New-York tribune., 1908-08-09
SAVED BY THE ENGINEER.

The engineer stuck 70 his cab for six miles Ia
often isnited clothes being d0used with buckets ot
water The responsibility II so many lives weighed
on him. He was desperate 10 save those for whom
he had risked his life. and whom the fire non
ster strove to snatch away Al times the flames
swept under the coaches and enveIoped them Ths
thick glass cracked. All outside metal work BE-
came so hot that IT could not be touched Over
blazing ties ran the train. and joIted along steel
rails beginning to warp with the heat Afterward
the heavy rails found twisted into fantastic
shapes.
It was impossible TO drive tre engine far,-sr
when a small clearing near q swamp was reached
Everybody told to quit the train and make FOR
safety Two Chiramen chose 20 stay IN the cars
and they were burned a crisp when the vezgsful
flames finally overlook the train
| a memorable battle with prairie fire took pace
at Pottawatomie. Kan. II was just after harvest
| the crops We're stacked up, the fields Uttered with
stubbe and the prairie covered With infamnabs
grass Without warning a battalion of flames a mia
long was seen advancing on the town The alarm
was given and five hundred men. women AID chill
dren FASTENED to combat the foe. \ dozen piocghs
ca ach drawn bv four horses. pat action
making burrows five feet apart in ten parallel rows
Other workers began to dig up piles of dirt reg
ular intervals 10 be used IN srOthe~i1g the flames
| The women and children were armed with branches
20 beat down the fre on the Ieeward side and %
prevent its tanks from extending Tic battle
lasted from morning until midnight and all fought
desperately. knowing that il the flames once leaped
across the furrowed hreastworis their homes and
all possessions would be lost Despite al Efforts
the fire actually did pass the first two fUrrows.
but it was checked at the further barriers BY
shovelfuIs Of dirt and lively attacks By branches
In old or childish hands Many Of the fighters
dropped exhausted. but they returned 10 TIE
work as they were able When victory
was achieved at midnight the SICou.4--luS and
treacherois enemy was not trusted but squads %
men were LEFT guard for any further outbreak
The Bureau OF Forestry states that the annual
loss f-1m forest fires in this country Is at least
SJG00lGHl. Besides the immediate loss u timber
and property the forest growth is almost ire
mediablv damaged and the water conservation %
vast areas ruined Al this loss and damage .
Dreventable Europe has few forest fires In Ger
many there is Insurance against them at low rates
Indas $1,000 square miles Ct forest are protected
- an annual cost Of SO a mile Legislation -
protect American forests is mostly ins-deua'e- II
is estimated that the state Of Washington So-
Gd1OfA0OD feet OF timber have been cat IN nali Z
t,r,- while - Co.. m 0G0 feet have been destroyed
b,- FIRE NAM fires are caused by LOCOMOTIVES
sparks as was the case with 1he Adl-o-lltcA ON
fagratton OF 1878. An engineer removed MS spa7H
arrester while going through the WOODS ne car
80 t,,r-f,., of tics and rubbish by railroad hands
= o-,.rs- common cause. Settlers who CeStToEe1
brush reckIessy started the oregon ana NdSi-7
ton fires Of 1872. y cigar bltt thrown @""S -
+r,,rfs- often is responsible for cosl5 '-i@-
Tserrv pickers who wish To improve ti7 ,''S
,a,,, bardars desiring to benefit the pasture a.
a,,one the guilty while miscnleV'u7 'ot9 e.
sometimes accountable The malice el ns.st5 10
c,frzt large estate owners and the desire U - -
,+a- ~, rroIoa, their jobs figured IN tas
,d,rondack conAagration FIVE years ago me s,aa
800 cause of one fire that burned over -
,cras vas a curved bit of broken sLaSs -y"7 -
g Is thar served as burning giaSs - -
tEe Woous -e sI,n on infamma5le material Dl,-
the 1yS factic are used to combat the three ss ems
lertl surface and underground
tra,sI r3o,llderingIy beneath the eaT1 l5.5 ] ~,
among the underbrush or leap 49, - s+a1 a full
tree togSr forcs fire While it is easy To Sn''l'-
or,- blaze at the start