The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-21
PLANS TO CHECK
FIRES IN FORESTS
Wireless Telegraphy Will
Be Used Successfully.
SECRETARY WILSON'S VIEWS
Latest Experiments Are Encouraging.
Prof. Moore Will Direct the
Work
SECRETARY WILSON'S VIEWS

The strides made in the science Of
wireless telegra ply in the past few
months and the practical adaptability
Of this method Of communication 20
many and varied uses have been demon
strated by the announcement from the
Department Of Agriculture that in the
near future a wireless system Of fire
alarms will be installed in the great for
est reserves under the control Of the
Government.
Prof. Willis Moore, chief Of the
Weather Bureau. and an expert on wire
less telegraphy. will leave Washington
for the Black Hnls forest reserve in a
few weeks TO investigate the subject.
and IL is understood that the installa-
ton OF the system will be undertaken
Immediately after he has made his re-
port 10 Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson.
Great Things Expected.
Great things are expected Of the inno-
walton. At the present time the force
Of guards or rangers" as they are
called, within the borders Of the great
forest reserves is admittedly too small
to do efficient work I'm preventing con-
fiagrations or I'm controlling those that
make any Roadway before an alarm is
given
the details of which have already been
pretty well worked out, II is hoped THAI
the smallest blaze in any part OF for
est reserve will automatically turn in an
alarm by the wireless system. thus en-
abling everybody within call TO reach
the scene before the confiagration has
attained much Roadway.
Secretary Wilson is an enthusiast on
the merits of the new system. So many
inquiries have been made as TO the
plans Of the department that the Sec
rotary has made the following sta te-
ment on the subject:
Fire is the greatest problem with
which we are called upon to deal in for
est preservation. Fires make more mis-
chief than anything else in the whole
subject. and II has always been a prob
lem with us how to prevent them. or
10 control them once they have started.
Thought Out on Trip.
During a Western trip the sug-
rgestion was made to me TO investigate
the practicabihty OF establishing a sys-
TEN OF wireless telegraphy in our for
| est reserves for the purpose OF annOunc-
! Ing fires and calling all the rangers and
sQuatters 10 the scene Of the confiagra-
ton at once. I thought the matter over
/ on my way back TO Washington, and as
a result have arranged to send Pro
I feSsOT Moore 20 the Black Hills reser-
walton 10 make a thorough investigation
| OF the country and report upon the
/ proposition. II he thinks the scheme
practicable. little time will be lost in es-
] tablishing and maintaining e.
The idea IS 10 construct an automatic
! service TO give the alarm when contact
Z is made with the flames or with eXces-
I sive heat. II IS proposed to divide a
reserve into sections, each with an
alarm and a receiving station. A ranger
could be placed in charge Of each sta
tiOn and could send IN an alarm indie
ipendently OF the automatic device n he
happened TO observe the fire before con-
tact with the flames was made The
more ! think Of the proposition the more
I am impressed BY Il. The only thing
remaining IS 20 test the practicability
of the scheme. and II Il operates ms
( we firmly believe "a Will one OF the
greatest steps I'm the work OF preserv-
ing our forests will have been taken
And 81 II can be made 10 work In the
Black Hills, II will be Immediately In
| PRODUCED IN all the rest OF our reserva
tions, aggregating 100000 acres"