104 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



Some of these fires were started by sparks from the locomotives on the Mohawk 

 and Malone Railroad. The fire at. Bog River was due to this cause, and it would 

 have destroyed the railroad bridge there had it not been for the efforts of Chief 

 Protector Pond and his men. 



Another dry spell occurred in September, resulting in large fires in the outlying 

 districts. The September fires were numerous in the more open country in Lewis, 

 Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Warren counties. The forests of the interior districts, 

 however, suffered little or no damage from the September fires. 



A careful tabulation of the firewardens' reports for August and September, 1899, 

 shows that during the dry season the losses from forest fires in the Adirondack 

 counties were as follows : 



Number of acres burned over ...... 51,565 



Of which the State owns 3-558 



Number of days worked - - 15,560 1-2 



Estimated loss in timber - - - - - - - - $60,121 



The cause of fire, so far as could be ascertained, was as follows: 



Hunters -- --62 



Fishermen ------------ 15 



Berry pickers _.--. -30 



Abandoned camp fires --------- 37 



Picnic parties ----------- 10 



Clearing land ----------- 31 



Railroad locomotives ---------- 24 



Tobacco smokers ---------- 11 



Lightning ------------ 9 



Incendiaries -.. 9 



Children ------------ 7 



Matches ------- _...., 7 



Bee hunters ------------ 3 



Burning buildings ---------- 5 



Unknown ------------ 62 



32: 



The amount paid by each county for fighting fire is not known at present, for 

 the accounts have not been presented to this office yet for the half due from the 

 State. In Lewis county the amounts expended by the various towns were : 



