off
the man and hundreds or refugees are
facing starvation. A train contain
ing six hundred women and children
was rushed out of Cochrane for the
south, las the wall of flames aGvanc-
ed toward the village. The town Of
$500 inhabitants was soon mass
of fire and is entirely destroyed.
South Porcupine and Pittsv':o are
charred ruins.
Golden City was surrounded by
flames for hours, and is still in dang
er, although only the suburbs have
been burned. Part of Tisdale has
been wiped out, the fire being con-
trolled only by dynamiting a dozen
houses in the middle of the town.
Two special trains have been sent
to bring the 1000 persons who are
facing starvation or death by fire