| Show r t I LJ J 4 4 7 s r T 4 f M Kg V i iC i. i 3 U fd c s ii I r. r j. j J calendar year of 1903 1905 is ts likely Tile THe to be become omo memora memorable ble as the tho most m disastrous 1 12 months In history In point of oC the of forc forest t Ores fires In Ln the United It 1 Is osUm estimated flit In tn ordinary ye years th th average onn annual al loss Joss t through rough forest fires In ft this country Is ts not less than but great a as la this havoc VOC under what might be bc termed normal condition conditions condi condi- tion It It- appears almost Insignificant by with waste sto ot of the period when the aggregate to lots Iou will wUl probably pr amount to several eal times tho u usual ual For Foi a considerable Int Interval T al this autumn when tho forest Ores have been at their thetiS bol height ht the flames were doing dam damage l o oto to tho amount of oC a aday a day Tho principal J cause of ot this epidemic of oC forest tires tires' hils found boon nd of dr course In tn the drouth which juts hIts been general throughout the co country b have been other adverse which have havo contributed to tho menacing menacing- sit sit- Indeed as ns an expert on forestry I recently pointed out It has seemed as though every Imaginable unfavorable condition bas bos 1 p this year ear to to help along along- tho thoon on l destructive I work b In addition to I 1 Ithe the loss Joss of ot property there ha has ti b n an n appalling loss of or life lICe In connection on lc on with this yea S n fires fles e I Even in an ordinary year It Is Q estimated esti 11 mated that not less than 6 65 lives are tre Included in tho the toll exacted C by forest fires tires during the 1 1 months and this year car In tb the caso of ot human as with the loss of ot material things thinS's the average has been materially exceeded Moreover there thoro will bo a n. sequel to this cars Oros firos that will not appear In any of ot the statistics of ot loss lOGS at ot first hand from forest fires As readers of ot tho the newspapers pers have havo had good cause CI to realize the lire fires this year eor havo not been bee confined ae as Is often oCton the tho ca case largely to the tho densely wooded and sparsely ely populated tod areas but havo have Invaded in invaded In- In many populous districts laying waste wasta towns of or considerable size and i driving great numbers of or people from th the the-ir ir homos homes As a 0 result rosult 0 or of tho the sufferIng suffer suffer- Ing and nd exposure thus entailed there them traveling flames s and havo navo been bOP obliged I Ito to nIp appeal al to near by municipalities for Lor aid ald I I I Tho recent forest fires havo have had their severity emphasized d b by reason o of the j jwill jwill I will probably bo much and i man many deaths that not being Immediately Immediate Immediate- ly tv attributable to the forest fires will Willi Willin n not t be bl Included In the tho st statistics that will constitute to tho the chronicle o of this yea years year's tire lire record Another nother un unusual feature of the tho forest tires of or IOOS 1908 Is found Cound In the wide tango range r rI I I r W WI I r I of ot territory visited lJ by by the flames inthe In I tho the Maine woods and in thu tho Adirondack Adirondacks Adirondacks Adiron- Adiron dacks dack of ot Nor Northern thorn New ew York throughout through through- hout h- h out tho stale state of Pennsylvania In Michigan Michi Michi- gan ge Minnesota and and other othet territory adjacent lo to the Great Lakes Lukes the tho forest fires havo boen been ragIng Tag rag TagIng Ing InS simultaneously and oven evon on the Pacific coast t the tho menace has bc been boen n present pros pres ent out threatening among nth other I things tho the d destruction of one olle of or the tho 11 finest II groves sro of ot th the tho prized big t trees Moreover Moro More over o tho forest fires firel of ot this year have havo been unusually difficult to conquer andIa and la In many Instances tho the owners owner of or magnificent mag mug private forests or hunting preserves pre- pre serves provided pro with tho tim best private Ore fire systems have found thorn thom solves blo to copo cope with tho the rapid fact that during the tho three or 01 four years prior to the present ono one the annual lo loss Ioa s by firo o I loss S1 has lw CH bt unusually small Ii however this seasons season's U lele record has gl f n n fl l th thi- thi hI country an i unpleasant object lesson a as ai to what may mayI I I happen n any year and has aroused I everybody concerned to the realization I I of tho the need of ot some better system of or orI fighting and pro preventing this yearly Carly loss Joss I Not only havo private individuals and und corporations owning timber lands been I I stirred to action by the tho spectacle of tho the I past few weeks wc 8 but tho the United States I I government go ha has hag inaugurated a 0 country country- wilo campaign that It is believed will vill willI I point a way to prevent many orest Lorest fires h-es and to control those that d despite I I precautions prec gain a fL start I j A As AI a 0 first step stop the national govern govern- i meat cut has had ono one oil tho most efficient of ot Its fore forest 1 service Mr Ia Raymond Ray flay mond W W. Pullman traveling ng over 01 the tho I burned areas s in the Northwest and andi i elsewhere and not only gathering detailed dei de- de i tailed statistics M that will be valuable In III urging congressional action netlon on the 1 I I subject but hut also taking nofog notis as to the j i physical characteristics of the tIle fires I 1 and all details detail that might l lead to a 0 ai better understanding of ot this destructive live tive element elemont and und the tho best means to circumvent circumvent circumvent cir cir- cir cir- It It- At t tho the same samo time the national authorities au au- au- au havo detailed an expert on forestry Mr 11 Paul Poul G G. G to tomake tomake tomake make an investigation cf ct tho the whole broad brond subject of forest fires and to do- do vise woo ways and means for tor an Improvement improvement Improve improve- ment of ot conditions in future In speaking speak In ing c of t tho the line of action to be taken by bytho bytho tho the government in enlisting co opera ion llon for the common cause Forester Redington said recently What hat is wanted is organized effort on OD the tho part I of the tho government tho states corporations corporations