Sanctuary
By John L. Peyton
Fire, like cold and hunger, has always been a part of the life and death cycle of the primeval forest. It takes out old stands of trees, prepares the seed-bed for new, wipes out concentrations of tree-destroying insects, and is essential for the reproduction of some kinds of evergreens. Under natural conditions, it is good for the woods the way wolves are good for the deer. Necessary for the species, but with no mercy for the individual.
Over 400 people died in the 1894 fire in northeastern Minnesota, and an even larger number in 1918. These and other bad fires broke out in times of dry weather and high winds. The strength of the wind was multiplied by the air currents caused by the fire. Survivors say that the sky at noon became dark as night. Hot smoke blinded the eyes and seared the throat. As the fire approached, there was a terrifying noise, like rolling thunder. The flames leaped ahead in sheets and flying balls, so that horses, and sometimes even the early automobiles, often failed to save their owners.
Boats on lakes and rivers were usually capsized in the wind, but smaller bodies of water provided sanctuary. People saved themselves by plunging into a marsh, or even a ditch, and covering themselves with wet clothing or blankets. Sometimes these were torn away by the wind but they were able to stay alive by splashing water on each other.
My father, lying about his age, took part in the relief expedition into the still-burning Hinckley area in 1894, and spent the night of October 12, 1918 driving into the fire zone and carrying out loads of refugees. His accounts of these experiences made an early impression on me.
Go to the "Sanctuary" Painting now...
Sanctuary
By John L. Peyton
Fire, like cold and hunger, has always been a part of the life and death cycle of the primeval forest. It takes out old stands of trees, prepares the seed-bed for new, wipes out concentrations of tree-destroying insects, and is essential for the reproduction of some kinds of evergreens. Under natural conditions, it is good for the woods the way wolves are good for the deer. Necessary for the species, but with no mercy for the individual.
Over 400 people died in the 1894 fire in northeastern Minnesota, and an even larger number in 1918. These and other bad fires broke out in times of dry weather and high winds. The strength of the wind was multiplied by the air currents caused by the fire. Survivors say that the sky at noon became dark as night. Hot smoke blinded the eyes and seared the throat. As the fire approached, there was a terrifying noise, like rolling thunder. The flames leaped ahead in sheets and flying balls, so that horses, and sometimes even the early automobiles, often failed to save their owners.
Boats on lakes and rivers were usually capsized in the wind, but smaller bodies of water provided sanctuary. People saved themselves by plunging into a marsh, or even a ditch, and covering themselves with wet clothing or blankets. Sometimes these were torn away by the wind but they were able to stay alive by splashing water on each other.
My father, lying about his age, took part in the relief expedition into the still-burning Hinckley area in 1894, and spent the night of October 12, 1918 driving into the fire zone and carrying out loads of refugees. His accounts of these experiences made an early impression on me.
Go to the "Sanctuary" Painting now...