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Show Twenty-twoBodiesWere Not Rangers Loss of Life Appalling Spokane, Wah., Aug. 25. Tho mystery mys-tery of the bodies that aro belrig found In the St Joe country of Idaho probably will bo cleared away today, when the Milwaukee runs its first train to Avery. One hundred and six men living in the St. Joe valley are ; said to be missing ' Twenty-two bodies, supposed to he of settlers, ; were found yesterday Several days j ago twenty bodies were discovered scuttered over an area of u mile, and it was assumed that Jhey were forest omploves, Supervisor' Wcigle including includ-ing them In his list of dead employes. J La.st night, however, ho declared tuoy wore not rangers. Add the number of j dead rangers, E4, the 44 bodies fi.und j near Avery, th 10 Japanese who per-j per-j isbed near Avery, and the various . known dead In Washington. Idaho and Montana, and the total 142. This 16 without taking ito account the 1S5 rangers Imprisoned on the headwaters of tho St. Joe. Appatllnq Loss of Life. The appalling loss of life among the forest employes has taken the heart out of the survhing forester, and an erder has been issued not to risk life to save timber. The llttlo fires ure being extinguished, but the great fires, to fight which might result In the loss of more lives, will be allowed al-lowed to burn themselves out, or they will burn until the rains extinguish them. In the Coeur d'Alene mining country coun-try the fires have exhausted their fuel, as also they have done In tho Pen d 'Oreille valley." In the Clearwater country and in the thickest timber of the Coeur d'Alene national forest, however, the flames are as hungry and active as ever. Difficult to Reckon Cost, No lumberman or forester will g'.Te-ati g'.Te-ati estimate of the timber losses. Even after the fires or out It will be dim-cult dim-cult to reckon the cost. It la lelleved. however, that the present fires are the most expensive the United Stales has ever known. An expert railroad builder estimates the loss of the Milwaukee Mil-waukee road at $2.5u0,ooo. The Spokane chamber of commerce has begun the raising of a large relief fund. The chamber's representative." who ha just returned from Idaho, believes be-lieves that many ranchers have been burned to death, and that many more, I who have lost everything they possessed, pos-sessed, will need financial aid to carry them throi'gh tho winter and re-establish them. Subcribers to Relief Fund. I Among the first subscribers to the 1 fund which la being collected at Wallace Wal-lace wore John Hays Hammond and l.'mted .States Heybeirn of Idaho. Message from Idaho. A special to tho Spokesman-Review from StlteR, Idaho, says: ' j Forest Ranger C. II. Watson, on Wednesday night, rode Into Major Form's headquarters at Kooskla on a Jaded horse, from which every hair had been singed, and begged that a relief party be sent to rescue six men surrounded by fire in Old Man's basin. Walwon left the men Monday morning at daylight and h$d been ever since lighting his way S2 miles to Kooskla. He passed through burning forests for 25 mlle6, and for five miles was com- I polled to rid throui;h blazing trees. ) from which masses, of burning bark and limbs were constantly falling on him and his horse. The smoke was so dense that he was compelled to dismount and lie flat on the ground in order to get a breath of air, and his horse was 6everal times so overcome that it fell. Watson reported the six men aa exhausted and sick. A party of fifteen Is surrounded 12 miles beyond Wcitus Meadows, but are supposed to be safe. There are also ISO men surrounded In the moun tains between lo Lo pass and the St. Maries, and Major Fenn has sent three guides to pilot them out. Conditions Hopeless. Conditions in the Clearwater reserve re-serve are hopeless, and Major Fenn has received Instructions from tho forestry for-estry headquarters at Mlflfoula to re-coll re-coll all the flre-flghters from the interior in-terior of tho stricken region and set them at work on the outskirts of the fire zone. The message said: "Save the lives of the men and let the timber go." There are :15 large fires and many smaller ones ou the reservation. |