The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-12
FORESTS WIPED OUT
Northern France Denuded as
Result Of War.
Timber Cut and Shipped to Germany
Tremendous Damage Also Be-
ing Inflicted on the Forests
BY Military Operations.

Washington.-The Germans are cut
ting the marketable timber from the |
forests in northern France now in
their possession and selling it In Ger. |
many, Jean-Paul Alaux. an officer in |
the French army now In the trenches |
near Arras, informs the American
Forestry association. Tremendous
damage is also being inflicted on the
forests Of France by the military OPP
erations. He says when Paris was
threatened with capture the forests
to the north were cleared.
''The winter rains" says NJ Alaux,
have rendered most of the roads Inn
passable, especially in the wooded re-
gions. In the forest Of Bouvigny,
near Arras, and in the forest of Berth
onval, the artillerymen were unable
to move their guns over the muddy
and intrenched roads, and 1t was i'm
possible to even transport ammuni-
ton. In order to keep the guns sup
piled, it was necessary to cut new
roads in all directions through the
forests, using the felled trees for
the purpose. The trunks, in sections
of about twelve feet, are laid side by
side and bound together with ropes
and with galvanized iron wire. They
are further securely fastened to
stakes driven deep in the ground. The
first layer Of trees having proved in
sufficient, second was added. This
again failing to suffice, third became
necessary, until in many cases three
| layers of trees are superposed in or
der to permit the passage of convoy
wagons. To avoid the too rapid wear
| of the wood through the grinding of
| the heavy wheels and the tearing Of
| the horses shoes, earth mixed with
| straw, bark and the twigs and small
| branches of the fallen trees is strewn
| plentifully over these improvised road
ways.
| THE forest of Vitrimont, behind
Luneville, has been completely RACED.
In the forest of Meaux, lanes from
one hundred and fifty to three thou
sand feet in width have been cut at
intervals of every thousand feet This
was of course for the purpose Of al
|
derous fire over a wide area. as
through some gigantic loophole. One
cannot find a remnant of copse or
thickets; all the trees and saplings
have disappeared throughout the
RACED area.
For several weeks I have been
CHARTERED in the vicinity of Arras.
| oil ~ 10
trees and underground have been cut
practically throughout the whole area
of the forest. 1t was done for the pur-
pose of providing firewood for the
kitchens and shelters.
"The forests of the East, which
were the scene of some of the most
violent encounters at the beginning
of the campaign, were literally cut
to pieces by artillery fire. The trees
|, within the zone of fire were complete
=, ly ruined.
, "The wooded sections in the East
have endured the most terrible bonn
i bardments They are reduced to q
CHASTITY array of skeletons; torn tC
bits by the bursting Of shells; riddle6
by fire; blackened with smoke. these
forests must be entirely cleared away
and the area reforested.
I'm certain forests, such as that o
Arancourt where the French troop.
lay in concealment and where tn,
Germans attempted to dislodge then
with artillery fire, the bombardmen
D | produced an enormous damage. Sucl
| trees as were not cut down by tn
fire were entirely denuded of thei
branches.
Il have seen enormous trees Gu
a by shells as though they were mer
finder"