Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-09-27


vented? Cannot human ingenuity,
caution, and wealth devise some means
Of making such horrors impossible?
These questions have been asked
by thousands of persons throughout
the country in the last few weeks,
ever since the first bad fire began.
The Idaho disaster has given an add
ed insistence to these appeals for in
formation. appeals that indicate a
hope that some preventive system
may be discovered and put into op-
Grafton.
In response to these questions Gif-
ford Pinchot, former chief forester,
and Henry S. Graves, the present chief
forester, return the same answer:
moi"
Such FIRE. they say, is to be classed
with the great Chicago conflagration.
the fire that set Baltimore back, the
San Francisco earthquake. the Gal
weston food. Disasters of this sort
can neither be foreseen nor dealt with
in line Of ordinary human endeavor.
This fire, according to Mr.. Pinchot,
Mr.. Graves and the experts who have
spent years in the forest service. re-
suited from an unusual combination
Of circumstances. The main causes
were the exceptional drought and the
high. steady winds that prevailed for
Iona period preceding the outbreak
of hre.
But ordinary forest fires can be pre-
vented. Thousands upon thousands
OF them are prevented every year by
the forest rangers and forest guards.
But they are ordinary fires, which, II
caught early, can be promptly sup
pressed before they attain serious pro-
portions.
More forest rangers and forest
guards" is the cry of the forest serv.
ice. It is the cry that has been hurled
from the department of agriculture,
of which the forest service Is a bu.
reau. to the capitol for several years.
But It has usually found congress
stone deaf.
There Is not nearly enough men,"
said MIR. Pinchot. sadly, in talking of
are really needed It is difficult to say,
but many more than the 1000 now
engaged in FIRE prevention aud fire
lighting"
Just as eternal vigilance is the price
/ Of peace, so eternal vigilance Is the
price OF safety from forest fires. AS
we'll as It is possible with the number
Of men II has, the forest service now
looks after this part of its business
II has fire lighting down to a system
and. so far as ordinary cases go, its
force works effectively. The only
trouble lies in the size of the force.
Situation Becoming Acute.
But. with the recent disasters In
mind, 1t is likely that congress vii
10 something better in this line in the
near future. The loss Of human life
and the loss Of property mot only tc
the government, but to corporations
and private individuals as welD are
almost sure to arouse q keener and
greater interest in the whole forest
question.
Wood is becoming scarce. It's de
petion is being felt by the railroad.
and other big corporations, and theii
cooperation with the government IN
the matter of fire protection is almos
certainty.
Surprise has been expressed at tn,
extent OF the probable loss of life II
he great fires that have swept Ger
fain sections Of the west. To the un
initiated, government forest reserya
lion means a great wilderness O
rees, uninhabiled, save by itineran
7uniers and the forest rangers anc
;uarls
1t is true that some OF the fores