TOLL OF DEATH BY FIRE IN FOREST IN WYOMING NOW 14

Many Hurt

Big Force Has Won Its Battle With Flames

Cody, Wyo., Aug. 23 – (AP) – A smoky haze over a nearly whipped forest fire was a grim reminder tonight of 14 lives lost in a heroic battle against a roaring inferno.

Their battle nearly won, approximately 500 exhausted fire fighters made a last minute drive on the blaze which broke out Friday afternoon in an isolated section of the Shoshone National forest 35 miles west of here.

The official list of dead and injured as announced by C. C. C. authorities and A. R. EASTON, Park county coroner, follows:

The dead:
AMBROCIO GARZA, Corpus Christi, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
ERNEST SOELKE, La Grange, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
JOHN B. GERDES, Halletsville, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
RUBIN D. SHERRY, Smithville, Texas, C. C. C. employe.
ROY BEVENS, Smithville, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
BILLY LEE, Sherwood, Ore., Bureau of Public Roads employe.
ALFRED CLAYTON, 45, Cody, Wyo., forest ranger.
JIMMY SABIN, 38, Hyattville, Wyo., foreman Tensleep C. C. C. camp.
REX HALE, 30, Afton, Wyo., junior technician Cody, Wyo., C. C. C. camp.
GEORGE ROGERS, George, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
CLYDE ALLEN, McDade, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
WILL C. GRIFFITH, Bastrop, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.
MACK T. MAYABB, Smithville, Okla., C. C. C. enrollee.
WILLIAM WHITLOCK, Austin, Texas, C. C. C. enrollee.

The injured, all C. C. C. enrollees unless otherwise designated:
JOHN GOMEZ, Bastrop, Texas.
DAVID THOMPSON, Bastrop, Texas.
WILLIAM MUELLER, New Ulm, Texas.
SAM VAN ARSDALL, Cody, Wyo., Bureau of Public Roads employe.
JOE ZAVALA, San Antonio, Texas.
ALTON MURRAY, Tom, Okla.
JOHN LEVINE, San Antonio, Texas.
ALCARIO SERRAS, San Antonio, Texas.
LEE ROY REED, McDade, Texas.
HUBERT FERRIS, McDade, Texas.
JAMES OTTMER, Thorndale, Texas.
PAUL TYRRELL, Cody, Wyo., Bureau of Public Roads employe.
VICENTE VALLE, San Antonio, Texas.
HERMAN T. PATKZE, Cameron, Texas.
ERL DAVIS, Cody, Wyo., Bureau of Public Roads employe.
ALFRED HOLLAND, Cody, Wyo., Bureau of Public Roads employe.
GARLAND BOWMAN, Cody, Wyo., Bureau of Public Roads employe.
CHARLES WHEELUS, Tanglewood, Texas.
JOHN WISNESKI, Brenham, Texas.
ANDON SANCHEZ, Austin, Texas.
HENRY POCHIS, Somerville, Texas.
WOODROW DUFY, Smithville, Texas.
OLIVER RANDLE, Smithville, Texas.

Cody, still excited over the tragedy which turned the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National park and village of 1,800 persons into a hospital center – still talked of deeds of heroism and the agonies of 46 burned men.

From Texas
Civilian conservation corps officials said tonight all of the bodies of nine youthful C. C. C. boys from the Tensleep, Wyo., camp who died in the flames or as a result of the burns would be sent to their homes in Texas and Oklahoma immediately. Nine of the eight were from Texas.
Relatives of the Bureau of Public Roads employes and ALFRED CLAYTON, 45-year-old forest ranger, who died were en route here to claim the bodies.

The origin of the tragic fire which trapped over 50 men was not known tonight.

Cloudy weather prevailed over the area and it was hoped more rain, such as Sunday's shower, would fall to aid the fighters.
Physicians at the three small hospitals here said tonight they expected all of the men being treated for burns to recover, although five of them were seriously burned.

Injured Released
The less seriously burned who had received emergency treatment at the Shoshone C. C. C. camp seven miles from the fire were released today, and some of them were to receive further treatment at hospitals here.

The dead and injured men were trapped high on the side of the mountain near timberline by “spot fires” which sent “round balls of fire” rolling over tree tops faster than they could run. Nine of them were burned to death in their tracks – seven in a straight line on their hands and knees where the fire swept over them.

The possibility that more men might be in the blackened smouldering[sic] area was considered remote by SICKER and C. C. C. authorities who said they had checked the list of all men fighting the blaze and all hands had been accounted for.

The Helena Independent Montana 1937-08-24