The San Francisco call., 1904-09-15
HEAR REPORTS
OF BASIN FIRE
Redwood Park Commission
ers Vote to Keep Men on
Watch Until Rains Begin
EMBERS. STILL SMOLDER
Sempervirens Club Wishes
to Build Handsome Lodge
for Members in Big Grove

Commissioner Kron yesterday told
his associates in the State Redwood
Park Commission, having charge of the
Big Basin Park, that the recent forest
fires covered about third Of the en-
tire area of the 5000 acres included
within the park boundaries. The COM
missioner's narrative was not without
elements of public interest. The State
paid $25O,00O for the park in the first
instance. 1t has expended certain sums
to make ii accessible Telegraphlc ac-
counts of the forest fires had il that
very few large sempervirens trees were
permanently injured. Commissioner
Kron attributed TO the thick bark or
Jackets" of the. trees their marvellous
escape. Through the rind, practically
imperyious to ordinary fires, the flames
did not penetrate.
Warden Pilkington reports, said
Kron. that the flames jumped as much
as half a mile, igniting trees that were
far from the main confiagration.
Professor Dudley of Stanford Univer-
sity, the secretary of the commission,
told how the Stanford students had
rallied to assist fighting the towering
flames in the Big Basin. They worked
with railroad trackmen and the small
force of men that Warden Pilkington
had in the park when the fire was dis
covered sweeping over the 160O-foot
ridge frcm Pescadero Creek, destroy
ing houses, bridges, vineyards and
grain fields.
WHIRLS OF FLAME.
There were whirls of wind, while the
fires were raging, that twisted off the
tops of redwood and oak trees-torna-
does caused by the intense heat Fallen
trunks of trees iwere converted into
mounds of pure white ashes.
BY night the fires died down. In the
morning the north wind blew strong,
bringing with it the heat of the inter
iCr valleys, drying all inf1ammable ma
terial so that the terrific leaps of the
flames were from blazing trees to areas
of combustibie growths.
Owing to the conditions mentioned by
Commissioner Kron and Professor
Dudley the fire effects were strange.
Lofty trees were denuded Of foliage
from the ground to their topmost twigs/
Great pillows of flame swept down into
gorge some distance from the
Sempervirens, camp and underbrush
and small trees there fairly melted
away in the intense heat. Not far dis
tant the Aaleas escaped unharmed and
are still green along the creeks. About
100 acres of redwood timber in the park
was burned.
Commissioner w. II. Mills, who pre-
sided at the meeting, ELECTED many
facts by asking questions. The cost
to the State for extinguishing the fires
in the park will be something like
$500. The standing dead timber in
the park served as fuel to spread the
flames more rapidly.
The commissioners discussed the best
methods for guarding the park against
fires. 1t was agreed that it is wise
to keep the underbrush cleared away.
The commissioners declared that no
fire trail could possibly have stayed
the progress of the flames while the
north wind was blowing. Such an ex-
pedient as a fire trail fifty feet wide
might be of benefit in a small fire.
but not where the conflagration COW
ers an extensive territory.
Professor Dudley reported that the
fires are still smoldering in various
parts of Big Basin Park and stiff
wind would fan the embers into flames
In view of this it was votedf at the
suggestion of Commissioner Mills, that
ten men be kept in the park to fight
| fires and put in as much time as pos
, sible on fire trails until the rains
drench the forests thoroughly.
CLUBHOUSE IN PARK.
Mrs. Lowell White representing the
Sempervirens Club. made application,
in behalf of the club, for a lease of
land on which to erect clubhouse for
members. The association has five
large branches in the State. The mat
ter was taken under advisement
A question of considerable impor-
tance was raised by the application of
G. H. Harrington of Santa Cruz to be
permitted to use the trails in the State
park to move in materials and to move
out shakes from land that Immediately
adjoins the park. 1t was voted to in
struct the warden not to permit the
trails to be used for commercial pur-