Evening star., 1914-02-08
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

600 tons of coal from the ground last
year more than 22s,00o.O00 pounds of
explosives We're required. Pennsyl-
vania, as the foremost coal-producing
ton of explosives. using more than
i2.0oo.0o0 pounds of ordinary black
powder. 32.000,000 pounds of high eX-
plosives and more than 100000
pounds of permissible explosives. This
was more than twice the amount of
explosives used by any other state.
Illinois came second in the use of black
powder. with a consumption of 32,6Io.-
600 pounds. and Michigan second in the
use of high explosives. with a record of
nearly 24.o1o,01O pounds.
Explosives figure in the casualties OF
peace as Well of war. the bureau of
mines report showing that there We're
L.; fatalities due to the use of eNplo-
sives in the coal mining industry last
year-a record of one man killed for each
2,000.0D pounds of explosives used. one
encoura g:ns feature about the protection
of human life in the of explosives in
the coal mines of the country is the part
of the report which shows that for the
last ten years the amount of permisslve
or safe explosives has increased rapidly
from less than 12.On pounds in 1902 to
Permissive explosives have a short fame
and when tested by the government
powder experts are approved for use IN
mines where gases are often present
and where the use of ordinary black
powder with its long fame is exceedingly
dangerous.
Black powder is used most in coal min
ing, but other kinds of mines call for
the largest part of the supply OF the
high explosives, including dynamite. nj
troglycerin and guncotton. Coal mining
required the use of less than 2l.Gh 600
pounds of high explosives. while other
kinds of mining called for nearly 30
G)o,"Go pounds. For all other purposes
than mining there were approximately
-, ,01.o0o pounds of black powder con-
sumed and nearly 124.uoWp pounds LOT
high explosives. Unfortunately. the re-
port does not give information as to the
| amount of powder used for blasting for
construction purposes and for the manu-
facture of ammunition.
| Up in the Chusach national forest, in
southeastern Alaska. Uncle sam has
| his most peculiar forest
Chugach hre problem. The sea-
| - son when fires have a
| 1o1ese. chance to spread in the
I Chugach forest begins in June. and
until the rains and SHOWS of fall come
the timber resources of the region are
endangered.
In this section of Alaska many of the
most extensive deposits OF coal may
be found. The proximity of the coal
beds to the timber results frequently
in the spreading of fire to the coal, the
veins of which often crop out on the
/ surface of the ground. As a result.
many of the best lignite beds in the
Chugach region have alreadV burned
out. or are still burning. Burning coal
in the past is thought to have caused
many of the recurring forest fires.
which in turn iSnited other coal veins
and thus the destruction has progressed
since the first settlement of the region
by whit" men.
Now that this section of Alaska is in
cluded within the Chugach national
forest. the government forest officers
have the peculiar task CT preventing
fire either in the timber or in the coal.
because IA fire menaces not only one of
these resources. but usually both the
timber and the coal Chief Forester
/ Henry :. Graves has just received a
report from an Alaskan forest officer
on conditions in the Chugach and the
danger of fire in the carly summer,
when practically all of the destructive
fires in the far northwest get their
start.
The forest service men in Alaska
have. already begun to make prepara-
t;ons for next summers forest fire SEA
son The principal fire region in the
Chugach forest is known as the heha
peninsula an irregularly shaped trl-
angl. of land almost entirely sur
rounded by the water of bays and the
Gulf of Alaska. Five to seven men
have been recommended to MAINTAIN an
effective fire patrol on the penlnSula d
d,,rinp. th. summer season. The rapid
TRANSPORTATION of men from one part
of the peninsula to the other Is naoe
possible only by the use of launches'
and to provide this service Il new
..rancer" boat has been recommended
Judging from the preparations winch
are now being made to Suard aeains' '
fires in the chugach forest during the
canning season. there is promised pro-
lection of both the coal and TIMBER re-
sources of the kenai peninsula
Secretary Lane is much interested in a
report which he has just received on the
n work of the representatives
| Alaskan of the Department of the
Interior in regulating the
AlAlpei sale and of timber on
th.. ,ln-eserved public lands oil Alaska
Timber is a most valuable resource IN
Alaska in those regions where 1t Is
scarce and where mining operations or
other industries which need a constant
supply have been established. Unless
the use of timber is carefully watched
and regulated by the Interior Depart
ment officers, the poor men iii the ter
ritory stand little chance of getting any
timber. while strong man might get
practically all. and this is just what the
governments men on the ground must
guard against.
The report which came in several days
ago was from II. }. .AtWell. special agent
of the general land office. and was writ
ten from Fairbanks. in the interior of
Alaska. 1t tells of the discovery OF gold
four Wears ago at the head OF Long
creek and a stampede of prnspectors to
the territory during the following spring
The stampedrrs landed at a point on
the Yukon river opposite the mouth of
The Melozi rive. and the town which
spranS up overnight was cal I'd Ruby. The
tent town of 1911 developed into per
tnancni, well built toan with 100 people