Year: 1871

Tho Fires or tho Northwest.


While the tempest has been at work on our
seaboard the furies of fame and fire have
been sweeping the extreme Northwest. We
recur to this subject again because it is one of
the highest moment in reference to the future
of our Western States and Territories. The
immense and yet unextinguished conaagraton
in Wisconsin is without a parallel, unless it
finds one in the immense fire at Mramichi,
some thirty-five years ago, on which occasion,
according to Marsh, six thousand square miles
of woodland were destroyed. In the latter
instance the soil became cinder, and quar-
ter of a century scarcely effaced the marks of
the calamity.


For some weeks this fire in the Northwest
has been steadily expanding Smoke rising
from the scene of consuming forests, has been
reported far and near in radial lines, varying
with the prevailing wind, and for some days,
in the valleys of the Mississippi and the Ohio
River "dense smoke" has been reported by the
signal observers. Recent northerly and now
fresh northwesterly winds are precipitating
this smoke eastwardly and spreading out as
black pail over the country.


The losses by such q disaster are not to be
reckoned by the destruction of artificial prop
erty, nor yet by the fall Of the noble forests,
of value beyond estimation. The climatic
changes that may result are likely to be of the
most unfortunate character and greatly to
impair the future growth and prosperity o f
hio Tr Tkol- n.
Apenniues is believed to have seriously
altered the climate of the Pc valley, and now
the African sirocco, never known to the
armies of ancient Rome, breathes it's hot,
blighting breath over the right bank Of that
river in the territory of Parma. The similar
removal Of the pine forests near Ravenna,
about twenty miles long, induced this same
desoating wind, which continued until the
wood had been allowed to grow again. There
is no doubt that in France the removal of
the old forests of the Vosges sensibly deterio-
rated the climate on the plains of Asace: and
it is historic fact that the ancient destruction
of the forests of the Cevennes, under the
reign of Augustus, left the large and rich
tracts near the mouth Of the Rhone exposed
to the steady violence Of the mistr0I Cor north
west wind) before which the area of olive
culture has retreated many leagues, the
orange is confined to few sheltered points
on the coast and fruit trees can hardly be
reared in places where they were famously
prolific.


The curtaiment of the rainfall ia q well
known conaoouonco of tho d;oorroarapco of
forests; and in Egypt, where during the
French occupation, in 1898, not drop of rain
fell for sixteen months, and from time imme-
mortal, the country has been rainless bed of
sand. Mchemed Ali, by planting his millions
of fg and orange trees, has since seen his
country blessed with an annual rainfall of sew
eral inches.


It is painful to contemplate the sad results
which must ensue from the ravages now going
on-and likely to continue for some days,
from the present strong northwesterly winds
in the fair State of Wisconsin. Even now in
that State the wheat cannot be left in the
earth all the winter, owing to the severity of
the frost. The normal and necessary con-
sumption of timber would of itself have in the
course of half century robbed the soil of all
the wood it can spare. The present fire,
unless soon arrested, must prove the doom of
the horticulturist, and it may also prove
severe blow to the interests of the farmer It
will destroy the reputation of all that region
for its uniform and medicinal climate.


Let no effort or expense be spared to arrest
the foe, even If it should require an army Of
laborers to fight the flames.