Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-09-26
FOREST Fires
OF Other DAYS
WIDE RANGE OF FORESTS SWEPT
By FLAMES YEARS AGO, WHEN
IT WAS THOUGHT SUPPLY
WAS INEXHAUSTABLE.

Washington, Sept. 25.-The terri
BILE work of the flames which have
burned over and destroyed hundreds
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
attained historic importance.
One Of the earliest of these was
the great Miramichi fire in 1925. 1t
began its greatest destruction about
! o'clock in the afternoon of Octo-
Der Of that year. al place about
so miles above the town of Newcas-
tie. on the Miramichi river, in New
Brunswick. Before 10 O'Clock at
night IT was 20 miles below Newcas-
tie. In nine hours it had destroyed
a belt of forest so miles long and 25
miles wide. Over more than two and
a 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
Newcastle, Chatham and Douglas,
town, were destroyed. One hundred
and sixty persons persisted, and near
1y 1000 head of stock. The loss from
the Miramichi fire is estimated at
$500, 900, not including the value Of
the timber.
In the majority Of such forest fires
as this the destruction of the timber
is more serious loss. by far. than
that of the cattle and building, for
II carries with it the impoverish-
ment of whole region for tens or
even hundreds Of years afterwards
The loss Of the stumpage value Of
the timber at the time Of the fre
Is but small part of the damage to
the neighborhood. The wages that
ing, added to the value Of the pro-
duce that would have been purchas-
I'd to supply the lumber camps and
the taxes that would have been de-
voted to roads and other improve
Iaents. furnish q much truer measure
Of how much. sooner or later, 1t
costs a region when it's forests are
destroyed by fire.
The Peshtigo fire Of October. 1871.
was still more severe than the Mira
snichi. 1t covered an area Of more
than 1000 square miles in Wiscon-
sin. and involved loss in timber
and other property OF many millions
OF dollars. Between 1900 and 1900
persons persisted. including nearly
half the population Of Peshtigo, at
that time town of 1000 inhabi-
tants. Other, fires Of about the same
time were most destructive in Michi-
gan. A strip about 40 miles wide
and $50 miles long, extending across
the central part Of the state. FROM
Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, was
devastated. The estimated loss. In
timber was about 4.000,00O,00O feet
board measure, and In money over
110.OO0.O00. Several hundred per-
sons persisted. ~y =
In the early part OF September,
1881. great fires covered more than
1900 square miles In various parts OF
Michigan. The estimated loss, In
property. in addition to many hun
dred, thousand acres of valuable tim
Der. was more than $2,30O,0O0. Over
5000. persons were made destitute,
and the number of lives lost Is vari-
ously estimated at from $50 to 500.
The most destructive fire Of more
recent years was that which started
near Hinckley. Mimi. Sept. !. 1894.
While the area burned over was less
than in some other great fires, the
loss OF life and property was very
heavy. Hinckley and six other towns
were destroyed. about 500 lives were
lest, more than 1000 persons were
left destitute, and the estimated loss
4E property of various kinds was
125,OOO,OOO. Except for the heroic
conduct of locomotive engineers and
other railroad men, the loss OF life
would have been much greater.
This fire was all the more deplora-
bic because 1t was wholly unneces-
sary. For many days before the
high wind came and drove 1t into
uncomfortable fury, 1t was burning
slowly close to the town of Hinckley
and could have been put out.