Mount Vernon Herald
Mount Vernon, Washington
6 May 1912
Seven Men Burned to Death in Terrible Woods Fire
————
Four Logging Camps Completely Destroyed -
Three Hundred Men, Women and Children Narrowly Escape-
Four Bodies Found
————
The worst woods fire in the history of Skagit county broke out just south of the Dempsey logging camp near Hamilton at noon Tuesday burning to death seven men, devastating about six square miles of county and destroying the logging plants and buildings of four camps.
The fire originated in a school section a land-clearing gang was burning off. A gale wind fanned the flames into a conflagration beyond their power to control and in a short time the Dempsey camp was on fire.
It was soon apparent that the headquarters camp and camp No. 2 were doomed and twenty families, women and children and the employees of the company began a flight for life. Many thought at first that there was no danger and it was with difficulty that they were persuaded to flee. But they shortly found that the danger was real, and a race for life was begun. Escape by the railroad was cut off, so an eastward course was taken, most of the refugees coming out at Birdsview, from whence they were taken by train to Hamilton.
A small party of men stayed behind in a vain attempt to save the property and five of these lost their lives. The victims were Albert Benson, cook; Joseph Rozist and J. C. Nelson, waiters; James Rawson, engineer; and Fred Clavack, donkey fireman.
Five men took refuge in a deep cut scarcely 100 feet from the camp, and escaped without injury. Two of these say that they repeatedly urged Benson to join them, but that he refused. A Pollack employee took refuge in the water tank, escaping death, but suffering severe burns about the head and hands. The water in the tank was so deep that he was obliged to hang on to the top edge to keep his head above water.
The flames spread rapidly from the Dempsey camps, enveloping and destroying camps Nos. 1 and 2 of the English (or Hamilton) Logging company. In these camps two men lost their lives, Foreman Lyle McNeal and George Urich.
On Wednesday a crew of twenty-five men headed by Foreman Nick Downs and accompanied by Sheriff Stevenson and Coroner Cassel searched the ruins of the Dempsey camp for victims of the disaster. The bodies of Rawson, Nelson Clavack and Rozist were recovered, frightfully burned, and were taken to Sedro-Woolley. Benson's body could not be found and it is feared was completely consumed. His wife and three children reluctantly left the camp when the rush for safety began, but finally were persuaded to flee. They are now in Sedro-Woolley, heartbroken.
There were over three hundred refuges in Hamilton Wednesday, and th residents of that city did everything in their power to care for them.
The loss in money can as yet only be guessed at, but will run into the hundreds of thousands. The direct loss of the logging companies in camp buildings, bridges and roundhouse, locomotives, donkey engines and other equipment will exceed $100,000.
The timber destroyed is roughly estimated at 50,000,000 feet. It will be ninety days before the camps can be put in operation again.
Mount Vernon, Washington
6 May 1912
Seven Men Burned to Death in Terrible Woods Fire
————
Four Logging Camps Completely Destroyed -
Three Hundred Men, Women and Children Narrowly Escape-
Four Bodies Found
————
The worst woods fire in the history of Skagit county broke out just south of the Dempsey logging camp near Hamilton at noon Tuesday burning to death seven men, devastating about six square miles of county and destroying the logging plants and buildings of four camps.
The fire originated in a school section a land-clearing gang was burning off. A gale wind fanned the flames into a conflagration beyond their power to control and in a short time the Dempsey camp was on fire.
It was soon apparent that the headquarters camp and camp No. 2 were doomed and twenty families, women and children and the employees of the company began a flight for life. Many thought at first that there was no danger and it was with difficulty that they were persuaded to flee. But they shortly found that the danger was real, and a race for life was begun. Escape by the railroad was cut off, so an eastward course was taken, most of the refugees coming out at Birdsview, from whence they were taken by train to Hamilton.
A small party of men stayed behind in a vain attempt to save the property and five of these lost their lives. The victims were Albert Benson, cook; Joseph Rozist and J. C. Nelson, waiters; James Rawson, engineer; and Fred Clavack, donkey fireman.
Five men took refuge in a deep cut scarcely 100 feet from the camp, and escaped without injury. Two of these say that they repeatedly urged Benson to join them, but that he refused. A Pollack employee took refuge in the water tank, escaping death, but suffering severe burns about the head and hands. The water in the tank was so deep that he was obliged to hang on to the top edge to keep his head above water.
The flames spread rapidly from the Dempsey camps, enveloping and destroying camps Nos. 1 and 2 of the English (or Hamilton) Logging company. In these camps two men lost their lives, Foreman Lyle McNeal and George Urich.
On Wednesday a crew of twenty-five men headed by Foreman Nick Downs and accompanied by Sheriff Stevenson and Coroner Cassel searched the ruins of the Dempsey camp for victims of the disaster. The bodies of Rawson, Nelson Clavack and Rozist were recovered, frightfully burned, and were taken to Sedro-Woolley. Benson's body could not be found and it is feared was completely consumed. His wife and three children reluctantly left the camp when the rush for safety began, but finally were persuaded to flee. They are now in Sedro-Woolley, heartbroken.
There were over three hundred refuges in Hamilton Wednesday, and th residents of that city did everything in their power to care for them.
The loss in money can as yet only be guessed at, but will run into the hundreds of thousands. The direct loss of the logging companies in camp buildings, bridges and roundhouse, locomotives, donkey engines and other equipment will exceed $100,000.
The timber destroyed is roughly estimated at 50,000,000 feet. It will be ninety days before the camps can be put in operation again.
