The Glenwood post., 1908-10-10
HISTORIC FOREST FIRES

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The terrible work of the flames
which have burned over and destroyed
hundreds of thousands of acres of tim
ber 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 WIS the
great Miramichi fire of 1875. Ii be-
gan its greatest destruction about one
clock in the afternoon Of October
of that year, at place aboat so miles
above the town of Newcastle, ON the
Miramichi River, in New brunswick.
Before ten O'Clock at night it WAS 20
miles below Newcastle. In nin' hours
it had destroyed belt oil forcsf so
miles long and 25 miles wide. Over
more than two and one-half million ac-
res, almost every living thing was kill
ed. 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
Douglastown, were destroyed. One hun
dred and sixty persons perished, and
nearly a thousand head of stock.
The loss from the Miramaaichi fire is
estimated at 100000, not Including
the value of the timber.
In the majority of such fires as
this the destruction of the timber IS
a more serious loss, by far, than that
of the cattle and buildings for it car
ries with it the terrible scene of
impoverishment of whole region for
tens or even hundreds of years after
wards. The loss of the stumpage va
lue of the timber at the time of the fire
is but a small part of the damage to
the neighborhood added to the value of
the produce that would have been pur
chased to supply the lumber camps,
and the taxes that would have been de
voted to roads and other public improve
/ ments, furnish a much truer measure
of how much, sooner or later it costs
region when its forests are destroy
ed by fires.
The Peshtigo fire of October, 1871,
was still more severe than the Miriam
ichi. 1t covered an area of more than
1000 square miles in Wisconsin, and
involved loss in timber and other pro-
perty of many million dollars. Be
tween 1900 and 1900 persons per
ished, including nearly half the popul
alton of Peshtigo, at that time tofn
of 1000 inhabitants. Other fires of a.
bout the same time were most destuc-
tive in Michigan. A strip about 40
miles wide and 1870 miles long, extend
from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron,
was devastated. The estimated loss in
timber was about 4,Ooo,ooO,00O feet
board measure, and in money over $10,-
100000. Several hundred persons per
ished.
In the early part of Setember, 1881,
great fires covered more than 1900
square miles in various parts of Mich
igan. The estimated loss, in property
many hundred thousands of val
luable timber and timber'and, was more
than t2.3OO,OOO. Over 5000 persons
were made destitute, and the number
Of lives lost is variously estimated at
[, from $50 to 500.
The most destructive fire of NOR re-
cent years was that which started
near Hinekley, Minnesota, September !
1894. While the area burned was less
than in some other great fires, the loss
of life and. property was very heavy.
Hinckley and six other towns were des-
troyed, about 500 lives were lost, more
than 1000 persons were left destitute,
and the estimated loss in property Of
various kinds was $25, 100000. Ex-
cept for the heroic conduct of loco
motive en9ineers and other railroad
men the loss Of life would have besn
J much greater.
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