TOWN OF HARRISON ON LAKE COEUR D'ALENE REDUCED TO ASHES--TORCHMEN HELD RESPONSIBLE
Excerpted from an article published in the Spokane Chronicle, July 21, 1917.
Harrison, Idaho, is in ashes.
The business section is wiped out; the entire north residence section is swept clean.
Hundreds of people are homeless. The food supply is destroyed.
The loss will reach $500,000.
Spokane has been appealed to to rush bedding and food. A special train with first aid material will leave here for the stricken district this afternoon.
Added to the horror of Harrison, reports reached Federal Labor Agent B.A. Hunter here this morning that a dozen forest fires of mysterious origin have started in northern Idaho during the last 24 hours.
Governor Rushes to Town
Governor Alexander, Secretary of State W.T. Dougherty and "Secretary of War" Joseph Hanson arrived in Coeur d'Alene at 9 o"clock this morning, leaving immediately for Harrison.
J.C. White of the Red Collar line was appealed to for all available boats, to carry supplies and for use for sleeping quarters for the homeless tonight. Every effort is being made to comply with the appeal.
Shortly before noon, James A. Ford, secretary of Spokane Chamber of Commerce, had arranged for a shipment of 9000 pounds of groceries, a quantity of bedding and tents. Waldo G. Paine of the Spokane & Inland is arranging for their transportation on a special train.
The fire at Harrison started about 6:30 this morning under the lumber shed of the Grant Lumber company. In a few moments, fanned by a high wind. It was devouring thousands of dollars worth of dry lumber in the shed and yards.
In a short time the business section of the town was wiped out. Brown's block and the Masonic temple are blackened walls.
The entire north end of the town where fine residences were located, is swept clean. In fighting the flames Wayne Powell, son of E.L. Powell of Spokane and a member of the Morrow-Powell company, was painfully but not seriously burned.
Asks Fleming for Aid
About 10:30 o'clock Mayor Fleming received the following telegram from J.W. Cook, chairman of the Harrison city council:
"We are in trouble. All business and over half the resident portion of Harrison burned. Fire still raging. City is out of food and 500 people are out of homes. Need bedding and food for tonight."
The request was promptly complied with. A hurry up meeting of the chamber of commerce was called by President J.L. Paine to cooperate with Mayor Flemming in sending relief.
Timber Burned
A strip of land 12 miles long and containing over 1200 acres of white pine is burned over. All of the cut timber belonging to the Rose Lake Lumber company of Fourth of July canyon is destroyed.
At 10 o'clock this morning a report was received at Coeur d'Alene stating 200 men were fighting the flames but they were not yet under control. The entire section was threatened, it was said.
Sixty men were rushed out of Spokane in automobiles late last night to fight the flames in the forests and about 100 others were hurried into the Rose Lake country.
Between 25 and 40 more were started for the Harrison country this morning and on a special train leaving at 11 o'clock this forenoon another force of about 100 men was sent with prospects that many more will leave late this afternoon.
Wolff Directs Work
Most of the men from Spokane have been placed in charge of District Forester M.H. Wolff, who with the aid of a score or more of machines, is hurrying them to points where they are most needed.
"I have no definite information as to the origin of these fires," stated Federal Labor Agent Hunter, "but I have been informed of about 10 fires that have started rather mysteriously during the last 24 hours. Practically all of them are in northern Idaho."
The Yellowstone trail road is said to be almost blocked by the fire at the place where it asses through the Fourth of July canyon.
A small brush fire was started less than a mile west of Gibbs yesterday afternoon. The Coeur d'Alene fire department was called, but left the blaze for the county officials to handle. Smoke can be seen on the horizon in nearly all directions from Coeur d'Alene. The woods are like tinder and the fires are extremely hard to put under control
Big Timber Tract in Danger
"The fire in the Fourth of July canyon is a bad one," stated Myer H. Wolff, forest supervisor at Coeur d'Alene, at 12 o'clock today. "The worst part of it is that it is not under control and is threatening a large tract of valuable government timber. The 1000 or 1200 acres already burned over is mostly cutover land belonging to the Rose Lake Lumber company.
"We have 100 men fighting the flames there and expect to have 75 more there before night. The fire undoubtedly was caused by careless tourists. I have seen nothing to indicate it was the work of the
The only business blocks remaining in Harrison are the O.W.R. & N depot, the hospital, hotel and bank.
The blaze swept up the hill from the Grant mill on the lake shore below the town, crossed the railroad tracks and first consumed the Brown store, post office and the entire block. The Masonic temple, Princess theater, Harrison meat market, Harrison hardware store and other stores disappeared in the flames.
The fire rushed on until all the main business district was gone and reached the residence district which was destroyed on the north side of the town. The water works was put out of condition and a change of wind would have carried the flames back to other residences.
The morning train made the run through the town to the depot, but was almost driven back by the heat.
Two I.W.Ws. Arrested
One of the firemen reported that he saw four men running from the Grant company's mill soon after the flames were discovered. The men kept on running and as far as could be learned did not stop to help in fighting the flames. Later two unknown men, members of the I.W.W., were arrested.
The fire in the Grant's mill is declared to have started within three minutes of the time the blaze was discovered in the Grant logging camp a few miles away at O'Gara landing. The Grant Lumber company has had no more trouble than any of the other lumber companies in the district.
A part of the Grant mill burned a few months ago and was rebuilt.
