Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-09-23

sawmills, camp fires, burning brush
careless smokers, incendiarism and
lightning.
For the prevention of fires, or les
sening their ravages, the following
| ire necessary:
Elimination, so far as possible, OF
the causes of fires. a proper organ.
ization of the forest by the careful dis
position of slash, by which is meant
chips and cut branches, the opening
Of roads and trails, adequate super.
vision, and sufficient men. armed with
the proper apparatus.
The forest service gives great i'm
r,Ortance to the necessity of carefully
burning brush and of the establish.
nlent of trails through the forest, so
the small fires may be the more easily
got at. The brush should be piled in
small piles and each pile burned in.
dependently. This work is best done
In the winter, when there is snow on
the ground, or when the air is moist
and less liable to spread the flames.
The careful watching of a tract
makes it safer. because hunters, camp
ere and others crossing that tract are
more careful of their fires. By efi-
cient supervision most of the unneces-
Sary fires can be prevented.
AS part Of this supervision by the
forest service all the government for
est reserves are posted with warn
ings. These warnings are printed in
English. Italian, French and Spanish.
They warn against carelessness and
describe the penalties. The four Ian
guages are used because many Italians
are at work on the railroads and more
Mexicans are adrift all over the west.
Watch for ineipient Fires.
All over the forest reserves are
lookout stations. In the fat country
they consist Of platforms in the tops
Of high trees, approached by ladders.
II there are no tall trees towers are
erected. In the mountainous coun-
try any high peak or crag will do.
From these. lookouts the keen eyed
rangers and guards. provided with the
best long distance glasses, keep a
signed to them. From one to another
they signal In various ways. Where
ever it is possible the telephone is
used. In the wilder regions more
primitive methods must need be en-
ployed.
Among the most effective is the old
fire system, the system used by the
Picts OF Scotland, the system the
white men Of Europe found the red
men of America using when they first
struck the shores of the western hem
isphere.
At time when fire signals are not
needed the rangers and guards build
little brush piles all over their terri
tory. Placed about 100 feet apart.
they are ready to burn at a moments
notice. A regular code of signals pre-
walls. The number of brush fires burn.
ing at the same time conveys the sig
nal. One fire means a forest fire on
the west of certain mountain. Two
fires mean one to the east, and so on.
Where there are no brush fire sig
nails the simple Indian system of a
small fire and a blanket serves the
purpose of Uncle Sans forest guar
dams. The small fire is started. Then
wet grass or earth is used to deaden
It and make the smoke heavy. Over
the fire blanket is thrown to hold
the smoke down. When the blanket
Is released a solid pun of smoke goes
skyward. Again the blanket is ap-
piled and quickly removed. Up goes
another puff of smoke
Other methods are the heliograph-
4 windmill with small mirrors at
tached to it's wheels, which flash the
signal of a fire, and, in some cases,
the flag system of the army signal
corps.
Best of all, however, is the tele- |
phone. Since 1906 the forest service |
has built 1850 miles of telephone line.
and is extending them as rapidly as
congress appropriates the money.
In report on the forest fire ques-
Ion Chief Forester GraveJ says it is
impossible to give specific rule for |
he number of men required to pro-
.ect tracts of different sizes, although
ne supports Mr.. Pinchot in saying that |
he forest service is undermined.
IN some cases a single man has to
watch tract of 1000 acres. More
men are required in fat regions, as in
he mountain regions a single man
nay, by climbing to a high peak, and
here pitching his camp, keep guard
,ver a vast territory.
The fire fighting crews of the for
st service are well organized. One
nan Is always in charge. All know
heir business. The first rule is to
get there as quickly as possible. Then
organization counts A well organized
mall crew can do more work in an
hour than an ordinary gang Of able
,odied men, we'll intentioned but ig-
could accomplish in twenty
our
Hand-to-Hand Conflict.
In most cases the battle between
he rangers and the fire is a hand-to-
land conflict. Using coats, slickers.
or whatever they have,
Jncle Sans guardians go after the
Ire as though It were a den of snakes.
md beat 1t out. Dirt, II 1t is loose,
nay be dug up and thrown on the
Ire.
The Difference.
A fool Is unable to see his own
aults viae man soeipO hi. o, |