Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-11-13
HISTORIC FOREST FIRES
OF PAST RECALLED.

TERRIBLE WORK OF FLAMES RECENT
LYNN LAKE STATES REMINDER OF
MIRAMICHI, PEsHTIGo, MICH
IGAN, MINNESOTA.
The terrible work of the flames which
have burned over and destroyed nun.
dreds of thousands of acres of timber
and property to the value OF millions
in the Lake States, recalls to memory
other great forest fires which have at
tained historic importance.
One of the earliest of these was the
great Miramichi fire of 1925. 1t began
its greatest destruction about l O'Clock
/ in the afternoon of October Z of that
wear, at place about 60 miles above
the town of Newcastle on the Mira
michi river, in New Brunswick. Be-
fore ten o'clock at night it was 70 miles
below Newcastle. In nine hours it had
destroyed belt of forest S6 miles long
and 25 miles wide. Over more than
two and one-half million acres, almost
every living things was killed. Even
the fish were afterwards found dead in
heaps on the river banks. Five hun
dred and ninety buildings were burned
and number of towns, including
Newcastle, Chatham and Douglas
town were destroyed. One hundred
and sixty persons perished, and nearl.
a thousand head of stock. The los
from the Miramichi fire is estimated
7 $780, 900, not including the value OF tn
timber.
IMPOVERISHES WHOLE REGIONS.
In the majority of such forest fires
this the destruction of the timber is
more serious loss, by far, than that
the cattle and buildings, for it carrl'
u with it the improvement of whole r
gion for tens or even hundreds OF yea
afterwards. The loss of the stumpa'
value of the timber at the time OF Il
= fire is but small part of the DANA
= to the neighborhood. The wages Tn
would have been earned in lumberln
added to the value of the produce tn
would have been purchased to SUPP
the lumber camps, and the taxes tn
would have beeen devoted to roads a
other public improvements, furnish
much truer measure of how mut
sooner or later, it costs region VIII
its forests are destroyed by fire.
The Peshtigo fire of October, 10
was still more severe than the Mirai
chi. 1t covered an area of more tt
1000 square miles in Wisconsin,
involved loss in timber and other +
perty of many millions of dollars.
ween 200 and 1900 persons perish
including nearly half the populat
of Peshtigo, at that time town
1000 inhabitants. Other fires OF ah
40 miles wide and 1S0 miles long,
tending across the central part OF
State, from Lake Michigan to L.
e Huron, was devastated. The estin
B ed loss in timber was about 4,0OO,OOO
feet board measure, and in money
= B S1O.OOO,OOO Several hundred per'
= perished.
q FIRES IN GREAT NORTHWEST.
q In the early part of September,
3 great fires covered more than
, square miles in various parts OF M
gan. The estimated loss, in prop
in addition to many hundred thou
,zu..s acres of valuable timber, was
Gee than So, 100000. Over 1000 pei
Z were made destitute, and the nul
l. of lives lost is variously estimate
9 from $50 to 500.
Z The most destructive fire OF NOR
cent years was that which started
Hinckley, Mimi, September l,
Z While the area burned over was
y than in some other great fires, the
4 of life and property was very n
Z Hinckley and six other towns we
Z stroyed, about 500 lives were lost,
er than 1000 persons were left dest
IS ! and the estimated loss in proper
IT. various kinds was $25, 600, 900. Z
:, for the heroic conduct of locomotl
zee gineers and other railroad men tn
of life would have been such gres
This fire was all the most deplo
because it was wholly unnece
For many days before the high
came and drove it into uncontr'
- o>S fury, it was burning slowly close
town of Hinckley, and could hay
put out.