Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-10-01
Historic Forest Fires.


which have burned over and destroyed
hundreds of thousands of acres of tim
Der and property to the value of mil
lions in the Lake States, recalls to
memory other great forest fires which
have attained historic Importance.
One of the earliest of these was the
great Miramichi fire of 1925. 1t be-
gan it's greatest destruction about one
O'Clock in the afternoon of October
of that year, at place about 60 miles
above the town of Newcastle, on the
Miramichi River, in New Brunswick.
In nine hours it had destroyed belt
of forest so miles long and 25 miles
wide. Over more than two and one
half million acres. Almost every liv-
ing thing was killed. Even the fish
were afterwards found dead in heaps
on the river banks. Five hundred
and ninety buildings were burned and
a number of towns, including New
castle, Chatham, and Douglastown
were destroyed. One hundred and
sixty persons perished, and nearly
thousand head of stock. The loss from
the Miramichi fire is estimated at $780,
600, not including the value of the
timber.
In the majority OF such forest fires
of this the destruction of the timber is
more serious loss, by far, than that
of the cattle ami buildings, for it car
ries with it the impoverishment of a
whole region for tens or even hun
dreds of years afterwards. The loss of
the stumpage value of the timber at
the time of the fire is but small
psrt of the damage to the neighbor-
hood. 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
it's forest are destroyed by fire.
The Peshtifio fire of October 1871,
was still more severe than the Mirami-
chi. 1t covered an area of more than
1000 square miles in Wisconsin and
involved loss in timber and other
property of many millions of dollars.
Between ], 200 any 1 800 pesons perish
ed, including nearly half the
population of Peshtigo, at that time a
town of 1000 inhabitants. Other fires
at about the same time were most de
structive in Michigan. A strip about
40 miles wide and 190 miles long, ex.
tending across the central part of the
state, from Lake Michigan to Lake
Huron, was devastated. The estimat-
ed loss in timber was about 100000,
900 feet board measure, and in money
over $4,000, GOO. Several hundred per
sons perished.
In the early part of September, 1881
great fires covered more than 1,SO(
square miles in various parts of Michi
gan. The estimhted loss in property
in addition to many hundred Thousand
ocres of valuable timber, was more
than $1,000, 600. Over 5000 persons
were made destitute and the numbe
of lives lost is variously estimated a
from 150 to 500.
The most destructive fire of NOR
recent years was that which startec
near Hinckley, Minnesota, September
1894. While the area burned over wa
less than in some other great fires, tn
loss of slife and property was yer.
heavy Hinckley and six other town
were destroyed, about 500 lives wer
lost, more than 1000 persons were LEI
destitute and the estimated loss il
property of various kinds was $4,000
900. Except for the heroic conduct
locomotive engineers and other raj
road men the loss of life would hav
been much greater
This fire was all the more deplorabl
because it was wholly unnecessary
For many days before the high win
came and drove it into uncontrolled
fury, 1t was buring slowly, close
the town of Hinckley, and could hav
been put out.
Brought Home the Machine.
The shop force of the Emporium M;
chine Company was we'll represente
at Cuba and Olean last Saturday an
Sunday. Messrs. F. p. Rentz, F. I
Ctrouar Gaoroa Jnffr,on oy,5 Cborl,