Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-22
THE WASTE OF TIMBER
Immense Loss by Fire Caused
in the Northwest.
WEALTH OF FORESTS
OVER 300 BILLION FEET OF TIM
Der IN OREGON.
Underground as Dense and impossible
as Tropical
Jungle.
WEALTH OF FORESTS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
chicago Record Herald.
PORTLAND, Ore, August 81 1904.
AT TINS time OF year the atmosphere OF
western Washington, Oregon and Calffor-
MIA, and of the other mountain states more
or less, is always thick with smoke from
forest fires. The eyes burn from irritation
and you can scent the smoke In the railway
cars, In the streets and even in your room
at the hotel 1t is curious sensation and
a disagreeable one. This year the smoke
is SO thick that we cannot see the snow clad
sentinels that guard the coast along the
Cascade range, which is a great dsap-
pointment because they include several of
the most beautiful mountains in the world
Mount Baker, Mount Rainier Tor Tacoma, as
the people of the latter city insist upon call
ing it,, Mount Hood, Mount ST. Helen's,
Mount Shasta and half dozen other
splendid peaks. Each of these mountains
has its individuality; each it's own peculiar
charm, and they are worth coming across
the continent to see. Hence the journey is
deprived of half its profit and pleasure when
they are concealed behind curtain of
smoke, and the managers of the Lewis and
Clark exposition. which is to be held here
that the atmosphere is kept clear.
That however. is the least important of
the considerations. l have been told by
men who know that at least one-half of the
timber in the great forests on the Pacific
slope is either destroyed by fire or wasted
by carelessness and Indifference. Expert
enced men declare that the loss by fire is
much smaller than formerly, but 1t Is still
terrible, and is due in almost every instance
to the carelessness of people, to locomotive
sparks and to other causes which might be
prevented or at least controlled. 1t is est1-
mated that in 1902 1000, 100000 feet of tim
Der was DESTROYED by forest nres IN the
state of Washington alone, which might
have been cut into lumber and sold for not
less than s12 per thousand feet.
This Years Loss.
You can make your own calculation as to
the monetary loss. This year it is feared
that the destruction will be even greater,
not only in Washington, but in Oregon; and
in northern California an immense area
has already been burned over. Many saw
mills, logging camps, villages and isolated
homes have been consumed by the flames
in addition to the forests. There are not
less than 100000 people in the state or
Washington. $4,000 in Oregon and 600
in northern California who are entirely de-
pendent upon the lumber traffic for lfv-
ing and those who are partially or indi.
rectly dependent upon that industry will
lion The homes of these people the lives
of their families and their property are all
exposed to destruction by the carelessness
of campers timber cruisers, sheep and cat
tie herders and other thoughtless persons
who build fires or smoke cigars in the
forests.
By the list of August everything out in
this country is very dry, and In September
the underbrush, the weeds, the grass and
everything in the neighborhood of the for
ests is inf1ammable. A lighted match care
lessly thrown into bunch of dry weeds, or
a locomotive spark dropping In favorable
place. will instantly start a fire that can
not be controlled by human power, and
when there is breeze it will spread with
extraordinary speed and destruction. Tim
Der prospectors, herders and other campers
who neglect the ordinary precaution Of
putting out their fires after they nave
cooked their breakfasts or dinners are even
more frequently the cause or great de-
struction. An ember lifted by me Wlnd,
sometimes even a spark is cause enough
to endanger millions of dollars worth OF
property and many human hVes. EVERY
acre of timber destroyed means financial
loss to the owner, and indirectly to the
public at large.
There are laws for the protection OF 1or-
ests against these dangers Campers are
required to extinguish their hres ana cover
the ashes with earth before they leave their
camping places, but few of them do so. 1t
is too much trouble, and 1t Is Impossible to
watch them and enforce the law. Both the
federal
deavoring to protect the forests, but ] can
not learn of a single case in which the pen
atty provided by the law has over been paid.
1t is impossible to detect or identify per-
sons guilty of such offenseS, and even more
difficult to punish offenders through the
courts The only resource is to appeal to
everybody to be careful and do his share
to protect the public and the common
wealth.
Wealth Of the Forests.
a.
ton of what forest is. In Oregon, for ex-
ample, the government experts estimate
that there are still 335, O0O, 900 600 feet of
timber, which, If cut into lumber and sold
at the minimum price Of today, would
bring 5000, coo. 600, or almost twice as much
as the entire amount of money-Sold, silver
and paper-in circula ton in the United
States An equal amount is standing in the
state of Washington and about half as
much in California.
Since the '49ers came to the coast after
the discovery of gold in Suffers creek the
total output of all the mines of California
has been about 81 500 100000. If you will
add 80 per cent to that amount you will
come somewhere near the value of the tim
Der still standing in the forests Of that
state alone If you will multiply it by
seven you will approximate the value of the
timber resources of the three states of the
far northwest. And it is the finest timber
and lumber in the world for ordinary pur-
poses-for house building, for bridges, for
railway cars and other necessary purposes.
Last year 1851 600 feet of timber, val
ued at $40 962, was shipped from Puget
sound ports to Great Britain alone, and the
following table shows the other principal
markets:
Lumber Inmher
feet. (feet)
Great Britain 1So ,35I 600 Canada i'll OS6 900
Mexico 80, 100000 Holland -. &c, 302 900
Argentine Rep II ,553, 900 Australasia 60 4l4 900
British Africa 55.S6S.0O0 Cuba ...... "a 965 900
Germany 62,6lb,0 600 Belgium IS, 1873 600
Spain 24.517 600 Brazil .... % 843 O00
Chile ....... % Dos, 600 China ., 81 S74 OOO
France ...... q zoe, 600
And smaller amounts were shipped to al
most every other country on the map.
These figures will give you some idea of
the value of the lumber trade in these
| states and the extent of the peril to which