Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-09
Much Attention Now Be-
ing Given Them.
Made Of Wood and Easily
Catch Attire from Sparks.
A Problem That the Western RAILWAYS Have
Not Yet Solved.

| Denver, Coll Dec. S.-AS winter APP
proaches much attention is being Civ
en- to the snow sheds that are charac-
teiistic OF the railways running
through the Rocky Mountains.
The long line of snowsheds between
Sacramento and Sparks, New, is pee
cu!iarly liable to destruction by fire.
! The passing locomotives emit sparks
which lodge i'll the timbers that are
as dry as crackings, and this is a
frequent source Of disastrous fires. Be
! sides this, forest fires and burning
| brush often ignite the sheds. The
| pine lumber of which the sheds are
built is fat with pitch and thoroughly
dried by the combined heat OF the
passing locomotives inside and the rays
! of the summer sun without. This
makes excellent tuel for the flames
! And when they are once started they
spread with lightning rapidity
along the line Of sheds, as it were a
sheds act as q huge chimney with a
| powerful draught, and not much time
is required for a small blaze to devel-
op into fire of ugly proportions.
The protection of the sheds from the
| ravaScs of fire is matter of prime
Importance. The organization of the
fire brigade must be and is as highly
efficient and as thoroughly trained as
any company III a metropolitan fire
department. The system which Sc
cures this protection consists of two
parts; first, the fire patrol, and, sec
ond. the fire trains and their crews.
The fire patrol keeps the closest
watch for any outbreak of fire through
the track walkers and the lookouts.
The track walkers are men constantly
patrolling the track before and after
trains pass through the sheds to in
spect the condition of the track and to
see that distractions are removed to
prevent accidents. Their beat is US
ually three miles in length. one of
their most important duties is the de-
lection OF fire in the sheds. At short
intervals along the line, about three
quarters of Il mile apart. there are sig
nal boxes. connected with the stations
where the fire trains are located.
When Il track walker discovers Il fire
he turns in the alarm 1T the nearest
signal box. and the alarm is registered
ut Summit Blue Canon and Truckee.
The main fire lookout is located on
the top of Red mountain. = high peak
of the SierraS near Cisco. Red noun
tain is about 5000 feet high. From its
summit almost the entire line OF Snow
sheds is visible. The instant Il fire
is detected by the Watchers on Red
mountain the alarm is sent to the
stations where the fire trains are held
| in waiting.
on the portion of the Sacramento
division where the SnOwShedS are To-
Gated there are three fire trains. Each
Train is made up of fire engine. which
is Il locomotive equipped with Il pow
crlul pump throwing three streams Of
water. 4 tender and two water cars.
The trains are also equipped with tele-
graph and telephone outfits. The cars
have tanks capable of holding 1880
gallons of water. They are fully
equipped with fire hose. some of it on
| reels ana some laid out on the top Of
| the cars, also ladders. axes. saws, ropes
| and pike poles. Around the top of the
cars on which the crew rides runs I
stout railing To keep the men from
being pitched off when rounding curves
| on the way to the fires The regular
crew of the fire train consists of engi-
neer fireman and brakeman. who de
vote their whole time to the fire train.
When an alarm is turned in there are
added to these a telegrapher, linemen.
section men and all others working
for the company around the station
who are not actually needed at home.
When the train has reached the scene
Of the fire then comes the real work
of the run. The engineer usually
| takes charge of the situation and
directs the forces in the fight
with the fire. The crew work
together with rapidity and pre-
| cision The hose is detached from the
! car and attached to the pump on the
engine. and powerful streams are soon
playing on the burning sheds. The
water supply is in the tanks on the
If the fire is well under way and has
assumed dangerous proportions a sec
ond train may be sent from another
i station and the two crews work from
! both sides of the fire. But for ordinary
/ fires only one train is sent out.
Fighting fire in the sheds is some
times an ugly piece Of work. as the
, heat becomes intense. owing to the
highly infiammable character of the
material of which the sheds are built,
and the surrounding brush and trees
easily ignite and add to the extent
of the trouble. The blistering heat
frequently causes the heavy steel
rails to warp and twist, rendering it
necessary to lay new track before
trains can pass over the burned
stretches.
The heavy loss entailed by destruc-
tive fires in the sheds which occur
every year make this branch of rail-
road maintenance vital part in the
economy of administration. The fire
train and crew are most important
factors in the various branches of rail-
road service. And although they are
brought into prominence only IN ax