Douglas Island news., 1919-07-04
FOREST FIRES AT
 TURNAGAlN ARM
Che Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars Worth of Railroad
 Material Consumed


 One hundred and twenty thousand dollars s the estimated loss from the forest fire which ragod for sixteen hours along 1'urnagain Arm and consumed an of the material on hand to be used by the Alaskan Engineer ling Commission in the construction Of the snowsheds between Mile "A and Seward
 Tho loss consists in upward of million lineal feet Of piling and tim- bor for anowshod construction on the Seward division; huge quanti- ties Of lumber to be used for the same purpose; quantities of pillng for use i'm constructing the now dock at Anchorage; thousands Of railroad ties for use at points along the goy- ernmcnt railroad between Talkoetna and Indian river, considerable ulm- bor planned to go into construction Of camps to be established on the Seward division. and approximately 25O cords Of fuel wood which had been cut during Che past winter by Tom Fournler known as French Tom" and which was piled on the right-of-way at Mile SS S Indian creek Mir. Fournier also suffered thc loss Of his cabin and all Of his personal possessions. P. R. Strong. a well known old-timcr who has for several seasons been engaged in mining at Indian creek. and who st the lime Of the fire was fin Anchor age, having just been discharged from the government hospital. re- ceived word that his cabin and an the contents were consumed in the flames and that his home was in ruins.
 Tho fire which originated at point just west of Mile SS. Indian creek, was soon famed Into n de- troylng conflagratlon and swept ey- orything before it for a distance Of 200 feet to a mile in width and for distance of over two miles in length. seyenty-pound steel rails laid OF the open right-of-way were twisted and bent as though in the hands Of a mighty Titan. The wind which in a short while after the flames had gained hcadway. grew from Turnagaln .Arm breeze into destroying hurricane and with a velocity approximatcd at seventy miles per hour. famed the fires into soothinp sheets Of white flame. Trees SO and yO feet i'm height were caught in the maw of the devastating wind famed sea of flames and were burn cd to a cindcr leaving them to fan to the earth with a crash. Cars with brakes set which had been left standing on he side-track at Indian creek were rolled down and through the locked swith
 Until an accurate survey Of the loss has been made by the Alaskan Engineering Commission it will be impossible to learn Of the plans of Che commission or to estimate the character of the work of roconstruc- ton Co be undertaken. That the de- struction Of the material to be used for the building of the snowsheds on the Seward division will prove a most serious loss Co the engineering commission and Co the planned pro- ject itself is evident. lt will be al- most impossible to replace many Of Che piling which were cut during the past winter. The district along the right-of-way was combcd by the bling crew last winter and practi- cally an of the best timber was se- locted for the work as planned for the harbor improvement. Serious difficulty will be encountered when pring of equal lengths arc sought.
 The piling consumed was located on the government right-of-way on the bare ground and removed as far as possible from the standing tim ber. Water barrels had been taken from Anchorage and placed at con veuiont spots near the huge mass Of piles and watchman employed for tho purpose of preventing the start of fires. These precautions. which under ordinary circumstances would have proved ample protection. were as naught before the advance Of the fan-shapcd sbcet Of consuming flames.