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Show Probability That Many Campers Are Victims of Conflagration BUTTE. Mont.. Aug. 2:. A Miner special spe-cial from Wallace, Idaho, says: "The situation tonight shows a death list of 100, with 200 men missing, as the result of the forest fires of the past few days. Whllu the cities of Wnrdnor. Kellogg, Kel-logg, Burko and Murray aro threatened with disaster similar to tho ono that Wallace sustained, hundreds of llrcs are smouldoring in tho mountuins within half a mile of Wallace and the danger here Is not over. The ilres broke out to a terrible ter-rible degree all over the Coour d'Alencs at the same hour and as reports pour In of the lead being found In various unexpected un-expected places in the district, tho fear grows that many may have mot death or fatal injuries who are not even missed now. This Is the season of tho year when the Coeur d'Alenes have their best fishing and hunting, and several hundred hun-dred campers are In the hills. Few of these parties have been heard from and In the confusion resulting from the dls-1 usters In a score of places, no organized i attempt has been mado to find them. "No rain has fallen In the north of Idaho since the twentieth day of June and none can bo expected before the middle of next month, which means a continued dryness that may result. In more llres. At Wardner und Kellogg, tiros are approaching ap-proaching the town from two directions and they are now only one mile away. "At Burke, tho tire Is throe miles distant dis-tant but coming clown the canyon toward tho mining camp. All the stores and mines near Burke havo closed and tho men arc out lighting tho fires. "At Murray the forest tires hover around a mountain peak, from which embers em-bers can bo blown into the town. "At Mullan the town was saved by armed citizens forcing every man to stay In town and to work "at back-firing. The back-tiring lias cleaned up the surrounding surround-ing mountain sides of dry timber and is oxpected to be tho means of preventing damage In Mullan. "Near SL Marios tho lire leaped from peak to peak, half a mile at a lime, scattering the blazing brands Into the valleys below and preventing the escape of tho homesteaders. U Is believed fifty homesteaders and their families have been destroyed, though the tiros are so bad that investigation cannot bo made. "On Big creek, survivors of the fire who arrived here today say that, sovon of tho mon woro crowded into a prospect hole fivo feet deep. They woro all -burned and tholr positions show they must havo engaged in a fierce struggle towards tho end to obtain the host clmnie for air. Three mon near the tunnel were killed by falling trees. "Eight mon who arrived tonight from near Avery were saved irom toath by taking refuge In one of tho Chicago, Milwaukee Mil-waukee & Pugot Sound Railroad company's com-pany's ivater tunnels. By keeping their faces burled In the dirt for three hours, moistening their noses and mouths with water that, dripped from tho roof, thov held on to life. The flames, traveling forty miles an hour, drove them from the SJloca mine, two miles up tho track until they were forced to crawl into tho water tunnel as their only chunce. "Ranger Kootkoy aim :oo men were fighting firo near Wallace, and nothing having been heard from them, searching parlies will start out tomorrow. "Wallace already shows signs of recovering re-covering rapidly from Its rtisustor- Many ol the big tirms havo made p.-ans for rebuilding re-building on a larger scale. Relief Is being be-ing received from surrounding cities, .Spokane. Boise. Coeur d'AIene. Lcwlslon, Ida., and Walla Walla. Wash., besides New Orleans, La., being among the first to offer substantial help. Subscriptions are pouring In from citizens here." |