The Portland daily press., 1899-11-24

@ aling ,t. The insuffer able heat, grow.
ipn constantly more and more intense, ID
the only warning. At 800 yards distance
a thermometer registered heat OF lso
degrees Fahrenheit, ard In another case
rhs therm ometsr at ab,ut the Same dis :,
TANGO 81 O we'd roshing but column OF
mercury. oomplstsly filling the tuos
and the Jheru o eter oild have burst
II the owner. wrapped in wet shawls had
not succeeded In rescuing IL, burning his
hands as he did Sd. In another case
man who took saddle on fence In the
NTH Of ths fire blistered his hands so
severely RS TO rer der him helpless for the
better part OF n year. Great masses OF
leaves on the trees turn as brown on
tho lin bs as IL winter we're already upo1
them; and the green to1ghs hiss and
curl up es the hot breath touches them.
In a few NJ r ents they are reduced to In
ilamma able material OF the most dangerou,
kind. Pire trees. o. which there are still
SO any In Michigan. are particularly
dangerous, as every county boy knows,
for the needles, once tloroug hly dry, be-
come actually explosive In the force ana
strength with which they tgnit,. One
o. the Wo-st fires eTer started In tie for
ests was occasioaed by the rsckless burn
ing of long-driei Chris.Has traa Put
into tie fireplace OF an old-fsshionei
oh ney, when 1t was set frs to 1t ex-
p'oitd throwing Q shower OF sparks into
toe room, setting thu clothos Of tie fire.
makers on IRE and sending column OF
flame 90 feet into the air above the top
Of tie chimney. As result Of tha t
hon ire thor sands Of dollsrs' worth OF
property was destroyed, and there we're
no means of Furnishing the thoughtless
deJtroyers.
During the progress OF conflagration
the very air ssems to add fuel to the
flames. just as the tire in great city
warehouse licks up the streams OF water
pc; rsd upon IL by the engines without
seeming TO be tbs least affected by them,
S the forest in Il smss draws its very sIs-
tenancs and aid from the air itself.
People who have WATCHED the progress Of
fire say that sometimes the 6an ca from
ore tree will ignite another at u grsat
distance, the tir leaping from one 10 an
lire to the entire intervening air.spsce.
burning branches are borne on the
wind to great heights, and fall on some
still unburned SPOT ALREADY oonvef { I'd
Into Lockwood aud finder, and In few
moments this IA adding its share to the
general obstruction. OF course there Ia
always danger from the inoredi ole guam.
tity Of SPARKS and embers which accom-
paBy the course of tee flames. Ordinary
methods o; fighting the iiie are insfisc-
tual. Many people spread wet blankets
and cloths over their bor 70 to protect
them from sparks, but this awful heat
dries thsm out 10 quickly that the water
Is almost at once converted into steam.
The most approved method 10 tbs start
ing Of what ara known as ''baoktrss "
1hs owner OF threat mel pisce Of prop
erty set; fire. 10 the brush and forest sur :
rounding his clearing. the idea being that
the fire will stop at that point from lack
Uf fuel. But expsrienoe has shown that
this is not always q trustworthy prot,v-
tien. A gentleman named Squire With
Of ,SaduiB county had caused a clearing
Of n ON co to 20 acres 70 be formed
about his HON sstead as means Of protec-
ton. When the ire approached. 1t was
seen that the outbuilidngs were bound
to go anyway; and all the enershs Of
the household were turned 70 saving the
house itself. The force Of the flames was
80 great that thew leaped over even this
wide space and this building was reduced
TO ashes. From this sts tsment some idea
may be gained Of the enormous u omen.
tum of q trs once IL 10 well underWav
lack firing II efficient only when 1t can
b begun early and 10 Of such proportion