The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-07-20
HUNDREDS DEAD, MILLIONS
LOSS.
Fearful Results OF Fires i'm Porcu-
cupine District.

Will Iedch several millions of doll
ars. only three of the eighty-four
employees of the West Dome Mine
I, nave been accounted for and zoo
miners, munkers, ETC., in the vari-
i Gus other mines are missing
Among the dead are Robert
4 Weiss, manager of the West Dome
and his wife and child, The West
Dome Mine Company, of Philadel-
600.
Reports from Porcupine give
vague statements of the loss of
life and property The property
loss will probably total millions.
Some loss of life is also reported
from South Porcupine and Eldor-
ado. At West Dome and Big Dome
the entrapped miners, cut off from
escape, were forced to take to the
shafts for safety, and, penned in by
flames perished. This was notably
true at Dome and West Dome
mines.
Revolving Sights on Streets.
The streets of South Porcupine
are strewn with dead persons,
horses, dogs and cattle. Along the
mine roads are the charred bodies
of those overcome trying to escape
or the staff of 800 at the Dome but
few were saved, and at the West
Dome but three out of eighty-four
employees are known to be alive.
Early yesterday morning the
miners saw dense clouds of smoke
to the southwest. where the fires
were raging. They gave small heed.
1t was not until noon that the
smoke clouds began to roll over
the Porcupine district Then the
miners became alarmed Messen-
gers were sent out and soon re-
turned with the word that the fire
was travelling through the forest
rapidly and was licking up many
towns
Shortly after noon the fire had
covered an area of 25 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
Philadelphia, Inshaw, Eldorada and
Unity mines.
Onward Rush OF Flames.
When the seriousness of the
situation was apparent the fire call
was sounded with the Dome mine
whistle. In half an hour the
They swept over the Foley O'Brien
mine, then jumped to the Preston
East Dome and followed over the
Dome and West Dome.
Hundreds fled from the flames
but the smoke hung low over the
land and made progress difficult
Many fell exhausted. The frame
building Of South Porcupine burned
fiercely.
Twenty minutes after the flames
struck the outskirts the town Va S
in ashes. All who escaped the
flames made for the water where
all sorts of water craft, launches,
canoes and skitfs were pressed III
to service
Women and children were first
huddled into the small boats and
started off for Pottsville and Gold
en- City, where they were temporar-
lily safe from the flames. Many
miners lost their lives in efforts
to save others and some were
drowned
Fifteen Drowned in Lake
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 Da1ago two men
were burned to death, and another
met similar fate at the United
Porcupine mines.
Three towns have been wiped off
the map and hundreds of refugees
are facing starvation.
A train containing six hundred
women and children was rushed out
of Cochrane this morning for the
south, as the wall of flames ad-
vanced toward ttD, village. The
town Of $500 inhabitants was soon
a mass Of fire and Is entirely de-
stroyed. South Porcupine and
Pittsville are charred ruins.
Golden City was surrounded by
g., or IL,
danger, although only the suburbs
have been burned. Part of Tisdale
has been wiped out, the fire being
controlled 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 in the Tisdale district. Com
munication with stricken districts
Is exceeding difficult.
Almost Without Warming.
The flames swept down on South
Porcupine and Pittsville almost
without warning. The alarm came
Just in time for the people to rush
for the lake, but they were forced
to abandon all of their belongings.
Gasoline boats, rowboats and even
hastily improved RATS were utiliZ-
ed to get the refugees, many of
whom were women and children
across the lake to Golden City.
There all are attempting to beat
back the flames which have con.
sumed the outskirts of the place
hove are only a few days provis-
ions left in Golden City.
The laborers employed on the
Ontario Governments new railroad
line, reached the city after des-
perate flight with the flames, in
which many are badly injured.
I01 fI,i