The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-07-13
Fire Sweeps Through Woods With Lightning
Speed, Cutting Off Escape.
WHOLE VILLAGES WIPED OUT; DEAD FILL STREETS
Miners in Porcupne District Are Trapped by Onush of
Fire and Have Chance to Escape--Mines Suffer
Loss Of Quarter Mion---Michigan Fires
Still Serious.

Toronto, Ont, July 13.-The loss of
life in the Porcupnc district from
yesterdays fires Is known to be sew
eral hundred and the property loss
Will reach several million dollars.
Only three of the "a employees of the
West Dome Mining company have been
accounted for.
The mines burned include the Dome
North Dome, Preston East Dome. vi
pond Foley OBrien, Philadelphia,
United Porcupine, Edorado Porcupine
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 $4,000: United Porcupnes, $20,-
900: Eldorado Porcupine. all buildings
destroyed: Standard, about $4,000;
Imperial about $4,000; Success, prob
ably destroyed; West Dome, about
$4,000.
Fire Sweeps Rapidly.
In four short hours, commencing
yesterday noon, the fire swept from
the Standard mines to the shores of
Porcupine lake. where II destroyed
South Porcupine, Pottsvilc and part
of Golden city, as we'll as many small
buildings along the lake front. 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, and. penned in by flames. per-
ishcd. This was notably true at Dome
and West Dome mines. At Preston
East Dome, an untimbered shaft gave
shelter and none perished.
Streets strswn With Dead.
The streets of South Porcuplne are
strcwn with dead persons. horses, dogs
and cattle Along the mines roads are
the charrcd bodies of those who sought
refuge I'm the mines. Along the high
way between East Dome and South
Porcupine over comparatively open
section, were found six charred bodies.
In ruins of South Porcupine We're
found the bodies of william cohr and
his clerk, Mac Smith, Captain George
Runbar and Tom Geddes.
saw dense clouds of smoke to the
southwest where the fires were raging.
They gave little heed. Later n small
blaze started in Lakeview, Of the
Porcupne townsite, but 1t passed al
most 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 the camps took
on unusual activity. Messengers were
sent out and soon returned with warn
ings that the fire was travelling
through the forests at rapid speed and
was licking up many townships.
Shortly after noon the fire had cov-
cred an area of 20 miles in length and
two miles In width and was sweeping
over the Standard Imperial mine al
Delore, the Philadelphia. Eldorado and
United mines In Southern Whitney.
The Alarm.
When the seriousness OF the stua-
tion was apparent, the fire call was
sounded with the BONE mine whistle
Miners and women and children sour
ried about In the dense smoke, pack
ing vauables and light baggage. II
half an hour the flames were raging
on the spot. They swept over ,th'
Foley O'Brien mine, then passed to tht
Preston East Dome and followed oyel
the Dome, West Dome and Nortl
Dome.
Hundreds fled before the flames bu
dense clouds of smoke hung low ant