5 



acres were burned over, along the line of a railroad, owned and 

 operated by this company, which runs from Benson Mines to Wan- 

 akena, where their mills are located. The tract had been closely 

 lumbered for both the softwoods and hardwoods, and hence the 

 damage to standing timber was comparatively slight. But the 

 fire which was started by sparks from one of their locomotives 

 spread to their skidways and consumed entirely the large piles of 

 logs which were awaiting shipment to the mills. The value of 

 the logs thus destroyed was estimated at $5,000 by the Company. 



The other fire referred to occurred May 6, on the Cornell Uni- 

 versity tract, and ran over about 200 acres. The greater part of 

 this area had been cut over under the contract with the Brooklyn 

 Cooperage Company to supply its stave and heading mills and 

 wood acid factory at Tupper Lake. As the ground was thickly 

 and deeply strewn with dead tops, limbs, and brush, it made a hot 

 fire, which killed some standing timber on adjoining property. 

 This fire was started by the manager to clear off the brush and 

 debris so that the ground could be replanted with seedling trees, 

 an appropriation of $5,000 having been granted the University by 

 the Legislature for this purpose. The fire once started was soon 

 beyond control, and the firewarden of an adjoining town had to 

 order in a large force of men to fight it. As the manager kindled 

 this blaze during the close season, in which the State law forbids 

 the starting of brush or fallow fires, he was arrested by Mr. 

 Emmons, the Chief Firewarden, and fined $200. 



Altogether, in the Adirondacks and Catskills, there were 101 

 alarms, including brush fires on waste lands and the numerous 

 small ones that were extinguished on the spot where they origin- 

 ated. The causes, known, supposed, and unknown were: 



