Evening star., 1947-10-27
Forest Fires Controlled
But Weary Crews Fear
Rising Winds Today
BY the Associated Press

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BY the Associated Press
PORTLAND, Me-, Oct. 27.-AI
forecast of rising winds augured
fresh fiareups today in New Eng
lands exhausting battle against
widespread forest fires that al
ready have cost 20 lives and $32,-
600, 900 damage.
For the first time in a week, the
groggy army of hrehghters held the
line yesterday. Under control" re-
ports came from nearly all fire
zones.
Meanwhile, Joseph A. P. Flynn,
chief of Names State arson divi-
sion, said it definitely had been
established that three forest fires
were set.
He added that a juvenile had
been committed to the State School
for Boys for setting fires behind
buildings In Wiscasset, and that a
man was being held at Bath on
charges of breaking and entering,
larceny and arson in connection
with fires at home and in woods
patch. Bath police reported. how
ever, that the arson charges against
the man were dropped.
Maine, which had 13 deaths and
30,000, 900 of the property loss, still
was the prime danger spot.
Fires had blackened 100000 of
the States 16 million forest acres.
The blazes were spotted from the
New Hampshire line to the Cana
dian border.
They were we'll In hand last night,
however, except in New York County,
where flames moving slowly west
from Union Falls, on the Saco River
crept to within half mile of the
village OF Clarks Mills.
Besides 13 dead, there were IA
injured seriously enough to be in
hospitals and II listed as missing
by the Red Cross.
The Red Cross, in charge of re-
lief work, also listed $500 homeless,
another $500 displaced, 1886 perma-
nent homes and 220 summer places
destroyed, another 109 permanent
homes damaged.
Urges End of 'Vigilantes.'
Suspicion that some of Names
many fires had been set mounted
to the point where hundreds" in
the estimate of Sheriff Everett S.
Knight of York County, went armed
in that stricken area seeking al
legged arsonists.
Sheriff Knight called on these
citizens, whom he called self-ap-
pointed vigilantes, to put their
guns away" lest some innocent per-
son be killed or injured.
Gov. Horace Hildreth said author
tiles were watching closely all
persons they suspected might be
flrebugs.
Re-entry of the first evacuees to
Bar Harbor, which lost scores of
swank summer estates as we'll as
300 year round homes, appeared
probable today.
Power Service Restored.
Police Chief George C. Abbott
said some of 1900 women and chill
dren might be permitted back in
town, two-thirds ruined by one of
the States worst fires. Power serv-
ice had been restored and the Board
of Health reported mo unsanitary
conditions"
At the same time influential citi-
zens predicted rebuilding of the
town-perhaps on less lavish scale.
I'VE have lost our larger homes,
said Sheldon Golthwaite, banker,
but the enthusiastic younger gen.
eration (of wealthy summer fam
ilies) will rebuild here although
their homes will be on q smaller
scale"
With the entire State a disaster
area, by President Truman's procla-
nation, Army planes began landing
at Augusta, the Capital, with sur
plus war materials for both fire
fighting and rehabilitation.
"All out" aid was promised by
James p Glynn, Federal Works
Agency official co-ordinating the
supply problem there.
In all New England fire areas,
Sunday sightseers were banned.
State police, aided by National
Guardsmen, paGroled roads.
From Portland to the New Hamp-
shire line each road mtersecting
with United States Route / was
blocked of