The Portland daily press., 1894-12-29
FOREST FIRES.
Scraps of Maine History of Interest

Rich Standardization and Other
Features of All Names Great Fires
Since 1925.
In the report of Forest Commissioner,
'Chas. E. Oak, is an interesting article on
forest fires in Maine, written by Aus
tin Cary, the agent of the commission.
The greatest forest ire that has &C.
CURED in the state of Maine, within
historic times, was doub tess that of 1895.
known as the Miramichi" fire, but,
though it occurred the same year and
month as the forest fire which destroyed
many lives as well as much property in
the province of New Brunswick it was a
distinct fire, being separated from the
other by many miles.
The fire of 1875 in Maine seems to have
stal ted i'll the towns in and near the
Piscataquis valley. Here it did much
damage burning up the woodlands, de-
stroying several sets of buildings and
otherwise injuring the settlers. Then
it spread north and east burning up
miles after miles OF tim berland till it
reached and crossed the Penobscot river.
The boundaries of the fire where they
are not obscured by clearing or later
fires, by the charred stumbs and she
nature of the growth are perfectly dis
tinct. The area of the fire by these
marks has been approximately deter
mined.
Written history confirmed by the
recollection of people still living who
were witnesses at the fire furnishes
pretty satisfactory information as to the
conditions which were responsible for it.
Previously the annual rain fall had beer
sufficient to secure good crops and to
prevent extreme confagration. But in
August and September of that year no
rain fell. and severe drought prevailed.
The crops had grown and ripened. By
the beginning OF October the wells were
without water, the small streams had
failed, the brooks ceased to flow and the
fish gathered In the deep pools or lay
dead upon their stony beds. Much of the
cleared land contained decayings stGmps
and was enclosed by log fences. while
the stubble upon the grain and moving
fields was thick and rank and all as dry
as finder.
Still those who were clearing up new
land, in their eagerness to burn up the
fallen growth, set fires fearlessly as ever.
And these fires did not go out but lin
gered and smouldered stillsaE
In the evening of October 18th, after
still. smoky day, a violent gale arose
from the north and northwest, tanning
these sn9uldering fires into a furious and
rushing blaze.
In the woodlands the flames rolled on
in solid column, while the wind scattered
the sparks and blazing b.4n slike chat,
lighting up stump fences and often the
dry stubble.
Every body was awake. Fences were
torn down, water carried and back fires
set. The night was the Widest in the
experience of those, who witnessed it.
The next morning, however, the wind
subsidized, and peril to life and farm prop
erty closed. But smoke hung over the
country dense enough 10 sicken cattle,
aad great enough in volume to be seen out
side the State. The fire hung in the boys
and timberlanGs and it was only some
weeks after when the heavy rains of
the fall came down that it was finally
quenched.
Clearing fires were probably the center
of the coHfagration. Proof of this eis the
fact that there sprung up in SO many
places at once. 1t was in several towns
the same night and men found it all
about them when they turned out to
fight it. So strongly were they impressed
with this feature OF it, that the fire was
attributed in the inIndsaf the supersti-
tious to supernatural origin. MEN
thought the fire rained down.
The fire travelled as fast as horse
could trot and the air was filled with fly
ing brands. Thus the fire was spread
from many centers and fused in a great
volume too great and of too much power
to be fought. 1t overpowered the set
tiers. In Cambridge and Ripley numer-
Gus sets Of buildings were burned and
scattered buildings were destroyed every
where. Then when the gale went down
from the extent of the fire it was beyond
control. 1t maintained itself in spite OF
the settlers and while spreading north
and east it ravaged the rimberlands un-
hindeTed for weeks
The history of the fire. in a word is
this-small and seemingly insignificant
fires were allowed to continue in dry
time. Then sudden gale sprung up
which spread the fire from these centers
and fused them into a great body of fire
which was beyond all human control.
The warning to be derived from these
facts is not to be mistaken, it is far less
likely it will be needed.
Without map the bounds of this great
re can be but roughly given. Passing
through the towns of Shirley and Eliotts.
Vile, the fire on the north took in Ka
tshdin iron works and township Long
A, passing eastward TO cross the west
branch of the Penobscot below the Twin
lakes. Leaving unharmed the district
east of Sebois and endless lakes, it swept
down to the main Penobsco in the town