Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-07-13

ture are eagerly watching for mor
proof OF its efficiency.
IN the national forests in 1908 lanes
extending 4t4,s3S acres were burned
ever. The timber destroyed aggregat-
ed 233,lsf, 900 board feet. There Is
food for thought in these figures. As
much lumber as was utterly destroy
ed last year would build many n good
sized town. Cut into planks of the
accepted dimensions. one inch thick
ana one foot wide. and laid end 10 end,
IL would extend almost twice around
the earth. And this too in the nation
al forests alone-unly the thousands
Of Individual lumbermen whose pri-
waite interests suffered could furnish
any Information tina would involve Il
real total.
The forest service atlas figures that
Ia the year 1867 for every thousand
acres Of national woodland. 81 acres
were destroyed By fire In the preccd-
ing year i0TS acres per 1000 were
burned over. But in the past year,
with a report ~ fI4.63s acres destroy
Cd out Of a total 81 5o.3Sf.665 acres.
OF forest land. including alterations,
Il Gun be computed that "a acres out
OF every thousand were wiped u
How Forest Fires start
Fires in the forests have their origin
In Many causes In the summer months
DRY leuves and brittle stumps are pro-
iific sources Of trouble. The least
spark thrown nto a pile OF woodland
rubbish may start q tiny flamc-thcI
blaze. Invisible FOR days, perhaps. viii
smoulder until suddenly II breaks out
and siezes tree after tree
II is possible TO avoid one specicsl
II risk. and here New york has set n
. otablo example. The Public service
commission for the second district Of
he Empire state has directed on i'm
ruling al the railroads. The
district includes all Of the
tate without the boundaries or the
,ity Of New York and there are no
woods In Gotham. unless one considers
he park trees. The New York state
.ailrosads last year were found to be
he cause OF SO serious blazcs. most OF
hem In the A~driondaeks Sparks from
ocomotices did the damage Accord
ngly the Hughes commission. after on
into the facts. has ordered
hat oil be burned as fuel in loeomo-
ives on all roads traversing the wood
d lands between April is and Nov
mber | of each year.
The foresters wish IL were as easy a.,
0 regulate hunters, who cause more I
rouble than railroads. New York re- ,
hat last year 1903 fires Of large (
dimensions were caused by the care }
assness OF amateur sportsmen. FIFTY t
acres OF trees were burned =
The hunter who builds his
fire In a clearing and goes ava, Il
lthout stamping out the remains. the O
who knocks the hot ashes out of +
Is pipe by hitting II against a tree t
and the one who throws his +
gar-end off into the bushes at his e
de little realize what follows In their s
AXE. Probably IL told they were tho "
OF the great conflagration they Il
e a few days later, they would be
'tonished. IS
Quite q few of these fires are start i,
by incendiarivs. Tho fiend who sets n
le torch to a forest differs very little I,
IN his brother. who explodes "a bomb b
"A tenement T%houghtless children &
70 known TO have been the cause Of a
fires Still a larger number go
What to do To check q
le spread Of the flames is a more II