The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1908-12-12


mournful contemplation of her raw
aged forests-forests which have been
blackened, and SCARED and ruined in
large sections by the fires which have
ragged within them.
This years forest fire record
eclipses that of any other year of
which we have record both in ex-
tent of territory burned over and
value of timber destroyed. In speak
ing of the matter Mr.. Clifford Pinchot
chief of the United States forest serv.
ice, declares that in many ways this
years forest fires have been the worst
he has ever known. The whole north
ern half of the country has been at
tackled, he says, and the losses which
have been caused represent a serious
drain on our timber supply.
Besides destroying valuable tim
Der and other property, the fires
which have been raging during the
last few weeks in the east have caused
an almost incalculable loss to water.
sheds Of important streams supplying
power for countless industries. In the
Adirondacks the destruction has re-
suited in marring one of the nations
most useful Fairgrounds.
One of the earliest OF the great for
est fires which have attained historic
Importance was the great Miramichi
fire OF 1925. II began it's greatest
destruction about one o'clock In the
afternoon Of October OF that year, at
q place about 60 miles above the town
OF Newcastle, on the Miramichi river.
In New Brunswick. Before ten o'clock
at night 1t was 20 miles below New
castle. In nine hours II had destroyed
a belt of forest 80 miles long and %
miles wide. over more than two and
one.half million acres almost every
living thing was killed. Even the fish
were afterward found dead in heaps
on the river banks. Five hundred and
ninety buildings were burned, and a
number of towns, including Newcastle,
Chatham and Douglastown, were de.
stroyed. One hundred and sixty per.
sons perlshed and nearly a thousand
head of stock. The loss from the Mira,
llllilll III u Ut ppOutuuN, hol
including the value of the timber.
In the majority of such forest fires
as this the destruction of the timber is
a more serious loss, by far than that
of the cattle and buildings, for 1t car
ries with II the impoverishment OF
a whole region for tens or even hun
dreds of years afterward. The loss OF
the stumpage value of the timber al
the time OF the fire is but small part
of the damage to the neighborhood
The wages that would have beer
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 pub
lie improvements, furnish muci
truer measure OF how much. sooner
or later, It costs a region when its for
ests are destroyed by fire.
The Pesbtigo fire of October. 1871
was still more severe than the Mirami
Chi 1t covered an area of more thar
1000 square miles In Wisconsin. anC
involved a loss In timber and othe
property, OF many millions of dollars
Between 1900 and 1900 persons per
lshed, including nearly half the pop
ulation OF Peshtigo, at that time
town OF 1000 inhabitants Other fire
| of about the same time were most de
structive in Michigan. A strip abou
40 miles wide and 1870 miles long. eS
/ tending across the central part OF tn
state, from Lake Michigan to LAX
| Huron, was devastated. The estimat
ed loss in timber was about 1000, 900
| 900 feet board measure, and in none
over 100000. Several hundred pei
sons persisted.
In the early part ~ September, 1881
great fires covered more than | 80
square miles in various parts of Mich
igan The estimated loss. in proper
ty, In addition to many hundred thou
sand acres of valuable timber, wa
more than $2,S0O0OO. over 5000 pei
sons were made destitute, and tn
number of lives lost Is variously est
mated at from $50 to 500.
The most destructive fire OF NOR
recent years was that which starte
near Hinckley, Minnesota, Septembe
], 1894. While the area burned owe