Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-25
Ooufagrations That Have Occurred
in Northwestern States.
ONE BLAZE THAT COST $4,000, 600
Forest Owners Worry Until Snow
and Ice Relieve Them.
IMMENSE LOSS OF LIFE


FROM liie t''Irut FFfe fr'SS
As autumn goes on jewellers in the state
Of Michigan look auxiously at the sky from
time to time when great clouds of iight-col-
oTed smoke hang over the city, and, when
the wind is favorable, even bring the scent
of burning wood to our nostrils. And all
over tn" world People whose situation ex-
poses them in any way to loss from forest
fires c. st the same anxious glanCes at the
sky In portions # the country that a
lcTg-conrinued drought has rendered
easier prey To the destroying influence of
the forest fire demon, the anxiety becomes
one long-continued strain. not to be re-
Taxed until winter sets in with its ice and
Wet
The approximations felt are very natural.
"a burnt child breads the fire." and the
children Of a larger growth hold the same
position in respect TO the possible awful
cons GueuCes Of Il large fire in the woods
surrounding them Those who have been
saved after an experience with one Of these
devastating 7courges tell tales well calcu-
l&tcd to brighten any
The sp ed and power of a forest fire are
absolutely beyond the belief of those who
have had no experience with them. Thous-
aUds. yes millions. of acres burnt over
stand to the discredit Of forest fires. They
are started by various causes. Several
cases are reported in which fire has started
as the result of Il lightning fash but the
greatest number of them are started by
nt n OF course. some OF these are the re-
suits of CarelesSness and ignorance, or even
unavoidable accident. but many are wantOn
>truction and nothing better.
a forest on fire is a great. a wonder
ful and awe-inspiring sight. Great
tres whose massive lengths are the result
Of the slow growth of centuries are first
converted into finder and afterward
stunned to nOthingness. Meadows which
one moment are smiling picture of peace
and plenty are turned in another moment
Of an q lat
Is a great leveler. Everything that its hot
breath touches is shriveled into the same
forrless mass as its neigTbOr, however
different their appearance may have been
before they We're smitten. Houses and
trees, swamps and dry land. are all con-
verted INTO one vast desolate level. on
whose surface the wind. always following a
IRE, whirls the ashes at its will.
Approach of the Fire.
The approach of a fire is heralded by the
constantly increasing heat of wind like
the simeon, which fairly chokes the per-
Son unfortunate as to inhale it, and
drives all animals wild and domestic mad
with fright Strange to say. the smoke
which one would think might serve as a
warning signal of the flames approach in
reality has the effect of concealing 1t. The
1ESQ1eraDle neat, growing constantly more
and more intense, is the only warning. At
800 yards distance a thermometer regis
tered a heat of 80 degrees F, and in an
bAiltT ease a thermometer at about the
same distance showed nothing but a col
uTnn of mercury, completely filling the tube;
and the thermometer would have burst if
the owner. wrapped in wet shawls had
no: succeeded in rescuing il. burning his
hands as he did so. In another case a man
who took a saddle off a fence in the path
Of the fire blistered his hands so severely
as to render him helpless for the better
Part of a year. Great masses of leaves on
the trees turn as brown on the limbs as
L winter We're already upon them; and the
green bouShs hiss and curl up the hot
hEtalh ioucheS them. In few moments
they are reduced to infammabie material
OF the most dangerous kind. Pine trees
OF which there are still so many in Michi-
gan. are particularly dangerous. as every
country boy knows; for the needles once
thoroughly dry become actually explosive
In the force and strength with which they
ignite one Of the worst fires ever started
In the forests was OCcaSioned by the reck-
less burning OF a lOng-dried Christmas
tree Put into the fireplace of an Old-fash-
Toned chimney, when 1t was set fire to-
II exploded, throwing a shower of sparks
into The room. setting the clothes of the
fre-makers on fire and sending column of
flame twenty feet into the air above the
top Of the chimney. As a result of that
bonfire thousands Of dollars worth of prop
erty was destroyed and there were not
means Of Furnishing the thoughtless de-
StrOycrs.
During the progress of a conhagratio
the very air seems to add fuel to the
flames. Just the fire in a great city
warehouse Hcks up the streams of water
poured upon il by the engines without
seeming t. be the least affected by them
So the forest in flames draws its very sus-
teuSnCe and aid from the air itself. Peo-
PIE who have watched the progress of a
IRE say that sometimes the flames from
one tree VIII ignite another at great dis
tance. the fire leapng from one to another
In a solid sheet Of flame, setting fire to the
entire intervening air-spacc. Burning
branches are borne the wind TO great
heights and fall on some still unburned
spot ALREADY converted into touchvood and
finder, and IN a few moments this adding
It's share 10 the general destruction OF
course there is always danger from the in
Credible quantity Of sparks and embers
which accompany the course of the flames
Ordinary methods of fighting the fire are
Intellectual Many people spread wet
blankets and cloths over their houses TO
protect them from sparks, but the awful
heat dries them out so quickly that the
water is almost at once converted into
steam.
Method of Fighting.
The most approved method is the start
ing Of what are known as "backhres." The
owner Of a threatened piece of property
sets fire TO the brush and forest surround
ing mis- clearing the idea being that the
fire VIII stop al that point from lack of
fuel But experience has shown that this
Is not always trustworthy protection. A
gentleman named Squire With OF Gladwin
county AaI caused a clearing Of from Ga
To - acres To I've formed about his home
stead as means Of protection. When the
fire approached. IL was seen that the ont
hundiugs wer" bound To go anyway; and
all the energies of the household were
turned To saving the house itself The
force Of the flames was so great that they
leaPed over even this wide space and the
building was reduced TO ashes From this
statement some idea may be gained Of the
enormous momentum of a fire once ii is
well under way Backfring is efficient only
when IT can he begun early and is OF such
proportions 10 battle the great force to
b. guarded against
The damage done by fire does not stop
with the destruction Of the forests though
tnis j. sure 10 make Us pinched for timber
IN "A tsw years il some means are not taken
U replace the lost property. In addition TO
me sOS~ Of stumpage. there IS the enormous
loss uf human life. sacrificed I'm so many
cases There il the great destruction Of
game of iuSecttvurous birds of the flora
ana fauna Of the burned district. Lumber
men who have the habit Of clearing their
stuinpase by burning it over are often sur
prlSel 10 sec The great quantity Of game of
all .Uds that comes from district thought
10 b. uuinhahited. The swifter-footed ami
dash wildly their of N