44 2 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



only be watched that the fire may not eat its way across the trench, or that an old 

 snag on fire may not be thrown across and propagate the fire beyond the trench. 



These old snags, dead trees with broken tops ; are, it is believed, a prolific source of 

 danger, not only in attracting lightning, but in keeping and propagating fires. The 

 damage done by soil fires under these conditions consists in the consumption of the 

 leaf mold and soil, and the trees usually are killed, their roots burnt through and 

 they topple over, either at once or in the next windstorm. Four fires occurred under 

 such conditions and, with the exception of one case in which one and one-half acres 

 were burnt over before the fire was found and put out, not more than a few square 

 rods were damaged. 



In the balsam swamps, when dry as they were last summer, the fire also smol- 

 ders merely in the ground ; it is still more'difficult to locate, as the smoke quickly fills 

 the woods and hangs in the low crowned balsams. 



The dangerous fires are those which start in Openings, old clearings, marshes, 

 slashes and young brush woods, for here the winds have access and fan the fire into 

 fierce flames which become absolutely resistless to human endeavors. Two such 

 fires were experienced, one originating in an old clearing, all grown up with brush, 

 supposedly from a spark thrown from a snag that was set on fire by lightning, the 

 other originating in a marsh, probably through carelessness. The former was con- 

 fined to within about 20 acres, but required no labor days and the hauling of water 

 with a team for three days, before it was entirely subdued, the fire continuing for 

 ten days. The second fire was discovered by the surveying party in an old pine bar- 

 ren, adjoining a marsh covered with Labrador tea and sphagnum moss, usually under 

 water, but this year entirely dry. The fire was put out, watched several days and 

 reported out by two experienced woodmen on the forenoon of August 1 8th, but 

 within less than three hours it was seen blazing again, and assumed rapidly such 

 proportions that the four surveyors who discovered and tried to put it out had 

 to retreat. By evening, when the writer reached the place, the fire had entered the 

 swamp, and nearly two miles of fire line were eating their way through the low 

 shrubs and moss. 



An organized effort of the surveying force through the night, in whipping 

 the fire out, was successful, except on a hardwood ridge on which a large number of 

 fallen logs and stumps were blazing. This hill it was necessary to surround by a 

 trench, which was at once commenced, additional help having arrived in the morning. 

 Before, however, this trench had progressed far enough, the wind had again fanned 

 the flames, and all efforts to keep the fire confined were in vain ; by evening it had 

 again entered the marsh progressing rapidly. Again the night was used with advan- 



