The Washington times., 1908-09-11
Steps to Be Taken to Pre-
vent Further DevaSta-
tionS in the West.
MOVEMENT STARTS
TO CHECK MENACE
National Forest Service With I'M
proved Methods Held Many
Losses Down to Minimum.

The forest fires which have just laid
waste whole counties IN Minnesota
Michigan, and extended into Wisconsin,
destroying many towns and making
thousands Of persons homeless, have
focused the attention Of both govern
menu and state forest officers on the
enormous losses OF forest wealth which
will be checked up to the year 1905
IL the whole northern half of the
United States throughout the vast ter
TitOry extending from coast TO coast,
the reported destruction by forest nres
has been terrific and ii is likely that the
year will 90 down as one of the worst
IN the last quarter century. II seems
that no part OF the country has escaped
the work of the devastating flames.
The latest disasters in Minnesota, Mich
iEan. ana wisconsin are the worst or
the many that have visited the Lake
States this year. Other sections nave
also suffered from forest fires during the
spring and summer months, and the
people of the Pacific coast, the Rocky
mountain and the New England states,
ana Canada have had thorough, and
in some cases. = continuous experience
in fire fighting,
VIII Run Into Millions.
Ohcers in the United States Forest
Service here say that it is doubtful If
this years actual losses rom forest
ever be known, but IL is certain thaL
they Will run up So high in the millions
that the country VIII be started WneL
a compilation of statistics at the end OF
the season makes 1t POSSIBLE 10 give
even the most conservative HguTeS.
Suffice it to say, We're all the luhDei
burned up this year IN all parts OF Jle
country converted into cash, II could
provide for good sized navy or nrst-
class battleships.
The hres have done good in one way
they have focused the peoples atLen-
tion on the seriousness OF the forest fire
problem, practical tOrcsters say and
have started a widespread movement IN
many States TO check them by adopJlnB
rational systems of FIRE protection.
Among thinking people there has been
awakened an intense interest in throw
ing a better protection around the Tor
eSis. which grow more important as "A
natural resource as the timber supply
dwludles.
Government Is Lucky.
The Government has had a lot Of
work In the fire-hghting line on the ma
tionaI forests. but serious as the fires
have been. careful patrol and the OF
ganizatiuu Of a force TO hattie with the
flames as s0Cu as discovered, has held
the losses down To point where they
are utterly insignificant when one con-
SideTs the fearful destruction which
would have come about had there been
Although the fire menace has been
serious i'm all sections, officers Of the
Forest Service estimate that the total
cost of the forest fires on the national
forests for the season, exclusive of the
salaries of forest officers, Will not he
more than $4,000. This sum is small
when it is remembered that II means
fire protection for approximately 1bS,-
10000 acres of national forests, less
than two-tenths of a mill per acre. Pro-
gressiVe State FIRE Wardens and forest
officers, individuals and private cOrpOr-
atious having large timber holdings
have organized iTe-hghting forces along
much the same line as the Government
in many cases, and IN this way they
have given protection 10 millions OF
acres of timber which might have been
destroyed had it been left unprotected
Mining Settlements Mena;ed.
DULUTH, Sept. u.-Hibbing, Nasha-
wauk. and the Adriatc mining settle
ments are today mcnaced again by a
renewal of forest fires. Citizens Of Hib-
hing fought a fierce nre which swept
down on the town and destroyed SeFeE44
buildings last night a IeTrluc sheet or
flame also approached Nashdwttah ana
was within half mile OF the town
when the wind abated suddenly and
the place was saved.
Reports from other Minnesota towns
along the shore of the lake state that a
solid sheet of flame is sweeping the
country ana much standing timber and
mining property has been damaged or
destroyed.
A dispatch from Calumet Mich, states
that the passenger steamer COnestoga,
carrying nifty passengers from western
Michigrn cities TO Calumet to attend
the NJ. a.. conference has been driven
on a bar near Little TrayerS Island, be-
cause If the thick smoke caused by for