Weekly journal-miner., 1908-10-28
FOREST FIRES CREATE
 sruPENDous LOSSES

"hoiiiNVION, Oct. 70. Nothing could better call the attention of tsinking people 10 the necessity for the preservation of our natural re. sources than the great forest fires sh.ch savs bsen go widely distributed throughout the country and have played such havoc this summer. Ii is doubtful if the losses for the year 1908 will ever be fully known, but a conservative estimate by Dr. W. !. McGee, erosition expert, United States Department of Agriculture, places the loss in all parts of the country during these months of conHagration a, si,oO0,OO0 q day.
 In nearly every instance, probably 10 every instance, these devastating fires might nave been prevented if he various states had provided an aie. quate number of men to patrol tne woods and arrest all such fires in their ineipieney, and if lumbermen and otb- CT users of the forest were careful to dispose of brush after logging SD as ts prevent the spread of fires.
 Uncle Sam has had a lot of work to do on his Nstoinal Forests in the arc Sighting line this year, but his wHrk has shown good results Exclusive of the salaries of forest ofieers, the work of putting down fires on the national forest for the year has cost the govern nent &30,000. This means protecting approximately l63,00O,O00 ceres. The valpe of the timber destroyed will not be known until the fire reports ars made st the end of the year, though i' Ia estimated that it will be larger thar last year. But it will be insignificant when compared with the appalling fire losses outside of the national forests on unprotected areas, or which the de siruction which would have come to the timber in the national forests had they not been protected
 These results have come through tho increased efficiency of fire patrol an'i methods of fighting fire and through that cooperation of settlers and users of forests who understand that the forests are their property and that a loss from fire is persona lone. By posting fire notices and giving advice the government has secured co.opera. tion from the outside, which may D' said to be as important an agency in reducing the loss from forest fires as is the perfection of machinery for fight ing these fires.
 After timber is cut, the regulation, require brush Co be compaetly piled at safe distance from living trees Sometimes this brush is burned un' der direction of Q forest officer; but even if it is allowed to stand, no fire that starts finds fuel by which il ean spread.
 The national forests are constantly patrolled by picked force of rangers and guards. The present summer force of such rangers and guards. whose main duty is fire patrol, is 1851 men; the average area that each Is required ,o protect is l2l ,506 acres. IL is ful ly understood that this area is alto pe,her too large, and just as soon as funds are available to permit of ih' employment of larger force of mer the area will be reduced.
 In order to provide rapid means oi travel between the various parts oi tbe national forests and 10 facilitate the massing of large forces of men '' 6pht fire. as well as to furnish van tage points from which the fires may be fought successfully, l6O miles oi road and $500 miles of trail wer, built during the last fiscal year lt several cases fre.breaks from lo {. 100 feet in width have been construct ed. from which all timber and inflam mable material is removed, to furniss obstacles Co the spread of the fire, ol straight lines of defense in fghtins