East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-04-24

Portland, April.-The benefit OF
telephone communication on the Ma
tional Forests have been brought for
cefully to the attention Of the Forest
Service on account Of the large num-
ber OF forest fires during last year.
The need for phones has not been un-
derestimated in the past and many
miles OF telephone lines have been
constructed in national forests. The
headquarters of many of the Forest
officers are in isolated parts OF the
country, and in some cases 1t takes
three weeks for an answer TO be re-
ceived TO a letter, although the dis
tance may not exceed 60 or 10 miles
In case of fire it is imperative that
help be secured TO aid in fighting It
II was necessary in order to remedy
this situation and to facilitate the
administration of the Forests that
the construction Of telephone lines
was begun several years ago. The lines
most commonly used is a grounded
circuit Of No. - B. b. galvanized iron
wire. In some cases swinging insula-
tors are used attached TO trees, but in
a majority Of cases where the line
does not run through a heavily timber
ed country a pole line is constructed.
In one instance alone during the
past year a telephone line which had
been constructed through the forest
undoubtedly saved many thousands
OF feet of valuable timber. In this
case a forest officer was enabled by
means of a portable telephone, which
he carried with him, to summon help
from a point of 43 miles away, and by
doing so a fire would which have have
proved very disastrous. was checked
and finally controlled.
Origin of Forest Fires.
The need of for telephone lines in
order to afford prompt means of COM
munication is more urgent in those
countries which are subject to forest
fires The origin of such fires is al
ways an interesting problem, and
lIollA llllul llldAAOl4 W lAlNlA AAelc bINAl w
tained are due to many and varied
causes. Hunters and campers cause
a large portion of such fires railroads
in the country traversed by them, the
largest proportion, and lighting, clear
ing of land and incendiaries the re-
mainder. II is estimated that the ag-
gregate loss from forest fires in all
parts of the country during the con-
flagrations of last year amounted tc
$50.000,000. When all of the losses
are taken into consideration the gravi-
ty Of the situation assumes alarming
proportions. and places grave respon-
sibilities upon those who have any
thing to do with the solving of locat-
ing and fighting forest fires.
During the last fiscal year ending
June 80, 1908, over $500 miles of tele-
phone lines was constructed on all the
National Forests in the West, and
since that time the contraction of l.
3s7 miles of additional line has been
authorized. The majority of these
have been completed and are in opera
tion, the balance will be completed be-
fore June 80. 1909.
These telephone lines are only con-
structed in those parts of the country
where the field is not covered by COM
mercial companies and where the bus
mess which would be obtained will not
justify the construction of CONNER
cial line for years to come.
Much work has been in the States
Of oregon and Washington, but there
is a vast amount to be done which will
be taken up as rapidly as the funds
for such work will permit.
The following is a list Of the tele-
phone lines in these two states which
have been constructed by the Forest
Service:
Oregon.
Cascade National Forest: From
Lowell to ]. w. Hill ranch, via Haze
dell, 20 y miles metallic circuit.
Crater National Forest: From Ash
land TO Ashland Butte. Ranger Sta