Several years ago Harrison was visited with a disastrous fire which burned several of the big lumber mills.
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Harrison, Idaho, is in ashes.
The business section is wiped out; the entire north residence section is swept clean.
Hundreds of people are homeless. The food supply is destroyed.
The loss will reach $500,000.
Spokane has been appealed to to rush bedding and food. A special train with first aid material will leave here for the stricken district this afternoon.
Added to the horror of Harrison, reports reached Federal Labor Agent B.A. Hunter here this morning that a dozen forest fires of mysterious origin have started in northern Idaho during the last 24 hours.
Governor Rushes to Town
Governor Alexander, Secretary of State W.T. Dougherty and "Secretary of War" Joseph Hanson arrived in Coeur d'Alene at 9 o"clock this morning, leaving immediately for Harrison.
J.C. White of the Red Collar line was appealed to for all available boats, to carry supplies and for use for sleeping quarters for the homeless tonight. Every effort is being made to comply with the appeal.
Shortly before noon, James A. Ford, secretary of Spokane Chamber of Commerce, had arranged for a shipment of 9000 pounds of groceries, a quantity of bedding and tents. Waldo G. Paine of the Spokane & Inland is arranging for their transportation on a special train.
The fire at Harrison started about 6:30 this morning under the lumber shed of the Grant Lumber company. In a few moments, fanned by a high wind. It was devouring thousands of dollars worth of dry lumber in the shed and yards.
In a short time the business section of the town was wiped out. Brown's block and the Masonic temple are blackened walls.
The entire north end of the town where fine residences were located, is swept clean. In fighting the flames Wayne Powell, son of E.L. Powell of Spokane and a member of the Morrow-Powell company, was painfully but not seriously burned.
Asks Fleming for Aid
About 10:30 o'clock Mayor Fleming received the following telegram from J.W. Cook, chairman of the Harrison city council:
"We are in trouble. All business and over half the resident portion of Harrison burned. Fire still raging. City is out of food and 500 people are out of homes. Need bedding and food for tonight."
The request was promptly complied with. A hurry up meeting of the chamber of commerce was called by President J.L. Paine to cooperate with Mayor Flemming in sending relief.
Timber Burned
A strip of land 12 miles long and containing over 1200 acres of white pine is burned over. All of the cut timber belonging to the Rose Lake Lumber company of Fourth of July canyon is destroyed.
At 10 o'clock this morning a report was received at Coeur d'Alene stating 200 men were fighting the flames but they were not yet under control. The entire section was threatened, it was said.
Sixty men were rushed out of Spokane in automobiles late last night to fight the flames in the forests and about 100 others were hurried into the Rose Lake country.
Between 25 and 40 more were started for the Harrison country this morning and on a special train leaving at 11 o'clock this forenoon another force of about 100 men was sent with prospects that many more will leave late this afternoon.
Wolff Directs Work
Most of the men from Spokane have been placed in charge of District Forester M.H. Wolff, who with the aid of a score or more of machines, is hurrying them to points where they are most needed.
"I have no definite information as to the origin of these fires," stated Federal Labor Agent Hunter, "but I have been informed of about 10 fires that have started rather mysteriously during the last 24 hours. Practically all of them are in northern Idaho."
The Yellowstone trail road is said to be almost blocked by the fire at the place where it asses through the Fourth of July canyon.
A small brush fire was started less than a mile west of Gibbs yesterday afternoon. The Coeur d'Alene fire department was called, but left the blaze for the county officials to handle. Smoke can be seen on the horizon in nearly all directions from Coeur d'Alene. The woods are like tinder and the fires are extremely hard to put under control
Big Timber Tract in Danger
"The fire in the Fourth of July canyon is a bad one," stated Myer H. Wolff, forest supervisor at Coeur d'Alene, at 12 o'clock today. "The worst part of it is that it is not under control and is threatening a large tract of valuable government timber. The 1000 or 1200 acres already burned over is mostly cutover land belonging to the Rose Lake Lumber company.
"We have 100 men fighting the flames there and expect to have 75 more there before night. The fire undoubtedly was caused by careless tourists. I have seen nothing to indicate it was the work of the
The only business blocks remaining in Harrison are the O.W.R. & N depot, the hospital, hotel and bank.
The blaze swept up the hill from the Grant mill on the lake shore below the town, crossed the railroad tracks and first consumed the Brown store, post office and the entire block. The Masonic temple, Princess theater, Harrison meat market, Harrison hardware store and other stores disappeared in the flames.
The fire rushed on until all the main business district was gone and reached the residence district which was destroyed on the north side of the town. The water works was put out of condition and a change of wind would have carried the flames back to other residences.
The morning train made the run through the town to the depot, but was almost driven back by the heat.
Two I.W.Ws. Arrested
One of the firemen reported that he saw four men running from the Grant company's mill soon after the flames were discovered. The men kept on running and as far as could be learned did not stop to help in fighting the flames. Later two unknown men, members of the I.W.W., were arrested.
The fire in the Grant's mill is declared to have started within three minutes of the time the blaze was discovered in the Grant logging camp a few miles away at O'Gara landing. The Grant Lumber company has had no more trouble than any of the other lumber companies in the district.
A part of the Grant mill burned a few months ago and was rebuilt.
Several years ago Harrison was visited with a disastrous fire which burned several of the big lumber mills.
Get this newspaper:
· Back issues of The S-R (509) 459-5357 or 459-5025