Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-12-21

When Fire Is Discovered Warden of
District liz Notified, ana He Sends
Fire ght There-Unique Sys-
tenn of Protection Employed In
Maine Has Proved It's Value.
Squaw Mountain observatory, in
Maine, has become a necessity at a
very small cost, says a Portland (Me.)
dispatch to the New York Herald.
From it watchmen catch the first flick
er Of a forest fire, and, telephoning
the news to the chief fire warden,
snuff the flicker before it has destroy
ed much more than an acre Of timber.
There are three ~observatories in the
lumber district, which are the r~ealiza-
ton Of the dreams of William j. Ian
nlgan, lumber prospector Of Water
VILE. The ~observatories are located on
Squaw, Bigelow and Attean mountains,
The former mountain Is at the foot Of
Moosehead lake and rises nearly 1000
feet above the sea level. Attean noun
tain is in Attean township of the
Moose river valley, about fifteen miles
west Of Jackman and overlooking the
divide between Moose and Dear rivers.
Bigelow mountain is in the Dead river
valley.
Mr.. Lannigan knows the northwest
ern section Of Maine as we'll as any
man living. He knows how forest
fires start and how they progress until
they cover townships and lay waste to
millions Of good money. He last year
began correspondence with timber land
owners over the proposition to build
~observatories on the mountains.
His plan was to build camps and
structures on the mountain tops, where
men could remain with comfort during
the dry season. From these stations,
by telephone, fire wardens would be
able to learn of the location of fires
many hours before the information
could be obtained in the old way of
waiting until the sun was darkened by
J clouds Of smoke.
Mr.. Lannigan received little encour-
agement at first, but after the state
had decided to appoint fire wardens
Mr.. Lannigan went after the timber
land owners again with better success.
In May Of this year the three stations
were established, and the last of June
saw a nal at each station. The OBJ
server is supplied with instruments,
charts and range finders.
AS the artillery officer maps out eff
fective zones, in circles and squares,
SO does the fire warden map out the
section he is to protect. AS the artillery
officer drops a shell here and there by
the use Of his range finder, so does the
observer square the section and locate
a fire.
The observer OH Squaw mountain
has a range to the north of more than
sixty miles, while to the east and west
it is forty miles. Recently he discover.
ed a fire thirty-five miles away and re.
ported to the chief warden. Something
after this style was the message he tel
ephoned:
"Fire on Is, starting at Tobey's
camp; wind north of west; smoke not
bigger than a bushel basket"
The chief warden opened his charts
found 49, and Tobey's camp, picked
out the shortest route to the scene
sent fire fighters to the front, and when
night fell they had the fire ditched and
harmless. The chief warden says the
observer had located the starting point
within thirty rods. At that distance
west Of Tobey's camp were found the
ruins Of a campfire, and the forest
blaze was traced as starting from that
point.
Sullivan Newton Of Jackman is chief
fire warden for the Moose river valley
e. P. Viles of Showhegan is the chief
fire warden Of the Dead river valley
and his man on top Of Mount Bigelow
has discovered several fires during the
summer which under the old plan
would have been destructive.
The observer at Squaw mountain
saved money recently for William Il,
tracts Of timber lands along the Ken,
nebec waters. The observer happened
to turn his back on his protectorate
one day. Down on Cold Stream town.
ship a squirt Of color appeared. He
went to the Somerset county charts
which are here because of the proXimi
ty Of the county to the station.
"Cold Stream, by thunder!" exclaim.
ed the observer. ION Bill Haines
land, too, five miles below the dam, Oh
north side Of stream, within a stones
throw Of the Wilson hill tote road
close to water; wind hard west. Gin
ger! Got to save Bills timber or he
may not have enough to land the gov
ernorship in 1908"
A telephone call was sent to Green.
Vile and flashed down the lumber line
In three hours a crowd Of hardy fire
fighters We're surrounding the blaze
Said Haines afterwards:
"This nightmare of Bill Lannigan's
has proved a godsend to timber land
owners. That fire o. my property OF
Cold Stream the other day under tho
old plan would have cost me $4,000 IL
loss Of timber. Squaw mountain oh