Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-30
OUR FOREST FIRES
To Be Made the Subject of
Special Study.
WHAT CAUSES THEM
DO AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF
DAMAGE EVERY YEAR.
Considering Methods of Protection
Stringent State Laws
Needed.

Copyright, 1903, by John Elfreth Watkins jrD
Written for The Evening Star.
The dread forest fire dragon. whose I'M
sparing tongue annually laps up anywhere
from s25.OUOoDO to $JO0OO,010 worth of
our property. is to be made the subject of
an entirely new investigation by the fores
try bureau.
The sylvan realms of this demon are now
for the first time to be explored TO their in
nermost hooks by scientific experts These
agents have already been dispatched to
various regions where forest fires are prac-
tically sure to occur One corps has camp
ed in the great forest area of Minnesota,
another I'm that of Wisconsin and another
in Michigan. Others have gone to Georgia,
Florida and Alabama. The same work will
be pursued this season along the Pacific
coast.
To study the terrible forest fires in full
action is d perilous enterprise. These gov
eminent agents will follow them the
war CORRESPONDENT follows battle. Their
reports will form the basis of our first sci
entfc knowledge of these wholesale pyro-
technics. Hitherto forestry eXDerts have
waited until such fires were over before TAX
ing the field. Then they have relied for
their information upon local experts. But
Chief VIM. l.. Hall Of the division of forest
extension this year decided that the forest
dragon mad to he taken ~ the foreiock and
bearded in his very den He told your cor
respondent yesterday that present scientific
notions about forest fires were but vague
and general.
one million dollars week is a terrific
loss FOR the forest land owner. vet he suf-
fers il in some wears. In September eigh-
teen human lives and SI2 T6T. 100 was the
tribute which a restricted area in the red
fir forest region about the Columbia river
paid within single fortnight The fire
a II 4.
season in the forests of Pennsylvania and
New York.
Carelessness Supplies Spark.
The exact causes of forest fires will be
the first knotty problem pried into by these
scientific war correspondents who are to
travel with the fire dragons cohorts.
Hence they have camped upon the sylvan
battlehelds in advance of the combatants,
there to make careful reconnaissance The
chain of circumstances which made the re-
cent northwestern forest fires so destructive
is believed to have been this: The two
preceding summers had been very wet thus
interfering with the burning of slashings
Hence an unusual amount of debris was
allowed To accumulate. Then followed last
summer. unusually dry in that region and
leaving the forests Veritable finder boxes
Only spark was necessary to start a tidal
wave Of flame seething and roaring upon
a
number of sparks. Hunters and berry
pickers decamped without first tre1ding out
the nres which had heated their kettles
Several burners of slashing allowed their
fires to grow beyond control. One spark
was supplied by the iron horse-the close
ally of the forest fire dragon
Lightning is responsible for some of our
forest hreS. Volcanic action has kindled
one of those of the northwest within the
memory of white pioneers. Sheep herders
within the grazing districts spread fires in
the forests to encourage the growth of
fresh grass. Spontaneous combustion is be-
Neved to have furnished sparks TO some
OF our great sylvan finder boxes Cigar
stumps carelessly thrown away. sparks
from campers pipes and even from the
guns of hunters have been destructive fac
tors An insane man kindled New York
forest fire last year Thus il will be seen
that the research INFO causes will be well
spiced with variety.
The speed of forest fires Is to he studied
scientifically. 1t has been estimate that
In his greatest fury the fire dra gon cas de-
Voir great expanses at a speed averaging
more than ten miles per hour maintained
for days at a time. Neither man nor beast
can maintain such a pace for hours at a
time Hence all living denizens of the for
est must perish unless they find refuge in
some lake or stream. Forest fires travel
much faster up hill than down
Flames 200 Feet High.
The fire dragons tongue of flame often
tops and 200 feet above the ground Even
u the atmosphere be calm the ascending
heat soon causes the air to flow in. and
AFTER time wind OF great velocity is
conirred up from the still air. Resin and