The daily sentinel., 1908-09-21
GREAT FIRES OF
FOREST RECALLED


The terrible work of the
flames which have burned over
and destroyed hundreds of thou
sands OF acres of timber and
property to the value of millions
in the Lake states, recalls to
memory other great forest fires
which have attained historic i'm
portance.
One of the earliest of these was the
great Mirafchi fire in 1925. 1t be-
gan its greatest destruction about
one O'Clock in the afternoon of Oc-
tober of that year, at place about
90 miles above the town of New
castle, on the Miramichi river, in
New Brunswick. Before ten o'clock
at night it was 20 miles below New
castle. In nine hours ii had destroy
ed belt of forest so miles long
and . miles wide. over more than
two and one-half million acres, al
most every living thing was killed.
Even the fish We're afterwards found
dead in heaps on the river banks
Five hundred and ninety buildings
were burned, and number of towns.
including Newcastle, Chatham, and
Douglastown, were destroyed One
hundred and sixty persons perished,
and nearly a thousand head of stock.
The loss from the Miramichi fire is
estimated at $4,000 not including
the value of the timber.
In the majority of such forest
fires as this tie destruction of the
timber is a more serious .oss. by far.
than that of the cattle and buildings.
Tor 1t carries with it the impoverish-
ment OF whole region for tens or
even hundreds of years afterwards
me loss OF the stumpage value of the
timber at the time of the fire is but
small part of the damage to the
nelghborhood. The wages that would
nave been earned in numbering, add
ed TO the value of the produce that
Wouiu nave been purchased to sup
ply the lumber camps and the taxes
that would have been devoted TO
roads ana other public improve
ments, furnish a much truer measure
OF now much, sooner or later, 1t costs
region when its forests are de.
stroyed by fire.
The Peshtigo fire of October, 1871,
was stu more severe than the Mira
mlchi. 1t covered an area of more
than 1000 square miles in Wiscon-
SIN, and invoIVed loss in timber
ana other property, of many millions
Oh dollars. Between l,2O0 and 500
peisohs perlsned, including nearly
hat the population of Pesntigo, at
that time town of 1000 lnhab-
itants. Other fires of about the same
time were most destructive in Michi-
gan. strip about 40 miles wide
ana $50 miles long, extending 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
$40. 900, 900. Several hundred per-
soIs perished
In the early part of September,
SH1, great fires covered more than
1880 square miles in various parts
OF Michigan. The estimated loss in
property in addition to many hun
dred thousand acres of valuable tim
Der, was more than $2,300,OOO. Over
5000 persons were made destitute.
and the number of lives lost is vari-
ously estimated at from $50 to 500.
The most destructive fire of more
recent years was that which started
near Hinckley, Minnesota, Septep-
Der 1, 1894. While the area burned
over was less than in some other
great fires, the loss of life and prom
erty was very heavy. Hinckley and
six other towns were destroyed
ABOUT 500 lives were lost more than
1000 persons We're left destitute, and
the estimate dlcss in property of
various kinds was s25 100000 Ey-
cept for the heroic conduct of loco
motive engineers and other railroad
men the loss OF life would have been
much greater.
This fire was all the more deplor-
able, because it was wholly unneces-
sary. For many days before the high
wind came and drove it into uncon-
trollable fury, it was burning slowly
close to the town of Hinckley, and
could have been put out