The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-09-30

1t DCSdI lJo SiSoeCoc AS'1 os-Sa |
about one o'clock in the afternoon
of October 7th Of that year, at
place about so miles above the town
of Newcastle, on the Miramichi
River, in New Brunswick. Before
ten o'clock at night it was 20 miles
below Newcastle. In nine hours
it had destroyed belt of forest 80
miles long and Is miles wide. Over
more than two and one-half million
acres, almost every living thing was
killed. Even the fish were after
wards found dead IN heaps on the
river banks. Five hundred and
ninety buildings were burned, and
number of towns, including New
castle, Chatham and Douglastown,
were destroyed. One hundred and
sixty persons persisted, and nearly a
thousand head of stock The loss
from the Miranichi fire is estimated
at $500, 600, not including the value
of the timber.
In the majority of such forest
fires as this the destruction of the
timber is more serious loss, by
far, than that of the cattle and
buildings, for it carries with it the
impoyerishment of whole region
for tens or even hundreds of years
afterwards. The loss of the stump
age value of the timber at the time
of the fire is but a small part of the
damage to the neighborhood. The
wages that would have been earned
| in numbering, added to the value of
the produce that would have been
purchased to supply the lumber
camps, and the taxes that would
have been devoted to roads and
other public improvements, furnish
much truer measure of how much,
sooner or later, it costs a region
when its forests are destroyed by
fire.
The Peshtigo fire of October,
1871, was still more severe than the
Miramichi. 1t covered an area of
more than 1000 square miles in
Wisconsin, and involved a loss in
timber and other property, of many
millions of dollars. Between 1900
and 1900 persons persisted, including
nearly half the population of Pesh-
tigo, at that time a town of 1000
inhabitants. Other fires of about
the same time were most destruc-
tive in Michigan. A strip about 40
miles wide and $50 miles long, ex-
tending across the central part of
the state, from Lake Michigan to
Lake Huron, was devastated. The
estimated loss in timber was about
1000, 100000, feet board measure,
and in money over $4,000, 900. Sew
eral hundred persons persisted.
In the early part of September
1881, great fires covered more than
1900 square miles in various parts OF
Michigan. The estimated loss, ir
, property, in addition to many hun
dred thousand acres of valuable
timber, was more than S2,300,000
Over 5000 persons were made desti
tute, and the number of lives lost il
variously estimated at from $50 t.
500.
The most destructive fire of more
recent years was that which started
: near Hinckley. Minnesota. Septem
Der LIST, 1894. While the area
burned over was less than in some
other great fires, the loss of life
and property was very heavy
Hinckley and six other towns were
destroyed, about 500 lives were lost
more than 1000 persons were lief
destitute, and the estimated loss il
property Of various kinds was $25.
100000. Except for the heroic con
duct of locomotive engineers ane
other railroad men the loss of Lift
would have been much greater.
This life was the more deplorable
because it was wholly unnecessary
For many days before the high vino
came and drove it into uncontroll
able fury, it was burning slowly
close to the town of Hinckley, anc
could have been put out.
TRFF PLANTING IN lac Oil PARIF C0