Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-07-26
GOLDEN CRY, PoRcUPINE DISTRICT
ONTARIO, CANADA, July II.

4 J
DEAR EDITOR: me in the
heart of wilderness halfway between
Georgian bay and Hudson bay. a spec
tator of the gradual recovery from one
OF the worst fires experienced in mining
camps. No particular reason influenced
me 10 decide to see mining camp in
preference to European city, remain
ing here longer instead of there, ex-
cept a great desire to be an onlooker in
gold rush. The consequence is a more
extraordinary experience than viewing
majestic buildings, temples, tombs and
monuments could ever be.
We left Toronto at $50 D. m. july
! 10th, and did not reach Golden City till
the next day about 7:30 a. m. We
were delayed several times on the road
for hours in this journey of four hun
dred and fifty mics. Fires could be
seen ahead of US. Reports of disaster
ahead came through by wire, but still
We went on. We found the streets of
Golden City, what was left of them,
thronged with men and few women,
burnt faces, scorched garments, eyes
red and blind with the smoke: stories
of dead and dying, horrible death-traps
and marvellous escapes passed excitedly
from every lip. 1T was worse than
hell, was the terse description of one
man.
This country, in which some of the
most promising gold mines of the worio
have been discovered, is burdened with
a forest of spruce, poplar, etc, he.
very heavily, for twenty-five years age
terrible confiagration swept the coun-
try and today the woods are full of the
rotting trunks of the former monarchs
of the woods. Over and among these
moss and muskey lie thick everywhere,
for the country is very swampy. Dry
weather renders this vegetation very
infiammable and it is said the country
will burn over four or FIVE times in a
season.
Fires have burned insistently for
weeks. The great fire came last Tues
day. A hurricane began to blow in the
morning and whooped up in the west
| irresistible volumes of flame and smoke
which swept around both sides of Por-
cupine lake and away beyond, destroy
ing everything in its path. Two whole
towns were wiped out, South Porcupine
and Pottsville, and one third of the
town where | an now staying, Golden
City; other districts and towns also
suffered. Eleven mines, with the ex-
ception of one or two buildings, were
completely demolished. The total loss
is estimated at two millions. When
the fire approached the towns, refuge
was taken in the lake. The hurricane
piled up waves eight feet high and
swamped some of the boats. Gasoline
launches, canoes, RATS made from the
plank sidewalks, boards -all served the
panic stricken people for support in the
waters. The smoke was so thick that
the hand could scarcely be seen when
held before the face. Waist-deep and
neck-deep men and women stood for
three hours in the water. lodging hurt.
T, ling, flaming missiles, ddcking under
the water, fighting, gasping, checking
for one breath Of Gods free air. Wo-
men and children were given every
lchance TO escape and it is to the credit
of the men OF Porcupine that everyone
escaped unscratched and unsinged. To
add to the horror # the time maya
zine of powder the Dome nine ex-
ploded, and later car of dynamite,
standing on the railway siding east OF
South Porcupine, after partly burning,
went off with roar, pl0ughed out a
hole under the track a hundred feet
wide by nifty feet deep, and sent debris
hurting across the lake a half mile OF
more. One man who fed in canoe
was struck square in the face by q
missile just as he was getting out OF a
canoe on the farther side of the lake.
He lost his sight So black was all
around that many thought they we're
alone 10 the lake until the worst was
over. Up to this Monday morning,
the known dead are sixty-two. Thirty
others are reported missing. Twenty
six Of these lost their lives at O. G West
Dome mines, southwest from here.
The majority of these took refuge il
the shaft and died Of suffocation from
poisonous gases. Six persisted at the
Dome mines nearby. Seven were found
in a charred and blackened group neal
the Vipond. And so it goes. Many 9
prospeetor, far in the woods, has per
ished, never to be heard Of again.
On our way to one of the famous
mines on the morning Of our arrival,
we saw two blackened eorpses, face
downward in the debris. Sisn were
picking charred pieces Of another body
out Of the ruins. Five men were burned
here. Ten bodies were recovered from
the lake.