Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-10-12
Using Fire Killed Timber.


Although it has been known for
number Of years that fre-killed timber
has considerable value in railroad and
mining operations in Colorado, it has
has been brought out only recently by
the forest service that a wide number
OF uses are open for this timber, and
that In certain respects it has actual
advantages over green wood, says
Shields Magazine.
These facts are deducted from
study OF conditions on Pixies Peak for
est reserves, where the ravages Of fire
have been especially widespread and
destructive. In many instances the
burned timber is the only kind avail
able at particular point, for example,
In proximity to mine or spur OF a
railroad, so for timbers and ties the
dead material has been used many
years; IS years at Palmer Lake, seven
years at Florissant for railroad ties, and
and longer than this for mine timbers.
Three years ago it was first used for
box boards and has proved excellent.
In May, 1905, there was sale for
telephone poles.
The species used are red fir, yellow
pine, lodgepole pine, lumber pine,
range pine, pinon, Englemann spruce
and blue spruce. Of these, the pines,
red fir and Englemann spruce furnish
the bulk Of the material. Time elapsed
since burning seems to make no great
difference in the value OF the wood,
except that when serious checking re-
suits it loses its value for box pur-
poses. The timber used has been
burned all the way from three to SIS
years.
The quantity Of this timber which
has been used is considerable. There
has been one sale from the reserve fol
box boards and one for telephone
poles, but the three main uses continue
to be for mine timbers, railroad ties
and frewood.
Red fir is preferred for railroad ties,
then yellow pine, timber pine and
range pine. White pine has been OBJ
jected to because Of its lack of dura-
bility, but it is now taken in many
places. At Rosemont COL, burned
timber OF all kinds is made into ties
some of the material having beer
burned so years ago. 1t is asserted
that dry ties last as long as greer
ties and in many cases longer. On the
Cripple Creek short line they wert
more satisfactory than green pine tie
from Texas. Dry ties hold spike
well, and tie plate does not cut intt
the wood so seriously as it does in the
case Of a green tie. Englemann spruce
is as good as other species as far a
mechanical wear is concerned, but i
decays much quicker and so should b.
given a preservative treatment.
Burned timber was first used 70
boxes by the Denver Box & Graft
Company in February, 1908, tn
species used being Englemann spruc
and ledgepole pine. The material use'
r had been burned from one and one
half to four years. The Engleman,
: spruce was excellent, and the lodge
pole pine also gave good results. Th
fire seasoning had driven the odor OF
of the pine so that it could be used fc
packing crackers and biscuits. Also
on account of the perfect seasoning
the boxes remained tight when put W
and therefore sold better than gree
= boxes.
= For mine timbers all species al
S used, if Of the requisite size. Dry tin
b. Der is preferred because of its igh
: ness, durability and stiffness, all priI
S cipally due to its better seasoning.
: For many purposes fre-killed timb'
g should be preferred to green timb'
n because it is so well seasoned. TIL
e seasoning makes it more durable tina
If green timber, and also makes it lighte
e so that its cost of transportation is al
n preciably less, and it is therefore avai
y able, not only for numerous local use
S but for shipping long distances. Actu
e experience with the fre-killed timb
h proves that its utilization should be
e source of profit to the reserve.
"a x-or-~-r, ntnnnrn AT IN