Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-10-22
MICHIGAN'S FOREST FIRES.
Million Acres of Timber Land Have
Been Burned Over This Year.

Million Acres OF Timber Land Have
Been Burned Over This Year
This years forest fires in Michigan
are among the most destructive that
have ever visited the State. Fires in
1911 swept Il strip of forty miles wide
and $50 miles long. extending across
the central part of the State from Lake
Huron to Lake Michigan At this time
more than 4.000,O0000O feet of timber
In board measure was destroyed, en-
failing financial loss of 100000
and resulting in the deaths of several
hundred persons.
Ten years later, in September. 1881,
more than 1880 square miles in various
parts of Michigan were swept by forest
Tires This resulted in n loss in prop
erty of S23e0.000. in addition TO the
timber destroyed. The number of lives
lost was estimated at from 15O 70 800.
and more than 5000 persons were rem
dered destitute.
This years fires. while not involving
great sacrifice of life. are wofulIv de-
structive of timber. Prof. Roth. State
forester Of Michigan, who has visited
the burned districts in the northern
parts of the State, says that at the low
est calculation a million acres of tim
Der have been burned over this wear,
Including between 5000 and 1000 acres
of the Michigan forest reserve To re-
timber this land will cost So per acre.
and the new growth destroyed was
easily worth as much more, so that the
total loss in these two items alone will
approximate 100000. In addition
there was the merchantable timber, the
farm dwellings and even villages that
fell prey to the flames, bringing the
total loss up TO startling proportions
Michigan was once the home of mag
nlflcent forests. but they have been frit-
tered away until now only 4 reminder
OF their former magnitude remains
Where the timber barons have not
stripped the land of its wealth forest
1lres have been permitted to rage at
Will, aside from the efforts put forth by
settlers in checking their progress. and
millions of dollars that might have
been saved by the exercise of proper
caution have gone up in smoke.
Forest fires differ greatly. but in any
event the results are the samoa
blackened waste that will for a genera
ton or more be practically worthless
even for agricultural purposes The
rich mold covering the ground. and
which may have been accommodating for
ages, is burned over, the nitrogen ex-
tracted and the soil rendered useless
for years to come.
There is no more magnificent exhibit
ton of unrestrained force than that
furnished by a forest fire The spec
tacle is one never to be forgotten. and
well worth witnessing, provided you
are at safe distance and have no
financial interests in the district devas-
tated. Onward the flames sweep. form
ing wall of fire as high as the trees
devoured. The roar is as of a thou
sand trains, and the cracking of the
flames as they leap greedily from tree
to tree licking up everything infam-
ma0le, reaching out for fresh prey, is
easily distinguishable above all other
sounds.
Nothing is spared. The higher the
tree, the more greedy the tongues of
flame that dart forth to envelop it.
Filling the air for miles around is a
dense cloud of pungent smoke that
chokes the lungs and makes breathing
difficult. The country is hidden from
view. and it is often difficult to see
more than few feet away And
through it all can be distinguished at
times the sun high overhead like
great ruby ball. strangely emblematic
of the often futile struggle for life
being waged in the plague-stricken dis
trict.