The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-08-16
LIFE LOST IN
FOREST FIRE
FLAMES CHAR BODY OF ENGINEER
Oregon Lumber Co. Loses Equipment and
Bridges Mystery Surrounds Recent
Actions Of the Dead Man

With Robert Owens, engineer of a
logging locomotive, fatally burned and
logging equipment and two bridges of
logging road of the Oregon Lumber
Co. destroyed, Hood River county
suffered one of the worst forest fires in
the valleys recent history last Thurs
day night.
The cause of the fire, which was dis
covered Thursday afternoon about 4.30
O'Clock near logging road of the Ore
gon Lumber Co. penetrating the coun-
try on the West Fork of Hood River,
has not been determined. While |. w.
w. incendiarism is limited at by some,
such theory is secuted by officials of
the lumber company, Lwho think the
fire was set by loggingl locomotive.
In addition to the two bridges of the
logging road, about mile of track, a
logging locomotive and five cars were
burned. Several donkeys were dam
aged. Since logging operations of
crews of men will havesto stop until
the road is repaired, the indirect loss
of idle machinery and men at the bus
lest season of the year will be heavy.
The fire, which burned over an area
of about three quarters of a mile
square, spread like a flash through
heavy slashings. TRANS were run out
from the lumber company's plant at
Dee and 300 men battled throughout
the night to prevent the flames from
spreading to uncut timber.
Mystery surrounds the recent actions
of the young locomotive engineer who
met death. An unmailed letter, Just
written and addressed to Mrs. John La
ROGUE, of Shelton, Wash, was found
| among his effects at bunk house.
The young man addressed Mrs. La
ROGUE as his mother, and in the let
left Sheridan, where the |. W. VS..
were strong, and that he had changed
his name and had come to the local
camp to be free from their influences.
His mother, it is stated, had recent
ly written to him urging him to return
home, show his patriotism and enlsit
in the army like so many of his former
nelghbor boys.
The engineer, whose age was about
25 years, and bucker, A. Andregg,
were with the locomotive and "a string
of five cars, when the outfit was sur
rounded by the fire. B. B. Smith, con-
ductor of the logging train, had gone
to telephone to call for more help.
On starting back for the train, he was
beaten back by the onrush of the fire,
and was thus: probably kept from Sc
rious burns or fatal injuries himself.
Owens, or La ROGUE, died at his
post. His charred body. all the cloth
ing, except his shoes, burned away,
was found few feet away from where
his engine had stood when :the flames
overcame him. A chain used for lock-
ing the wheels of the train was found
near him, indicating that his last
thoughts were on his duty. The engine
and train of cars, after the fire had
consumed wooden brake adjustments.
had ran away down a grade and
plunged into burned trestle.
1t is considered miricle how An
dregg, who was with the fatally
burned engineer when the fire swept
over the train, escaped with his life.
The bucker says he laid down on the
ground and rolled to and fro in what
ever direction he felt the least heat.
He was brought to the hospital Fri
day afternoon badly singed and with
his lungs raw from inhaling smoke.