Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-14
Large Area in Porcupino District,
Ontario, is Devastated
by Fire.
MINES AND TIMBER BU
Rumors of Enormous Property Loss
Are Flatly Denied.
REFUGEES TAKEN TO TORONTO
People Stand in Ice Cold Water for
Four Hours.
HOLLINGER PROPERTY AN OASIS
Four Hundred Persons, Besides Conn
pany's Employees, Flock TO Large
Clear Space and Are
safe.

Clear Space and Are
safe.
TORONTO Ont. July S-Supelintendent
Black Of the Temiskaning q Northern On
tario railway at North Bay states that the
fires in the Porcupine district are now
under control.
A. ID. Miles construction engineer for the
Great Dome mine estimates the total loss
of life at 200
1t is stated by one of the owners of the
best known of the Porcupine mines that
the financial losses are grossly over
estimated In his own case. for instance,
the loss had been placed at 100000,
whereas he asserts $1,000 would cover 1t,
train from North Day arrived here
today bringing twenty-five refugees from
Porcupine, mainly Toronto people.
Mcdonald Wardrop of Hamilton, .
nephew of Lieutenant Governor Gibson,
was among them.
"The report has spread that was
killed." said he, but l waved myself by
taking to the water along with about 500
more We were forced to stand in the
cold water for over three hours and be-
came so numb with the cold that some
went under. About ten square miles of
forest were burned over. AS far as l am
aware the only ones who are gone are
prospectors and miners"
Many saved mt HoIIinEer Plant.
W. r. Riggs of Kansas City, another OF
the party, said:
"A great number of people were saved
at the Holinger property. That place was
like an oasis in the desert. Quite a large
area had been cleared by the owners and
they had water pumps, which were saved.
1 am sure there were about 400 refugees
from all directions there. besides the Ho-
linger employees"
All the party agreed that the estimate that
800 lives had been lost was not excessive
and that at least 200 perished at Porcupine
Lake.
The greatest catastrophe appears to have
occurred at South Porcupine. where 600
people sought refuge in the lake. OF these
200 persons, many OF them with children in
their arms. lost their lives, according to a
private message received here from w.
A. NCariton OF Haileyville,s prospector.
who WAS in the lake when the fire was at
its height Boats and canoes in which they
had put off from the shores we're upset
by squalls.
Superintendent Weiss Dead.
West Dome representatives in Toronto
have received kilograms giving the total
number of deaths at that property at
twenty-five. including Robert A. Weiss,
superintendent of the mine; Mrs. Weiss and
Miss Weiss. The destitute survivors have
appealed for funds
Their clothing saturated by smoke and
the faces blistered by flames, some of the
earliest refugees from the burned districts
are easily located among passengers who
arrived in Toronto from North Bay at
noon today. Among the arrivals were j.
A. Williams. A. ID. Williams and L. p.
Abshier, all of Kansas City, and Thomas
Williams and wife of Denver, Colo.
Reports Becoming Worse.
NORTH BAY, Ont, July 13-Reports
from the fire zone at Porcupine are hourly
growing worse and in addition to fifty
coffins previously shipped a carload OF
caskets was sent in this morning. 1t is
estimated the death roll will be hundreds,
while thousands of men are struggling into
the settlements severely burned and
wearied to the limit OF human endurance.
Everyone brings reports of many dead
bodies lying along the trails and at the
end of small lakes where the flames over
came them.
The wind was blowing with velocity of
miles ana IOfCupln0 lhhe was ldSneQ
into a fury OF mountainous waves, in the
face of which boatmen conveyed women
and children from South Porcupine TO
Golden City. A car of dynamite standing
on railway track exploded with deafen-
ing roar, but no one was injured from 1t.
Many settlers from Taylor township lost
everything and had to fly for their lives
to Mathewsontowr which is now asking
for assistance care for the sufferers.
The women and hildTen are coming from
Porcupine and other fireswept centers.
General Agent Lee of the government rail
way came out with 500 women and children
from Cochrane. The private car CalaboRfe
was put on his train and used for hospital
purposes
The report that Elk Lake was wiped out
is discredited and that town is said to be
all right.
Searching parties are being organized to
go into the fire belt TO aid those who are
unable to get out.
Death and Destruction.
Weary, blaekened and burned men are
limping into Golden City every hour with
sad tales OF death and destruction, but
the catastrophe is so vast that days will
pass before accurate newS will be available