Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-10-02
FOREST FIRE RhvAGES
BRING HOME LESSON
May Be instrumental III Merging
Efforts Toward More Adequate
Protection Of Timber.
GREATEST LOSS SINCE 1871.
Work Of Investigating Damage Is
Begun by Federal Government
Agent r. W. Pullman.

The recent disastrous forest fires,
probably the most serious in Il quarter
Of a century. may be instrumental in
concentrating national, state and pri-
vate forces to provide more adequate
protection against flames which eXa!t
an average annual toll of $25,O00 600.
Not since the Peshtigo fire of 1871,
when between 1900 and 1,5CO persons
perlshed and many millions of dollars
of property was wiped out III a few
hours, has the devastation of the flames
been so great as this year, when from
coast to coast the great forest areas
Of the North have been the constant
arena Of the struggle against this
dreaded enemy of the forest frontier.
Accurate returns of the property loss
has not yet been received in Washing
ton, but the work Of investigation has
been begun. r. W.. Pullman, special
agent Of the United States forest SER
vice, in passing through Chicago on his
way to the burnt regions of Minnesota,
told Of the prolonged and thus far los
ing fight which is being waged to pre-
vent the wholesale destruction which
yearly impoverishes whole regions.
Loss Now More Conspicuous.
Nov that the timber of the country
is being reduced by numbering" said
MI. Pullman, land people have awak-
ened to the fact that the forests do not
represent an in~eXhaustible supply, the
loss that is sustained in these fires
becomes the more conspicuous. 1t Is
not alone the lumber owner that pays
the price. The loss Of %stumpage value
Is but a small part Of the damage to a
n~eighborhood.
'aThe wages that would have been
earned by laborers in the lumber camps
and the produce that would have been
purchased to supply those camps, the
taxes that would have been devoted tc
the construction of roads and other inn
provcments. and the fertility of the soil
that is destroyed, all bring he ulti.
mate cost of these fires to SUMS thai
cannot be calculated.
from reports thus far received, the
fires Of this summer have been h most
destructive since those of 1871. The
Peshtigo fire Of October Of that year
covered an area Of 1000 square miles
in Wisconsin, entailing heavy loss OF
life and property. Other fires in Michi'
gan that year consumed 100000 In
standing timber.
sHnr 90 1hn n r1S0ct WOE rho prpl1
| Miramichi fire Of 1925, starting sixty
| miles above Newcastle, N. b., on the
| Miramichi River, shortly after noon
Before 10 o'clock at night it was TWEEN
ty miles below Newcastle, in nine hours
destroying a belt eighty miles long anc
twenty-five miles wide. In an area o.
2,5OO,OOO acres every living thing was
destroyed.
Zone of the most serious fires of re
cent years was that which started neal
Hinckley, Mimi, in September, 8 y
While the area covered was less thar
in some others, the loss of life wa:
heayy. Six towns were destroyed, 5Ot
people persisted and 1900 were lief
destitute. 1t was said that this az
struction was wholly unnecessary. Fo
many days before a high wind cam
and drove it into uncomfortable fur:
it had been burning slowly close t
Hinckley and coull have been put ou'
The initial cause of such widespred'
destruction can be traced to two age1
,ies. the railroad and the camper:
Both are careless. In many timbe
countries the roads are required to 4
their locomotives with spark arrcster:
IF this law were more fully obeyed tn
danger from this source would be RI
suced. The campers ~culpahility is NOR
direct. A few buckets Of water poure
over the remains Of a camp nre WI
effectively prevent trouble.
Forest an Economy.
s"The economy Of employing fore'
rangers to keep constant watch, TO pr
vent fires by the influence OF the
presence on those who frequent II
woods and to report blazes as soon
thew start, when they can easily be e
tinguished, is becoming understo(
generally.
at is not unlikely that there will
more extensive cooperation betwet
all the parties interested, the owne
Of the property and the State n II
tional governments, as a result OF u
serious c~onflagrations of this year. IL
results of supervision in the nation
forests has been demonstrated, vine
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