The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-10-04
RELIEF WORKERSON
COAST ARE TRAPPED
IN Blazing INFERNO
IS charred Bodies Recovered.
Many Others Known to
Have Perished
IhExPERIEMCE IS BLAMED
UnskiIled Foremen Directed Men
to Their Deaths In Fight
Against Flames
INExPERIENcE IS BLAMED


Los Angeles, Oct. 4.-(R-0rim,
faced searchers Wednesday stumbled
over the fire-seared walls OF canyon
in Griffith Park, from which IS
charred bodies had been recovered,
expecting to bring back the remains
many more unemployment relief
workers who were trapped in brush
fire Tuesday afternoon.
Besides the IS recovered, r. c. Hus-
ton assistant superintendent OF coun-
ty charities, said many are missing
and the death list may reach SO.
Approximately 135 men were in hos
pitfalls, many of them injured seriously
in the mad scramble up the sides of
the box-like canyon that became a
raging inferno when a strong wind
famed the brush fire they were at
tempting to extinguish.
Throughout the night relatives of
the more than 800 workers, on the
roads Of the park crowded about the
county morgue and q hastily i'm
provised mortuary.
So badly were the bodies burned
that not single victim of the fire
had been identified Wednesday morn
ing.
Lacked Experience
Frank Merrill, superintendent of
Griffith Park, blamed the catastrophe
to lack Of experience in brush fire
fighting on the part Of those who
died and the men who sent them into
the canyon OF death.
Fire Chief Ralph Scott corrobor-
ated Merill's views by the statement
1T was suicide to send those men in
to a walled-in canyon whose entrance
was blocked by raging flames and
whose only other means Of exit was
q winding cow-path up the wall of
tho ravil1e."
Blindly following orders OF their
foremen, more than thousand work.
men streamed into the box-like Min
eral Wells Canyon.
Deep in the canyon a small area
was burning. There was little or no
wind, the flames and smoke from
the burning scrub oak growth in the
canyons floor shooting straight up
ward.
Suddenly wind whipped down in
to the canyon, tanning the blaze into
a furnace Of death sweeping outward
from its center. In a few seconds the
approximately $500 men who had en-
tered the canyon were scrambling up
its steep sides.
Cowpath il Crowded
The cowpath became a line OF fight
ing, sweltering, cursing. praying hu-
mainly. The strong clambered over
the weak. With death cracking at
their heels, the workmen struggled
upward.
Survivors said the flames Jumped
as high as 100 feet at the time, CATCH
ing up with and bringing down the
struggling men.
The men died In twos, suffocated
by the walls Of smoke that rolled
over them or struck down by flames.
This story was told by Michael
Fernandez.
"Our foreman ordered us to 70 to
the lower level" he said. Some one
shouted no. While we were arguing
sheet Of flames leaped up and COW
cred the lower crew. A few seconds
later the flames receded. The Who'll
party below was dead"
In another section H. N. Claypool, q
foreman, had second to make 4 de-
cision. He made it-and saved the
lives Of score Of men.
II started to take my men into the
path Of the blaze to clear . break"
Claypool said. Something told me
to hesitate. gave the order to halt.
In an instant whirlpool Of flames
whipped across the spot where we
would hate been had We gone ahead.
Eight men In squad Just beyond Us
We're trapped. t was I'll over IN N
instant"
Blase Finally ContryllsA
The fire swept over 1000 acres OF
uninhabited land thickly studded
with brush before It was controlled
by hundreds Of firernen and some
5000 drafted workers.
Robert p. Barr, 70. an unemployed
motion picture projectionist, was ar,
rested and booked for suspicion Of
arson.
He was traced through the license
Of an automobile which had been
parked near the scene where the
blaze started and from which . man
had been seen 70 enter the canyon
and repeatedly start the blaze.
Police said they found rags soaked
with kerosene on the man when he
was arrested. Barr made no state-
ment to police. He has police rec
ord Of having been arrested On Z
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