The senator is no more

what a shame to read this today

the big tree burns

regards Marcus

Sad news indeed.
These things happen from time to time in nature.. But if it was arson, as they said it might be.. You've really sunk deep..

Storm wrote:Sad news indeed.
These things happen from time to time in nature.. But if it was arson, as they said it might be.. You've really sunk deep..

We have not had any thunderstorms to produce lightning and that would probably be the only other way it would burn.

Local news says they found a fire had been started at the base. Last night was cold for us with lows in the 40's so I suspect someone was trying to keep warm. Not wanting to accuse before someone is caught but we have a homeless/drug addict /alcoholic problem that gets worse in the winter. (Why be homeless, etc. in New York where it is cold and there is snow, when you can be homeless, etc. in Florida where there is no snow and it isn't as cold as often.)

sorry for the tree, but why the hell call a stunning old tree something soooooooooo booooooooooooring like senator, really ????

Peter

landerloos wrote:sorry for the tree, but why the hell call a stunning old tree something soooooooooo booooooooooooring like senator, really ????

Peter

You know in the USA it was at one time thought to be a great honor to be a member of the Senate.
The Senate only has 100 members, a very exclusive club. Possible that this is the idea, very few trees this old.
This tree has been a roadside attraction for many years. Back before the Mouse, Harry and Interstates people drove down highways and stopped to look at things like this.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:

landerloos wrote:sorry for the tree, but why the hell call a stunning old tree something soooooooooo booooooooooooring like senator, really ????

Peter

You know in the USA it was at one time thought to be a great honor to be a member of the Senate.
The Senate only has 100 members, a very exclusive club. Possible that this is the idea, very few trees this old.
This tree has been a roadside attraction for many years. Back before the Mouse, Harry and Interstates people drove down highways and stopped to look at things like this.

As the article said

"The tree got its name from Sen. Moses Overstreet, who donated the land to Seminole County in 1927."

The Deep South used to be covered with Giants like this: Cypress, Chestnuts, Longleaf pine, etc. After the Civil War came the railroads and so did the clear-cutting. Few remained...

These pictures were taken in 2008.

This is realy sad! Has there been no chance to stop the fire? Maybe with a helicopter?

One theory is that a lightening strike a few weeks ago started a smoldering fire that took a while to become visible and when it did the tree was too involved to stop. The tree had a lot of dead wood and burned from the inside out.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:One theory is that a lightening strike a few weeks ago started a smoldering fire that took a while to become visible and when it did the tree was too involved to stop. The tree had a lot of dead wood and burned from the inside out.

So arson has been ruled out?

Arson has not been ruled out. The investigation continues, as they say.

The first article linked is better because of the pictures with the article but here's another...ABCnews

even more tragic:


Here

A woman has been arrested for the fire. According to the TV reports, she was sitting in the hollow the tree doing drugs and built a fire to stay warm. She has already bailed out of jail. She was in less than 24 hours.

Jim Doiron wrote:even more tragic:


Here

Glad to hear she's so remorseful... what a piece of human garbage.