Mount Vernon Herald
Mount Vernon, Washington
6 May 1912
Seven Men Burned to Death in Terrible Woods Fire
————
Four Logging Camps Completely Destroyed -
Three Hundred Men, Women and Children Narrowly Escape-
Four Bodies Found
————
The worst woods fire in the history of Skagit county broke out just south of the Dempsey logging camp near Hamilton at noon Tuesday burning to death seven men, devastating about six square miles of county and destroying the logging plants and buildings of four camps.
The fire originated in a school section a land-clearing gang was burning off. A gale wind fanned the flames into a conflagration beyond their power to control and in a short time the Dempsey camp was on fire.
It was soon apparent that the headquarters camp and camp No. 2 were doomed and twenty families, women and children and the employees of the company began a flight for life. Many thought at first that there was no danger and it was with difficulty that they were persuaded to flee. But they shortly found that the danger was real, and a race for life was begun. Escape by the railroad was cut off, so an eastward course was taken, most of the refugees coming out at Birdsview, from whence they were taken by train to Hamilton.
A small party of men stayed behind in a vain attempt to save the property and five of these lost their lives. The victims were Albert Benson, cook; Joseph Rozist and J. C. Nelson, waiters; James Rawson, engineer; and Fred Clavack, donkey fireman.
Five men took refuge in a deep cut scarcely 100 feet from the camp, and escaped without injury. Two of these say that they repeatedly urged Benson to join them, but that he refused. A Pollack employee took refuge in the water tank, escaping death, but suffering severe burns about the head and hands. The water in the tank was so deep that he was obliged to hang on to the top edge to keep his head above water.
The flames spread rapidly from the Dempsey camps, enveloping and destroying camps Nos. 1 and 2 of the English (or Hamilton) Logging company. In these camps two men lost their lives, Foreman Lyle McNeal and George Urich.
On Wednesday a crew of twenty-five men headed by Foreman Nick Downs and accompanied by Sheriff Stevenson and Coroner Cassel searched the ruins of the Dempsey camp for victims of the disaster. The bodies of Rawson, Nelson Clavack and Rozist were recovered, frightfully burned, and were taken to Sedro-Woolley. Benson's body could not be found and it is feared was completely consumed. His wife and three children reluctantly left the camp when the rush for safety began, but finally were persuaded to flee. They are now in Sedro-Woolley, heartbroken.
There were over three hundred refuges in Hamilton Wednesday, and th residents of that city did everything in their power to care for them.
The loss in money can as yet only be guessed at, but will run into the hundreds of thousands. The direct loss of the logging companies in camp buildings, bridges and roundhouse, locomotives, donkey engines and other equipment will exceed $100,000.
The timber destroyed is roughly estimated at 50,000,000 feet. It will be ninety days before the camps can be put in operation again.
Mount Vernon, Washington
6 May 1912
Seven Men Burned to Death in Terrible Woods Fire
————
Four Logging Camps Completely Destroyed -
Three Hundred Men, Women and Children Narrowly Escape-
Four Bodies Found
————
The worst woods fire in the history of Skagit county broke out just south of the Dempsey logging camp near Hamilton at noon Tuesday burning to death seven men, devastating about six square miles of county and destroying the logging plants and buildings of four camps.
The fire originated in a school section a land-clearing gang was burning off. A gale wind fanned the flames into a conflagration beyond their power to control and in a short time the Dempsey camp was on fire.
It was soon apparent that the headquarters camp and camp No. 2 were doomed and twenty families, women and children and the employees of the company began a flight for life. Many thought at first that there was no danger and it was with difficulty that they were persuaded to flee. But they shortly found that the danger was real, and a race for life was begun. Escape by the railroad was cut off, so an eastward course was taken, most of the refugees coming out at Birdsview, from whence they were taken by train to Hamilton.
A small party of men stayed behind in a vain attempt to save the property and five of these lost their lives. The victims were Albert Benson, cook; Joseph Rozist and J. C. Nelson, waiters; James Rawson, engineer; and Fred Clavack, donkey fireman.
Five men took refuge in a deep cut scarcely 100 feet from the camp, and escaped without injury. Two of these say that they repeatedly urged Benson to join them, but that he refused. A Pollack employee took refuge in the water tank, escaping death, but suffering severe burns about the head and hands. The water in the tank was so deep that he was obliged to hang on to the top edge to keep his head above water.
The flames spread rapidly from the Dempsey camps, enveloping and destroying camps Nos. 1 and 2 of the English (or Hamilton) Logging company. In these camps two men lost their lives, Foreman Lyle McNeal and George Urich.
On Wednesday a crew of twenty-five men headed by Foreman Nick Downs and accompanied by Sheriff Stevenson and Coroner Cassel searched the ruins of the Dempsey camp for victims of the disaster. The bodies of Rawson, Nelson Clavack and Rozist were recovered, frightfully burned, and were taken to Sedro-Woolley. Benson's body could not be found and it is feared was completely consumed. His wife and three children reluctantly left the camp when the rush for safety began, but finally were persuaded to flee. They are now in Sedro-Woolley, heartbroken.
There were over three hundred refuges in Hamilton Wednesday, and th residents of that city did everything in their power to care for them.
The loss in money can as yet only be guessed at, but will run into the hundreds of thousands. The direct loss of the logging companies in camp buildings, bridges and roundhouse, locomotives, donkey engines and other equipment will exceed $100,000.
The timber destroyed is roughly estimated at 50,000,000 feet. It will be ninety days before the camps can be put in operation again.
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