Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-09-19
FIRES
DESTRUCTIVE:
PAST SUMNER WORST KNOWN
IN YEARS-DIsAsTERS WIDE
SPREAD-GGREAT LOSS N
MANY SECTIONS.

washington Sept. 18.-The for
est fires which have Just laid waste
whole counties in Minnesota, Mich
igan. and extended into Wisconsin.
destroying many towns, and maxi
Ing thousands of persons homeless.
have focused the attention Of both
government and state forest ofacers
on the enormous losses OF forest
wealth which will be checked up to
the year 1908.
In the whole northern half OF the
United States throughout q yagx
territory extending from coast %
coast, the reported destruction By
forest fires has been terrific and it
Is likely that the year will 20 down
as one Of the worst in the last
quarter century. It seems that No
section Of the country has escaped
the work Of the devastating danes.
The latest disasters In Minnesots,
Michigan and Wisconsin are the
worst Of the man that have vfsjted
the lake states this year. Other
sections have also suffered from for
est 'nres during the spring and sum-
mer months. and the people OF ths
Pacific coast, the Rocky Mountain
and the New England states, ana
Canada have had a thorough, ana
In some cases, . continuous expert.
ence In fire fighting.
Omcers Of the United States For.
eat Service here say that It 10 doubt-
ful II this years actual losses frow
forest Ares In all parts OF the. conn.
try will ever be known, but 6 =
certain thst they VIII run up .
high 10 the. -nillioas that the csuu-
try will be st1rtlsa when . compiIs-
ton Of statistics at the end or the
season makes It possible to givo
even the most conservative figures.
Suhics It to say that were al the
timber burned up this year In sID
parts Of the country converted into
cash. It could provide for . good
sized navy Of f1t-class battlsshipo.
The hres have done good In ore
way: they have focused the peopIs's
attention on the seriousness of the
forest fire problem, practical forest
ers say, and have started wide.
spread movement in many states 70,
check them by adopting rational
systems of iire protection. Among
thinking people there has been
awakened an intense interest In
throwing better protection around
the forests. which grow more Inn
portant as a natural resource ~
their timber supply dwindles.
The government has had lot OF
work in the fire nghting line in the
national forests. but serious as the
fires have been careful patrol and
the organization of force to battle
with the flames as soon as discover
ed has held the losses down to
point where they are uttrely insig-
nificant when one considers the
fearful destruction which would
have come about had there been NJ
protection
htuouSu the ufO ulcudCc u6D
been serious in 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
onhcers. will not be more than
100000. This sum Is small when It
is remembered that It means fire
protection for approximately 16S.-
100000 acres OF national forests.
less than two-tenths OF a mill per.
acre. Progressive state fire war
dens and forest officers. individuals
and private corporations having
large timber holdings. have organ
ized FIRE Hehting forces along much
the same lines as the government In
many cases, and In this wav they
OF acres Of timber which might have
been destroyed had II been left un-