The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-23
ENORMOUS LOSS OF LUMBER.
Terribly Destructive Effects of the
 Forest Fires in Washington.

Tacoma CWash) Ledger.
 The comfortable fallacy widely circu- lated during the progress of the great forest fires in -ptember that green tim Der would not burn to any great extent, and that only the slashings and clearings were burning, is destined to receive a great shock from the report of Special Ranger Ira E. Spencer, just received by Commissioner of Forestry D. B. Sheller. The Ranger gives the appalling informa- tion that not less than five billion feet of green timber were destroyed in the south- ern part of the Rainier Reserve alone. He reports that fire to have made a cleaner sweep than any slashing ever made and concludes his report with the suggestion that the burned timber of this vast area is all dead. even where it is not consumed. He suggests that in the in terest of economy the burned trees might be allowed to be logged, as otherwise worms will take the cedar. and the burned fir will check into worthlessneess in a very short period of time. One part of the report says:
 T never saw so much destruction of timber in my life. The ire-or one part of it-seems to have started in the Wind River, and I think there has been more than one fire started. for these seem to be separate and distinct fire channels as 1t were, that have no appearance of con- nection with each other. The fire burned clear to the west boundary of the reserve as also to the north boundary, say for two miles up the north fork of the I.ewes river, and then there is strip of timber four or five miles wide along the north boundary of the reserve. and, with the exception of a few spots, the balance is all or nearly all killed. A man Is per fectly safe in estimating the destruction on the reserve at 5000, 100000 feet, besides the younger growth. You must see it to fully appreciate 1t and comprehend the great destruction.
 The report tells, as illustrating the completeness of the destruction, that the writer could find neither spear of grass nor green leaf to feed to his horse in mak- ing the journey. and that he was forced to carry enough with him to feed his horse and himself for the several days it took him to cross over from the southern boundary to the northern boundary. Noth- ing green was encountered on the jour ney across this western end of a reserve which 1t was hoped was going to act as a river preServer-a giant reservoir for water-by reason of it's timber, till the end of time.
 Speaking of the causes which led to the great confiagration, the Forest Ranger says:
 Now as to the origin of the fire. It is hard to say positively, but of this we can be certain. A fire was burning over on Wind River for two or three weeks before this fire broke out, and when this east wind came the old fire was all ready to revive. Again 1 do not think any one fire did all the damage. In fact, I am quite sure there were three different fires that subsequently, converged or drew to- gether here. It is thought one of the three firss came down through the klick- fiat Pass, but I am not prepared to cor roborate that statement. But one branch on Wind River one on Star Mountain and one over toward St. Helens, I think is quite certain. And, then, again, I think that some of the parties that suffered in the fire undertook to back fire against the fire coming toward them and their own fires got away from them because of the great wind created in advance of the onrushing flames"
 The writer concludes with the informa- tion that 1t is altogether impossible to measure the exact loss. The fire was too vast for anything but an estimate by townships, and this he has made with the results given above.
 The matter of selling the burned timber not totally destroyed was submitted to a local mill man. He gives it out that in three years fire-killed cedar is worthless from worms, while fir becomes worthless in the same period of time from over deepening checks which quickly reach to the hearts of the trees. The suggestion Of the Ranger that whatever can be picked up from the confiagration now by the sale or umber IS clear gain, will be incorporated into the report to be made of the fire. Whether or not 1t will be acted upon remains to be seen.
 The Commissioner ot Forestry declares that to make a detailed report of the track of the fire. such as the Department would like. would require a force of men six months. His advices from other | sources show the area burned to have
 been too thoroughly devastated to permit of more than partial report just at present. such as that of the Ranger above