The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-09-25
Foresf Fire Destruction.

Forest Fire Destruction.
Forest Ares arc causing consIdera-
damage in many parts OF the
country at the present. 1t will be
several months before the total de-
truction Is known, for the fire sea
son has considerable time to run.
6gnring out this years losses. 1t
VIII be natural to make COMPARE
sou with losses for last year which.
according to Treadwell Cleveland
Jr.g In the Year Book of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. will cause 1908
tb ibe long remembered.
"a dry season, combined with
what seemed to be even more than
the usual Indifference toward small
fires which might easily have been
extinguishsd at the start" says Mr..
Gleyeland, caused destructive Gin
fagrations in practically every state
with losses aggregating 100000
600. In comparison with the havoc
wrought elsewhere, the damage done
to national forests was exceedingly
slight. Had fires ragged within the
forests as they did outside, they
would have destroyed timber worth
$50, 200, 600 enough to run the
Forest Service for six years. More
over, it is practically certain that
most If not all of the damage which
was done might have been prevented
had the forests been fully man
ned.
FINALLY, the estimates of loss
made by the SeESlcet- on National
Forests are particularly searching.
and take full account of the injury
done to Young growth. Commonly.
estimates of loss from forest fires
are based upon the damage done to
standing timber and property; they
do not reckon the usually far great
er loss in injury or destruction of
young growing stock
The methods by which, the govern
ment keeps down the fire losses on
the National Forests include:
1. Constant and systematic pa
troll by picked forces of rangers and
guards. =
2. The construction of roads.
trails and telephone lines, which ia
cilitate thes massing of large fire
lighting forces.
3, The construction OF fire lines
which, in some instances, check the
spread OF fire without human help.
4. The equipment of the forests
with hre-hghting tools and other
supplies necessary. in lighting fires.
The supplies of tools are kept at
convenient points at all times, in or
der to have them accessible to For
est officers, in case fires break out.
5. Cooperation with railroads.
fimberland owners. and settlers in
lire protection, in this way making
at possible to protect both the lands
of the companies and the Forest
Service at much smaller cost to the
government than would be the case
were the National Forest lands alone
protected by the local officers.
Just as the practice of forestry is
dmportant in the movement for the
conservation OF all natural re-
sources, SO is the protection of the
forests from fires important in the
!furtherance of rational forest work.
In fact, forestry in many instances
ymeans nothing more than conserva-
tive numbering and the prevention of
forest Ares. Uncle Sam realizes that
only through the wise use and care
of the forests will it be possible to
make natural cumberland perma-
5nently productive. The practice of
forestry does not mean abbreviatins
the use of the land. Instead. con
servatfve numbering and protection
toG the young growth from fire will
Tibring about steadily increasing
use. for with cultivation and care