Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-17

ermen, campers out and berry pickers are
guilty OF much that is careless in the
way OF leaving fires out
Lightning is beyond the control Of man.
He cannot legislate against that, but ne
can deal with the bee honey hunters the
fishermen and the campers out, and he
can also move to compel the railroad
compa MES to hnd a way to prevent the
flow OF thousands of sparks from the
Smokestacks of locomotives as they go
rushing through the forests
Undoubtedly this last is the most gen.
eral cause Of forest fires and must be
dealt with before the evils and waste can
be stopped
Smoke and red-hot cinders are spread in
a long path along the line of the rail-
roads. and 1t is small wonder that the
leaves and dry woods soon catch fire. es-
pecially when a long drought has dried up
the moisture OF the woodland slopes and
the whole forest is like one vast finder
box. only waiting to be flashed into
flame.
Appre Eating the dangers, insurance
companies decline to insure woodlands
that come near to railroads. Therefore
the great trees are at the mercy of the
fire king
There have been virtually no recov-
cries for losses growing through forest
fires. In a few cases where individuals
have been caugh: in the act of setting
fire TO lumber. or where their criminal
carelessness has been traced home to
them legal proceedings have been insti-
tuted. but the number OF convictions
from causes Of this kind is few. and even
a successful result does not bring any
financial compensati ion to the man whose
forest has been burned.
Can't Recover Damages.
Once a railroad could be held liable IN
case of forest fires which had been start
ed through sparks. But, Of course, II was
necessary to prove the case. A farmer
thought he was immune, when a fire oc-
Cured under this law. but in 1868 tho
supreme court OF Pennsylvania limked
the amount Of liability. and made It
much more difficult to prove that the
fault was the railroad company's. Now
il is almost out of the question to re-
cover damages under this law.
OF course, il the farmer can absolutely
prove that his home or barn was destroy
ed through flames coming from an en-
gine he can recover. But he must have
had witnesses 10 the fact. II the flames
continue TO spread and get into the for
ests. the railroads can shelter them
selves behind a decision of the Supreme
Court. which rules that individuals must
to some extent be fellow sufferers fom
the disasters that come to country
The railroad company could be made 10
pay for the first house its engine set OH
fire. but that ends the liability. and
all the heavy losses after that fall on the
individual.
Uncle Sam has made many efforts to
deal with the great problem. In some
sections of the west are employed forest
rangers. whose duty il Is TO patrol a
large stretch of country and stifie flames
before they can get enough Roadway to
infiict any serious damage.
This policy has been the undoubted
means of saving millions of dollars. ana
il is possible that the lesson Of this years
great losses will have the effect OF caus-
ing this service to be extended.
Also pressure will be brought to bear
on the railroads to have them equip their
engines with devices that Will lessen the
flow of flame and sparks from the smoke
stacks.
This is the admitted cause of not less
than IS per cent of all the forest fires.
and lust as soon as IL is eliminated. or
at least reduced. the terrible waste OF
valuable cumberland will stop.
More stringent penalties should be in
hicted for carelessness on the part OF
those who happen to spend time in
forests Great Britain successfully deals
with these matters by a forest commits
sion. and when Congress convenes II ID
likely that a similar measure may be de-
vised for this country.