corpor corpor- and Individuals There should I Ibe be adequate tire fire laws In every overy state where any forests are arc located These laws lawn sho should ld provide for Cor the tho appointment appoint appoint- meat ment of or fire r wardens who should shoula havethe have hae havethe th the authority and pow power 01 to such uch and to lo call caU upon the services of or citIzens citizens citi citI- zens zeus In fighting forest tires fires which oc oc- oc cur The law should provide for a 1 I 1 I J 4 1 I te r lo to bo ho Imposed upon any man I Iwho Iwho who refuses to give I e his hla services In time lime I of ot need I It Is IR realized that the railroads with their spark emitting locomotives constitute constitute constitute tute one of ot tho the chief sources of forest fires and consequently one ono of ot the tho first moves which has been mail made by Uncle Sam in tho the pres present nt un undertaking was to invite th tho railroad n to lo make common cause usa with tho federal government against the forest fire menace Within the tho past lost few V weeks there thore has hat been boen prepared prepared pre ore pared articles R of or t t the government O and tho those e railroads whose lines lineR traverse the national C forests for ests esta of oC the tho West and this Is believed tobe tobe to tobe be but a 0 beginning of ot a a. bettor bellor understanding understanding under under- understanding standing standing- between some sarno of tho the parties most Inot concerned Without the unselfish aid alii of corporations corporations corpora corpora- tho United Status government fo will have havo up lit work in Its ite crusado o against the tho forest fire fira menace menaco and ami In iii dl discussing the other cia day what these private Interests can do to assist for for- oster It said Railroads whose whoso rl rights of wa way run through h forests ts should be required to keep keen the right of way cleared from all debris and Inflammable mable mablo material should equip their en engInes engines eti- eti gines with adequate spark arresters and should adopt oil all for tor fuel In forest re- re Rions If It such change e will tend to themore themore the themore more ample protection of oC tho timo forests orests Railroads should also furnish patrolmen patrolmen patrolmen patrol patrol- men who traveling tra on speeders can enn I follow tollow the trains as aR they traverse the tho II I woodland districts and extinguish an any small tires fires that may be started er ere the tilt flames have ha gained g sufficient headway Y to bo ho really dangerous Nor Is it only the Iho railroads ds who can help In Ip this big bIt task Lumber companies should se see seeto to it that their sawmills s located with in the forest aro equipped with de le devices vices that will viii prevent the tho scattering scattering- o of or t sparks and should keep tho areas surrounding surrounding sur sur- rounding their mills free rree from Crom debris When It comes down to systematic methods of oC fighting forest fires the tb 0 subject does not happily present a 0 wholly unexplored field For somo some years year 8 past t the United States government ha has S been deelo trig Ins as 08 patrol ani and LI fire fighting system on its own forests I anti and Inasmuch as Uncle Sam am now controls con con- about ono one of ot the forest force t tarea area in the United States it can b bo 0 seen that the national authorities have hay e had an excellent practice ground o on n which to try tryout out their theories on en a largo large scale The Tile realization brought ht by y the forest orest nr tires fires 9 of or 1903 of the tho crying need for organized effort In fighting forest fires Ores throughout the entire country conies comes Just at a a. time when the Iho government has Its own system practically perfected and there thero is no doubt that this will be used as a model that will vIll be copied by state and county authorities authorities au au- au- au corporations and private In Individuals In- In who aro owners of or extensive timber limber lan lands s. s Under the tho forest patrol s system maintained main maln- tined by tho United States State government government govern govern- ment mont on Its own land a ranger or guard travels on foot oat or on horseback over the district of or which ho lie has charge at In Intervals In- In and l keeps a careful lookout for any ony fires that lOa may have havo h w. w started starlet o sines his preceding patrol This nomadic fire warden makes especially frequent trips along the wagon roads or other othor frequented frequented frequented fre- fre routes of oC travel tru through the forest and not only keeps his eyo eye out forest and not only keeps his eyes open for Incipient fires but cautions all perSons persons per per- sons who may be traveling through Ulo forests to bo be sure that any fires tires that they might light are aro carefully cl extinguished extin before tho the ground camp-ground is 15 Tho The arteries of oC travel tr through tim thi forest are also extensively posted or placarded with witt printed notices warnIng warning warning warn warn- ing hunters campers and the travel traveling 4 ing InS In general against the dangers dangers dangers dan dan- gers of ot starting fires except when ab absolutely lb- lb necessary sar or abandoning a a. camp CamI site elto while tue tho embers of tho camp campfire fire Oro are arc till aglow Not only do o tho the forest rangers rangel's or oa government patrolmen patrolmen patrol patrol- men pace paco their beats through th tIl forest but every now V and then each ach of ot these those guards climbs to commanding elevations or lookout points within his bill district to survey tho the whole situation and If the of oC a n. fire is discovered dis dis- covered tho the ranger either cither puts it out himself If IC he Is able or If the flames are too formidable for his unaided effort ef et- et fort ho s summons the assistance of ot other rangers A complete system of ot telephonic communication throughout Uncle Sams Sam's forc forests ts enables the rallyIng rallyIng rally rally- Ing Ins of a a. sized good fire fighting force orca at a short notice Finally these vel very busy rangers follow tollow railroad trains trains trains-If If j their districts district bo be traversed by the steel- steel 1 highways and highways and extinguish the tho i Innumerable small fires that constantly originate from locomotive sparks WALDON VALDON FAWCETT |
