The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-12
WIRELESS AS AID
IN FOREST FIRES
Secretary Of Agriculture
May Invoke Its Use.
Friend Suggested Automatic Arrange
ment to Record Presence Of Heat
From Conaagrati0u.

II the Secretary OF Agriculture can
have his way. forest fires. caIamities OF
the most horrible kind in the Western
States viii be controlled IN a measure
through the application Of twentieth
/ century science
Wireless biography is the new aid ia
IRE fighting, and the scheme is 10 es-
tabIish automatic wireless telegraph sta
tons at various places il the vast tracts
of forest land under the Government.
and 20 have them so arranged that con-
tact with flames or excessive heat viii
release the sender OF the station and
the news that the forest is on IRE VIII
be licked into the receiving station for
the individual reservation.
Secretary Wilson Is so impressed with
the scheme that he has ordered Prof.
Willis l. Moore, chief Of the Weather
Bureau. ana q man familiar WIKI the
workings of the wireless biography. To
visit the forest reservations in the West
and 10 examine and then report upon
The feasibility OF the scheme.
Origin Of the Idea.
II the findings Of Prof. Moore are IN
accordance with the views Of Secretary
Wilson, that the scheme IS practicable.
then Congress at its coming session Is 10
be asked 10 furnish the wherewiti aL
Secretary Wilson says he is nos able
10 saw that be IS favor OF the scheme.
1t was unfoIded 20 him by a friend
while travelling Ga the West last month
upon a tour Of Investigation 90 The
Government forest reserves. with the
specific purpose of devising some means
OF controlling forest nres.
Concerning his investigation and the
proposed scheme he says;
our greatest enemy in the forests is
IRE. Fire is the mischief-makers and il
has alWaTs been problem with AS %
prevent them OF 10 control and eELiu-
guish them once they have become start
ed. During my recent Western trip the
suggestion was made 20 me 10 inVes-
tigate the practice bIIity OF establishing
q system OF wireless biography in all
our forests. for the purpose Of anuounc-
ing nre and calling ali the rangers ana
sQuaLters 10 the scene OF the cOufiagra-
ton at once.
To Report on Scheme.
II thought over the matter on nay way
home. and the result is that now I am
arranging 10 send Mr.. Moore, chief OF
the Weather Bureau TO the Black Hills
reservation to make a thorough eXami-
nation OF the country and report upon
she proposition II he thinks the scheme
Is practical j think little time VIII be
lost in establishing the system and
''Whue the plans are only tentative as
yet, the general idea is 10 construct an
automatic service, which VIII give the
alarm when contact IS made with flames
or excessive neat ~ IS PROPOSED 70
an alarm and receiving station in eacn
section.
"Take the Black Hills reservation, for
instance. There are twelve rangers
there, under pay from the United states,
Each one OF these men could be placed
In charge of station
A Serious Proposition.
"It could be managed so IE,> these
rangers could sound an alarm indie
pendent OF the automatic service in case
they observed the IRE before contact
was made with the apparatus. The
Black Hills ReservaL ton is 60 miles
wide and 100 long. and YOU can see what
a serious proposition iu would be We're
big fire 10 gain considerable head
"TVith the wireless alarm arrange
meut these men employed DE Lle Gov
eminent and hundreds or other toresJeEs'
sQuatterS miners ana otneL5 iil ttle w
entity viii be informed or nre the
moment 10 starts, and tneE can EnoAns
{ their horses and arrive upon the seems
I thousands and thousands or dollars
worth of trees.
Impressed With Suggestion.
I when the suggestion was nrst made
F TO me I was impressed with it, and
the more I think OF it the more I am
I impressed The only thing remaining IS
+ TO determine the practicabilty az the
/ scheme. and if IL VIII work as we be-
+ lieve it win. one OF the greatest steps
/ looking 90 the preservation OF cur trees
viii have been taken. If it can De
made 10 work nm the Black Hills Fe7eL
Walton, it VIII be used in an the re@t o5
our reservations, agsrega TINS too11,--S
HacrCs.
Something must be done to preserve
the forests, and along with tne lotr7ss
the water supply. Unless some step p
taken soon / icEe-li-silsIeE wan -e--l1
TO the great Black Hills country. i-l-s
las YOU know. is the fourth sI-tte7t
gold producing area I'm the "1iiA- =
ldeEtu OF 100 feet has been fe-t----0 p" ---L
no siEus of di=cuutllullCt OF -ttI t-SE
land Z am informed that the supply M--
{ last foT centuries
'What appeals 80 me as serious
proposition Is the gradual 14l sure -
/ termiu alton Of the trees either hy ILs
/ or the W0udChupuer lnelc are 49,
I and acres or bare ground there wLlri5
{ must be rcfurrs-ei. or t9e supply tL
wood viii cease and tne cpeI4l 2'il 'L
{ the mines made either lmpoe5i9 PIE OF 50
/ expensive as 10 bee im-racDeaule-
THE OLD forest AREAS are not even
/ rcproduciuE and unless tney are made
/ to be, our children VIII have 10 look 20
] the 46.0009o3 acres Of trees IN the phil
ipp!nes