El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-14
E PASO MAN IS
|NFOREST FIRE
Vincent Woodbury. Tells of
Canadian Bush Fire;
Hundreds Homeless.

When the great forest fires swept
through the brush" Of northern On
tario. destroying human lives, homes
and mems earnings of a life time,
former FL Paso man was a witness to
the scenes which attended the awful
fire which took its toll of life in the
great north woods
Vincent Woodbury., formerly an Of
fetal of the FL Paso smelter, has writ
ten a letter to the FL Paso Herald and
sent copy of the Porcupine Avalanche
of Timmons. Ontario, containing a vivid
description of the scene incident to
the great fire in the Canadian woods.
I'VE can thank providence that any
thing was left Of US Woodbury.
writes. "OId Sol cannot do much
damage on the desert except TO stir
up horrible thirst but. when he gets
into the bush its different story.
his letter reads: We have had no rain
for over six weeks and the forests
tbush it is called is like millions Of
matches only lacking the spark to
strike them off. When it came it
seemed to be all around
Fire Sweeps Towns.
The fire broke out to the south OF
Timmons and took i dwellings before
il was checked. Another fire started
80 miles south and swept Porquis
Junction and then Travelled down 80
miss south sweeping the towns OF
Kelso Monteith. Nushka and Matheson.
1t swept west and took the small city
of COchrane, wiped out lroquis FallaS
and Onagon- The rain finally checked
the flames and gave what people there
were left a chance for their lives As
unfortunate as ii is. the fact remains
that fires are the only way to clear
the bush. The settlers must burn in
order to get at the soil which is very
rich The government has already
taken the situation in hand. and locally.
a fund of $1,000 has been subscribed
and il is the aim to give each settler
who escaped with his life funds to
build again and start afresh his strug
gle for a livelihood"
Little Girl is Brave.
The description of the fire fills sew
eral columns in the Timmons paper and
the description is filled with touches
calamities always develop. One little
girl OF Il years had been brought in
from the bush terribly burned on the
legs. She had been bandaged and.
when the doctor at Matheson removed
the bandage the flesh came with Il I'M
til the little girls leg was larger at
the knee than 1t was at the hip. She
did not protest when the bandage was
being removed and it was only when a
cheap ring was filed from her burned
finger that she allowed the tears to
come. The little girl had had all of
her clothing burned from her except a
middle blouse and sheSmade a request
of the trainmen TO took her to Mathe-
son for a night gown. a request which
made the big north woods railroad men
weep for pity.
Lost ~ Relatives
One girl was brought into POrquis
who had lost % of her relatives in the
big fire. and she had been left alone
in the world 4 woodsman arranged
to find a home for her. Another little
girl arrived at Timmons clasping her
fox terrier to her bosom. having sal
vaged her pet from the flames Men
and women hid in wells and stood in
water to their necks TO keep the
flames from burning them. In a home
at Kelso a doctor was found dead with
a piece of sponge held to his nose
form The doctor had fought the
flames until he saw il was no longer
OF use and then took his own life
rather than burn to death.
Trnin of CoffinE
A train load of collins was shipped
in to be used in burying the fire vic
Tins and relief parties were sent out
in all directions to save the scattered
survivors. Relief parties were organ
lzed IN every town which survived and
many lives were saved
In the same paper an interesting
sldelight on the great European war is
given in the honor roll" which is pub
hshed giving the names Of men who
nave gone to the war from Timmons.
1t is town OF only 1900. yet 423 men
have gone to the war there. showing
what terrible drain is being made
upon Canada by the war.