Telegraph Creck Detachment *

Destroyed by Fire

The Frontier Post of Telegraph Creek, With No Fire-fighting Equipment Avail-
able, Fought for Nine Long Hours to Save the Community—Heroic Efforts By
Const. Redhead and the Citizens Brought Fire Under Control—Local Clergyman

TRE, FAITHFUL SERVANT, yet
srrible master. As you lie in bed in the
arly hours of the morning, the doleful
vail of the siren awakens you, and
ou wonder how close the fire is to your
wn home. While disturbing, the shrill
adence of the lowering and rising pitch
f the siren is still reassuring. You
now that out there in the night, stout-
earted men stand as a barrier between
ou and the fiery Moloch seeking to de-
troy whatever comes within reach of
hose red tentacles.

But how would you feel if at two
Yelock in the morning you were awak-
ned by the screams of a woman accom-
anied by the crackling of burning wood
nd the acrid pungency of smoke?
‘onst. Redhead of Telegraph Creek De-
achment can supply the answer, for on
‘riday, March 18th, 1947, he was thus
wakened. Mrs. Hazel Simpson of the
stikine Hotel situated next door to the
olice Detachment raised the alarm by

ELK HOTEL

A. Bossio, Proprietor
FULLY LICENSED

Good Rooms, Reasonable Rates
A Good Clean Place to Stay

ELKO, B.C.

Columbia Lake Cabins

SHOWERS - STORE - LIGHT MEALS
GAS - OILS

SERVICE STATION
BOATS GOOD FISHING LAKE BATHING

Seventy Miles North of Cranbrock and
Thirty-five Miles South of Sinclair Canyon

OPEN YEAR AROUND
CANAL FLATS P.O., B.C.

Phone Columbia Lake Cabins

EIGHTEENTH EDITION

and Nurse Prominent in Rescue Work.

shouting to the constable that her prem-
ises were on fire. Immediately realizing
that the tinder-dry wood buildings would
spread the fire rapidly, the constable first
assured himself that members of his own
household, which included his wife, two
children and a relative, were evacuated
from the police building in which the
constable had his own living quarters.
Within three minutes of receiving the
first alarm, Redhead was at the scene of
the fire. He knew that in a frontier post
such as Telegraph Creek, where there
was no organized fire fighting body, the
safety of the entire hamlet depended on
concerted effort by all members of the
community. As news of the fire spread,
residents all converged on the old hotel,
both men and women aiding in fighting
the common and dreaded enemy.

The north side of the hotel was in
flames and tongues of fire licking through
broken glass had already reached a small
building adjacent to the hotel and set it
on fire. Fortunately this building was
unoccupied. Seizing a small garden hose,

By
W. KNOWLES

*

the constable attempted to arrest the
fire’s progress, only to have the hose
burned in half as it stretched close to
the burning building. Another, and
larger, hose was secured from the rear
of the hotel, and this was played on the
fire from the roof of the police building
for some fifteen minutes, but due to the
terrific heat generated by the stout tim-
bers of the hotel the constable was
obliged to retire from his point of van-
tage with the second hose also burned
in his hands.

DANGER OF ToTAL DESTRUCTION BY FIRE

At this time, the wall of the police
builditig, which is just south of the hotel,
began to burn. Without hoses, it was
impossible to cope with the blaze, so the
constable sought to save what he could
from the detachment both in the way of
personal and government property. Sal-
vaging a little bedding and personal
clothing, as the family had left the build-
ing in scant attire, the constable was
joined by Miss Jean Graham, Nurse with

B BRITISH COLUMBIA
- POLICE ~ «

Before the fire.

Page Seventy-nine