Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-07-20
FOREST FIRES RAGE
Hundreds Perish and Property
Loss Reaches Millions.
Roads Strewn With Bodies of Those
Overcome by Heat and Smoke
Miners Trapped.

Toronto, July 13.-The loss of life
in the Porcupine district, Northern
Ontario, from yesterdays forest fires
is known to be several hundred, anc
the property loss will reach several
millions of dollars.
Only three of the 83 employees of the
West Dome mine have been accounted
for, and 200 miners, muckers, ETC., in
the Dome mine have been suffocated.
The mines burned include the Dome,
North Dome, Preston East Dome, vi
pond, Foley O'Brien, Philadelphia,
United Porcupine, Ell Dorado Porcu-
pine, Standard, Imperial, West Dome
and Success.
Among the dead are Robert E. Weiss,
manager of the West Dome, and his
wife and child.
The Philadelphia mines loss is
about $50. 900; United Porcupine, 500, :
600; Eldorado Porcupine, all build
ings destroyed; Standard, about $780,
900; Imperial. about $35, Sue
cess, probably destroyed; West Dome,
about $75, 900.
In four short hours, beginning yes
terday noon, the fire swept from the
Standard mine to the shores of Por-
cupine lake, where it destroyed South
Porcupine, Pottsville and part of Glen
City, as well as many small buildings
along the lake front.
The greatest havoc was wrought
around the main mines, notably the
West Dome and Big Dome. There the
entrapped miners, cut off from es-
cape, were forced to take to the
shafts, and, penned in by flames, per-
ished. This was notably true at
Dome and West Dome.
The streets of South Porcupine are
strewn with dead persons, horses,
dogs and cattle. Along the mine
roads are the bodies of those overcome
while trying to escape.
Along the highway between East
Dome and South Porcupine, over a
comparatively open section, were
lOuilu siA SndIISu OOulSo. III LHS
ruins of South Porcupine were found
the bodies of William Gohr and his
clerk, Captain George Runbar and
Tom Geddes.
The miners saw dense clouds of
smoke yesterday to the southwest,
where the fires were raging. They
gave little heed A small blaze started
in good view of the Porcupine town
site, but it passed almost unnoticed
because of the recent frequency of
bush fires.
1t was not until noon that the
dense smoke clouds began to roll over
the Porcupine district. Then the
miners became alarmed and camps
took on unusual activities.
Messengers were sent out and soon
returned with warnings that the fire
was travelling through the forests at
rapid speed and was licking up many
townships.
Shortly after noon the fire had COW
cred an area of 25 miles in length and
two miles in width. In half an hour
the flames were raging on the spot.
Hundreds fled before the flames, |
but dense clouds of smoke hung low
and made progress difficult. Many
fell exhausted before the fire as it
swept over South Porcupine. The
frame buildings burned fercely.
Two minutes after the flames struck
the outskirts the town was in ruins.
All who escaped made for the water
where all sorts of water craft
launches, canoes and skiffs 49, were
pressed into service.
Women and children were first hur-
red into small boats and started off
for Pottsvlle and Golden City, where
they were temporarily safe from the
flames. Many miners lost their lives
in efforts to save others.