Canadian Forest rij Journal, June, 1917 



1145 



ped most fires in the territory in 

 northern and western Wisconsin." 



The Peace River Country has had 

 its fire experience this season. A 

 newspaper despatch states: — May 10. 

 — "Several large forest fires are sweep- 

 ing through the timbered country 

 back of the settlements here. South 

 of town and east of the Smoky a fire 

 is blazing fiercely over a country 

 covered with dry poplar and brush. 

 Down the Peace several blazes can 

 be seen, but as none of the fires are 

 in valuable timber no harm will re- 

 sult unless they spread too far. 



The Pennsylvania Department of 

 Forestry reports: — "A rough sum- 

 mary of the forest fire situation in 

 Pennsylvania, issued May 21st, states 

 that about 1,000 fires occurred before 

 May 1st, over 750 reports and bills 

 having been received to that date. 

 It is evident that the number of fires 

 will exceed last year's, but the area 

 burned over to date is much smaller. 

 The 760 fires reported averaged only 

 eighty-six acres each, as compared 

 with an average acreage per fire of 

 154 in 1916, and 306 in 1915. About 

 375 of the 750 fires were extinguished 

 before they covered ten acres. 



"The past week has been the worst 

 fire week this year, and doubtless 

 many small fires and several large 

 ones will be reported. So far only a 

 dozen fires of over a thousand acres 

 have been reported." 



— ._. ^ 



PASTOR AND FLOCK FIGHT 



FIRES 



— 4. 



The Fort William Times-Journal 

 has the following story: — "Had it not 

 been for the presence of many vil- 

 lagers and settlers from the surround- 

 ing country who were gathered for 

 public worship in the little church 

 at Hymers Sunday morning, the vil- 

 lage of Hymers would have been 

 wiped out by fire, according to a 

 statement made by George E. Hy- 

 mers, of Hymers, who is in Port 

 Arthur to-day. "Service was going 

 on," Mr. Hymers said, "and the min- 



ister. Reverend .J. Waldron, an- 

 nounced that the congregation was 

 dismissed and everybody was to help 

 fight the fire. The minister himself 

 was one of the hardest workers in 

 the bucket brigade which helped save 

 the village from destruction." Thus, 

 from soul saving the minister turned 

 to property saving, and was instru- 

 mental in contributing largely to the 

 success of the fire fighters and the 

 salvation of the village. 



Mr. Hymers said that the bush 

 fires started some time early on Sun- 

 day, which raged fiercely on Sunday, 

 visiting Hymer's village in a most 

 menacing manner. There was not 

 much damage to timber, because 

 there is none in that immediate vi- 

 cinity to be burnt, but some of the 

 settlers in the outlying districts suffer- 

 ed heavy losses. Colin Campbell, of 

 Harstone, is the heaviest loser, his 

 saw mill, house and everything being 

 consumed and 135,000 feet of lumber, 

 William Winslow, of O'Connor, one 

 of. the best known agriculturalists in 

 the district, lost his house, buildings, 

 and everything he had. William 

 Mountstephen, of Kakabeka Falls, 

 lost his barns, which were on his farm 

 in Conmee township, and others sus- 

 tained lesser damage to outbuildings 

 and lands by the fierce onrush of the 

 flames. 



Mr. Hymers estimates the total 

 damage caused by the fires, which are 

 still raging in that district, as over 

 $10,000. Yesterday afternoon a long 

 distance message reached Mr. Hy- 

 mers from Hymers that the fires were 

 coming down the ravine near the 

 cheese factory, but that buildings 

 were being watched and protected. 



So far as has yet been ascertained, 

 no actual cases of destitution have 

 been reported, but all the settlers 

 who have been visited by the fire 

 king have sustained considerable 

 loss in buildings and efTects. 



MR. CAVERHILL RESIGNS 

 Mr. P. Z. Caverhill, Director of 

 the New Brunswick Forest Survey, 

 has resigned his position and will re- 

 turn to the British Columbia Forest 

 Service. 



