Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-10
FIGHTING FIRE IN sNowsHEDs.
Trains and Patrol Maintained for
the Work.

From the San Francisco Call.
The long line of snowsheds between Sac
ramemto, Cal. and Sparks, New, is pc
culiarly liable to destruction by fire. The
passing locomotives emit sparks which
lodge in the timbers, that as dry as
cracklings, and this Is a frequent source
of disastrous fires. Besides this, forest
fires and burning brush often ignite the
sheds The pine lumber of which the
sheds are built is fat with pitch and thor
oughly dried by the combined heat of the
passing locomotives inside and the rays
Of the summer sun without. This makes
excellent fuel for the flames. And when
they are once started they spread with
ightning-iike rapidty along the line of
sheds, as II IL were a train of powder.
The long line of sheds acts as a huge
chimney with powerful draught, and not
much time is required for small blaze
to develop into a fire of ugly proportions.
The protection of the sheds from the
. ravages of fire is a matter of prime I'M
portance. The organization of the fire
. brigade must be and is as highly eff
Gent and as thoroughly trained as any
company in metropolitan fire depart
ment The system which secures this pro-
lection consists of two parts; first, the
fire patrol, and, second, the fire trains and
their crews.
The fire patrol keeps the closest watch
for any outbreak of fire through the track
are men constantly patrolling the track
before and after trains pass through the
sheds to inspect the condition of the track
and see that distinctions are removed to
prevent accidents. Their beat is usually
three miles in length One of their most
important duties Is the detection of fire
in the sheds. At short intervals along
the line, about three-fourths of a mile
apart, there are signal boxes, connected
with the stations where the fire trains are
located. When a traekwalker discovers
fire. TsFs-, s,z 10
signal box. and the alarm is registered at
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 mountain is about
5000 feet high. From its summit almost
the entire line of snowsheds Is visible The
instant 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 d.
vision where the snowsheds are locoated
there are three fire trains. Zach train
Is made up of fire engine, which Is
locomotive equipped with powerful pump
throwing three streams Of water. a telAler
and two water cars. The trains are also
equipped with telegraph and telephone
outfits. The cars have tanks capable OF
holding 1880 gallons of water. They are
fully equipped with fire hose, some of 1t
on reels and some laid out on the top of
the cars. also ladders, axes, saws, ropes and
pike poles. Around the top of the cars
OH which the crew rides runs stout rail-
ing 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 engineer, fireman and
brakeman, who devote their whole time to
the fire train. When an alarm is turned
In there are added TO these a teiegrapher
hneman. section man and all others workin;,
for the company around the station who are
not actually needed dit 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 to-
gether with rapidity and precision The
hose Is detached from the car and at
tached 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 cars, which are a part
of the train. IF the fire Is well under
way and has assumed dangerous proper
lions. second train may be sent from
another station ard the two srews work
from both sides OF the fire. But for ordi-
nary fires enc train only is sent out
Fighting fire In the sheds Is sometimes
an ugly piece of work. as the heat becomes
Intense, owing 10 the highly infiammabie
character 81 the material Of which tbs