The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-25
AMERICAN FOhESf FIRES
Progress Of Investigation Into
Their Ravaging Character.
Natural Causes Thossht to Exist for
coveries of Great Timber Lands
After Confiagrntion--The origin OF
the Flames shroudcd in Mystery.

The Investigations OF ihe Forestry Dr.
vision OF the "a. cultural Department
upon the subject % forest fires. besides
resulting in obtaining valuable data re-
! sarding past devastations. have presented
the subject il an entirely new light from
that in which 1t has hitherto been re-
garded.
Although further data is required TO
! fully establish the case. it may be reason
ably inferred from that already gathered
, that these scourges OF the forest are pro-
visions of nature for the periodical renew
| ing Of certain, kinds of trees, sometimes Of
an entirely different species.
A typical ILLUSTRATION of the relation Of
| fire to the existence OF great forest and
an Indication of its power in determining
the kinds OF trees OF which the forest is
composed is found the north side OF
the Olympic Mountains of western Wash
ington. The magnificent forest about the
base Of this range would seem at first
glance to be wholly untouched, yet upon
close inyes igation the fact is shown that
the greater part of 1t has been burned
over within a comparatively recent time.
Underneath and among the roots Of the
standing trees there is layer of char
| coal left by the fire that cleared the
/! ground for their occupation, which may be
| brought to light by little digging, or
! which can be seen with less trouble when
i the wind has overthrow the trees and
exposed the earth in which they stood.
Here is perfect example" says Mr..
, Clifford Pinchot. expert forester OF the
| Agricultural Department, "of the entire
, recovery of forest after its apparent de-
) struction by fire, but the case has yet an
| other interest. The red fir is the most
important timber tree Of that forest,
/ through which X is very widely scattered.
! IL is a curious tact that. in a recent ex-
\ haustive exploration there was not TO be
4 found single Seeding of this tree under
/ the forest cover. Yet wherever there
! was an opening cleared by fire they were
I plentiful This seems to show. although
| further evidence is being awaited by me.
| that the composition OF this great for
est is largely determined by fire..
Perhaps the most apparent fact in con-
nection with forest fires Is their fire.
queney In all wooded regions and their
vicinity they form a large item OF news
gossip, and accounts of their ravagss are
being constantly brought 10 public atten-
tion. Few forest regions escape and by
far the greater part OF the whole wooded
area Of the country bears the marks OF
IRE Still, the fact remains that the for
ests have not disappeared. They have
been ravaged. in some cases hundreds or
times yet they still flourish. and viii. in
all probability, continue to do so. The
homecoming of the forest to land from
which it has disappeared is often very
slow and delicate process, but in the end
some sort of forest cover may be counted
on to take the place OF that which is
gone Hence 1t is that the Devastating
fires which nave swept over this country
for centuries lave not succeeded in leaving
IL barren OF trees.
study of Forest Fires.
II is only lately that the study Of forest
fires in this country has engaged the "a
tantion OF scientists. AS the Investigations
are now being carried on by the Agricul-
tural Department the subject is divided
into two parts, one largely statistical; the
other dealing with the natural history Of
the fires About neither Of them has
satisfactory volume OF facts peen gathered,
although much more is known Of the DAM
age they do, and the area they cover tnan
Of the details of ~ air behavior and the ef-
fects they have on he ssu, the trees. and
the general character of the forest. me
records OF ureS, LOT the most part dlo
found only in the forests themselves, in
the vast number Of scattered references
to them in the newspapers, and in the
statistical files of insurance companies,
whose policies. directly OF indirectly. they
affect. 1t is chiefly from these sources that
the Agricultural Department is gathering
valuable record OF the number, date,
extent, and mage of the fires, which
both before ar since the advent Of the
white man, have swept from time to time
throughout the forests of America
Commencing with the year 175i. / lJ5
volumes OF newspapers have been examin-
ed and in addition to these about 800 9TH
er records. When the record Is complete
il will furnish the best available means
for estimating the prodigious loss yearly
suffered by the country from forest fires.
and at the same time will show more
clearly than is possible at present. the
dangerous zones the centres from which
fires spread and the relative degree IN
which particular localities throughout tho
country have already been heavy losers in
the past. or are likely to need special pre-
cautions in the future. IL is true. OF
course. that the great danger belts are al
ready known and that the people who live
in places specially exposed to fire are al
ready acquainted with the risks they run;
but until the record OF fires is far more
complete than il is at present. many OF
the facts vitality neeued 10 provide against
loss or to awaken public sentiment VIII
remain out of reach re- any but local en-
quiry.
Little Known Of Their Nature.
Beyond the somewhat ;rite fact that they
burn and do indefinite damage. nothing IS
practically known about the real nature Of
forest fires except what can be reasona-
bly, inferred from the slight data already
gathered How they move over the ground
in wet and dry weather how they arc
helped and hindered, how they affect the
soil what harm they do the standing trees,
and how they affect the reproduction
NJ the forest and determine the kinds
NJ trees OF which it is made up-all these
questions are as great an enigma to the
scientist as they are n the less tutOred
observer Field work for the purpose OF
throwing light upon these questions is
now in progress in various parts Of the
country and the Agricultural Department
hopes to gather an amount of valuable
data.
1T may fairly De asked says an emit
nent scientific authority. what is the
practical value If such studies as the his
tory and nature OF these forest fires. The
answer is that every kind of knowledge
OF an enemy may be used against him.
Thus il il is learned that in certain re-
giOn fire travels in a wedse-shaped mass.
with the ierccst heat and most rapid prog
ress at the point. il follows that the place
to attack IL is at the point Of the wedge.
and that the ordinary mehod Of attacking
the wings is simply a waste OF time. In