Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1903 — FIGHTING FOREST FIRES. [ARTICLE]

FIGHTING FOREST FIRES.

Darla* the Prolonged Dr oath Thenoaads of Men Voaght the Floats*. The copious and widespread * rains which have recently prevailed over a large section of the Eastern and Northern States did much to extinguish the forest fires which had already destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of property and which promised to continue the work of destruction, derpite every effort on the part of thousands of men to control the flames. The absence of the usual spring rains and the prolonged drouth, extending over a period of more than fifty days, had rendered the forests peculiarly susceptible to fire. In the “slashes” from which marketable timber hsd beu cut and much refuse left; in tlie section where high winds or previous fires had left much dead timber, either standing or fallen; in the swamps, with their great accumulation of vegetable matter, usually moist, but rendered dry as tinder by the drouth, sparks from passing locomotives or neglected fires left by hunters and campers found much inflammable fuel. Once started, these fires were almost impossible of extinguishment. From the dead timber and the dried-up swamps the flames communicated to the living forest and giant trees and marketable lumber alike fell a prey to the flame*. Never in the history of the eastern and northern forests has there been such destruction. In a score of places in the Adirondacks fires broke out and thousands of acres were burned over, hotels and camps in some instances being consumed. In these fires not only the timber is burned, but the very soil itself, consisting of the accumulated vegetable matter of centuries, was consumed to the rocks, leaving vast tracts of barren, hopeless territory which must forever remain a desert. In Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Long Island, New Brunswick and elsewhere the fires raged. At one time there was an almost continuous chain of fires from one side of Maiue to the other. The loss is beyond computation. It will mount into the millions of dollars. The losers are individuals who have lost property ranging from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands; great lumber and paper manufacturing corporations; club men and millionaires who owned great tracts for pleasure purposes, and even the State itself which possesses extensive reserves. During the parched period many thousands of men have been employed in an effort to extinguish the flames or at least hold Jhem in check. The method of warfare against the devouring element varied according to circumstances and loca-" tion. Where water was available it was used by means of fire engines and hose borrowed from neighboring towns. In the forest proper men in gangs of hundreds felled the trees along a wide stretch in front of the flames, created as great a clearing ns possible, threw up the earth with pick axes and shovels and as the fire encroached on them fought it back by beating it with evergreen branches and by throwing dirt upon it. In the more open territories, where villages and farm buildings were threatened the plow was resorted to and rows of furrows Turned iipni the face of the advancing fire. The work i*. a difficult and unpleasant one, owing to the heat and smoke, but the men received liberal wages and in many instances were on duty every minute for weeks except for the time necessary for sleeping and eating. Only a small proportion of these fire fighters could be supplied by the sparsely settled localities in which the fires raged, but thousands were pent insto tae work by the railroads, accompanied by competent foremen.