Evening star., 1936-07-28
D. c. MAN BURNED
AS FOREST BLAZE
: TAKES LIVES Of ;
Or. M. M. KnechteI Head of
U. S. Survey in Montana.
Two of Party Dead.
DASH THROUGH FLAMES
TO REACH SAFETY FATAL
Cave Provided Refuge for Some
but Was Too Small for All.
One Dies in Hospital.

Three men, two of them members
of a field party of the United States
Geological Survey, were burned tt
death in a raging forest fire neal
Havre, Mont, last night, after theil
leader, DR.. Maxwell M. Knechtel O.
Washington, had tried to save hi
group by leading them to cave. One
thousand men were thrown into the
battle against the fire.
DR.. Knechtel sustained burns him
self. but had virtually recovered in
hospital at Malta, Mont, today.
The dead are: Cameron Baker
Havre, Northwestern University grad
uate student, and S. r. Brockunier
Lowell, Mass, Yale University graduate
student, both members of the geologi'
cal party, and John Rowles, Landusky
Mont. Rowles was listed by the AS
sociated Press as dead. He was not q
member of the survey party.
Three in Party Survive.
Three members of the party sur
vived. They were DR.. Knechtel
Arthur C. Munyan, Lexington, KY.
his assistant, and Donald L. Baben'
roth, Columbia University.
John Mccarthy, jr, son of thu
superintendent of schools at New
Haven, Conn, first was listed as miss.
ing, but later reported he had escaped
uninjured He was not listed here a:
q member of the survey party.
A graphic story of the forest fire
which ragged along a 25-mile front ir
the Little Rocky Mountains was tolc
today in q memorandum issued by
G. F. Loughlin, chief geologist, after
a telephone conversation with DR.
Knechtel at II am.
The statement follows:
'Dr. Knechtel and his party were
impressed into fire fighting in the
Little Rockies. The work was being
directed by men experienced in fire
fighting, but the wind suddenly shifted
turned the fire back away into crown
and trapped the party.
The leader had them run to ledge,
where he thought they would be safe,
but when that failed to provide safety,
some of them ran into small cave.
Knechtel called to the others to come
also into the cave, and they did, but
it was such small place that those
on the outside of it were in danger Of
burning. and so made dash to at
tempt to reach safety.
Taken to Hospitals.
''Knechtel, further in the cave,
did not see exactly what happened
but Baker and Brockunier were burned
SO badly that it was fatal. Knechtel
and the others In the cave suffered
from shock, and smoke in their lungs
and eyes, and were taken to hospitals
in Malta, Mont. Knechtel has re-
covered and his voice was normal in
conversation with Mr.. Loughlin. If
he received any Jurns, they evidently
were Of slight extent. Babenroth, an
other member of the party, was not
in a place of danger. Munyan, an
other member, was in another por-
tion Of the district"
Rowles, 1t was brought out, might
have been a temporary member of
the party. possibly hired a few days
ago. However, no employment GER
tif1cate for him has arrived yet in
the Washington Office, according to
Hugh D. Miser, chief of the fuel secI
tion by which DR.. Knechtel Is en-
ployed.
Brockunier was still alive when he
was carried out of the fire area, but
died In hospital at the Fort Belknap
Indian agency.
The fire, described as the worst
known in the Little Rockies, broke ou.
near Lodge Pole, Mont, and for a time
threatened the mining camp at Zort-
man, famed for its activity in ter
ritorial days.
The region is noted for its gold and
silver mines, still producing after years
of activity. Every available man On
the Fort Belknap Indian reservation in
Harlem and Malta, and from the
nearby mining camps and farms, was
pressed into service to fight the fire.
Radio Operators Brought.
Trucks and men were brought from
Missoula, Great Falls and Helena, and
airplanes brought two radio operators
and supplies. Mules were used in areas
inaccessible by truck.
Accompanied by Babenroth, DR..
Knechtel left here April 20, picking
up Baker at Evanston, ILL.,, seat of
Northwestern University, to organize
the field party studying Montana's
mineral and water resources.
Brockunier, according to the Asso-
ciated Press, was burned fatally at
tempting to get out of the path Of the
fire that ate huge chunks out Of the
timber, unusually dry after days of
100-degree temperatures.
A survivor whose name was not
learned told forestry service chiefs of
the attempt of Mccarthy to rescue
Baker and Rowles as flames were
sucked into the cave where they took
refuge.
Tried Vainly to Save.
Mccarthy rushed in the cave and
tried to drag the two men out, but
there was no chance for them. They
must have died instantly" the sur
vivor said. Someone, I don't know
who, had to hit Mccarthy and knock
him out to get him away from there"
Baker, born at Baldwin, Iowa, was
q graduate of Montana high schools
and colleges and during the past school
year held o teaching fellowship Of
Northwestern University.
DR.. Knechtel's residence here Is
at 1921 Newark avenue. Mrs. Knech-
tel could not be reached at the
home today. Miser said he un-
derstood she had been under great
strain on account of the news from
Montana and probably was staying
with friends In another section Of
the city.