The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-03
WONDER OFWORLD
IS THREATENED
FIRE Among the Big Trees in
Calaveras County, CAL
ifornia.
ONE DEAD MONARCH ATTIRE
FoREsTERs AND SETTLERS MAX
ING HEROIC FIGHT.

ING HEROIC FIGHT.
:..:..:..:..:. .:..:.;..:..:..:..:....:..:-::-,
stockton, Cal. Sept. 2.-The fire -
- in the Calaveras forests near the :.
= big trees has taken a direction I.
northwarad and away from the :.
grove, and is now burning toward =
- the StaniSlaus river. The latest =.
report is that the fre-fighters viii -
- check IL before morning. The only :.
" big tree attacked by the fire was =
:. The Mother of the Forest" and :.
. that is not much damaged. The :.
.: fire has burned over an area of -
four or five miles square, and to- :.
night the grove seems to be no :.
- longer in danger. :.
Sonora. Cal. Sept THE Calaveras
grove OF big trees. one of the natural
wonders OF the world. is in serious dan
ger or destruction by fire Starting by
sparks thrown off by an engine used to
haul logs on last Monday, the fire
quickly spread to the thick timber a
mile north of the grove of big trees. All
the forest rangers in the district were
quickly gathered and they. together
with the settlers, many visitors living
In camps around and in the grove and
the employees of the Big Trees hotel,
nave fought the flames ever since. They
nave thus far saved the hotel, but have
been unable to prevent the fire gaining
Roadway in direction that tonight
menaces the giant sequoias that have
withstood the elements for thousands of
years and been the wonder of innumer-
able travellers who have journeyed far
TO marvel at their bigness.
Whole Grove Threatened.
Conflicting reports have reached here
as 10 the extent of the damage done by
the fire up to this time. The nearest
point of telephone communication with
the grove is Murphy's. some fifteen
miles distant. and from this place late
today word was sent that the fire had
reached the edges of the grove of the
mammoth trees and. driven by strong
wind, was threatening to wipe out ev-
erything before ii. There is little, If
any, underground of brush among the
big trees, however. II is hoped and be-
heved by the settlers and rangers that
the fire will not readily take hold of the
living trees. The dead giants. however,
Will probably be destroyed Already
The Mother of the Forest" a great
dead hulk lying marvelously big al the
edge of the grove, is afiame and, like a
great glowing torch. is threatening its
living neighbors. THE Mother" lies 327
feet long with a trunk seventy-eight
feet In circumference. and it will take
days and perhaps weeks for the flames
10 consume its great body.
Only Living Species.
Up in the Bret Harte Country as
this section of CalaVeras county is
called, because it was in this section
that the famous Californian lived, and
where he found many of the characters
he put in his hooks. the destruction of
the big tree grove would be little short
of calamity. The only living species of
the sequoia gigantea, or big tree are
those found in California. and there are
but four groups of these containing
many notable specimens. OF these
groups the Calaveras grove is probably
the most remarkable It's destruction
would be a severe shock to the senti-
ment of the people of California, and
particularly to those who have lived al
most In their shadows in Calaveras
county.
1t was thought last night that the fire
had been finally placed under control.
but this morning strong wind came out
OF the west and quickly famed the
smouldering ernbers of dead trees into live
Goals and scattered the sparks in every
direction.
Giants Ablaze at Top.
The fire on Monday burned up the south
side OF Alpine ridge. and large force OF
men turned out TO fight IL. The next
morning il broke out in three places and,
famed by the usual noontime wind again
turned toward the great grove. Soon a
blaze was seen TO break from the Top OF
General Grant" one of the finest of the
giant trees. The upper branches of Gen
eral Garfield" standing near. also caught
fire, but for some unexplained reason the
fire did not burn lower down in either OF
these trees
The flames rushed through the under
growth so swiftly that it was impossible
TO stay their course. though all the for
est rangers and every available resident
of this section was at work
At noon today the fire was burning all
along the south side of the big tree grove
and advancing toward 1t under a strong
breeze. The water supply is ample, but
there Is. Of course, no means of using IL
TO any great height. though men are work.
ing with ladders and buckets some of
them displaying great heroism because of
their love for the old monarchs of the for
est
Preparing for the Worst.
The advancing fire, however, is driving
the II en- from their positions according to
reports late today. =. ]. Whitesides own
er of the big tree ~ Ove and the hotel.
was packing his belongings, preparatory
TO leaving at last accounts.
People In the vicinity are very much
distressed and have turned out for miles
around to assist the rangers II Is be-
feved that little stock has persisted al
fleeing from the country. 1t is report
ed that n mountain lion and a deer were
seen running side by side this morning,
paying no attention TO each other intent
only on saving their lives.
The next man you meet is going to
the Carey act Lad opening and draw
ing Sept .2S Oasis, Utah, or he will