Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-15
POSITION OF GENERAL WOOD
Lays Down a Rule with Reference to
Fighting Western Fires.
OFFICIALS MUST GET TOGETHER
Indian Bureau and Forestry Service
Are Cautioned Not TO work
for Separate In
tcrcsts.

WASHINGTON, Aug. IL-CSpecial Tele-
gram.) -Major General Leonard Wood, chief
of staff Of the army, yesterday took the
heads of Indian and forestry service to task
for not getting together in their efforts
to fight forest fires in the northwest. He
told them, after a conference. that they
would set no more aid from the army until
they had at least mapped out some plan
of action: that he did not intend TO send
troops to fight fire and have those troops
cross each others paths and add unneces-
sary expense to their movement Tho
forestry service wants troops to fight the
fires in the national forest reserves, while
the Indian bureau heads want the troops
to fight fires on the Indian reservations
General Wood said that one forest was
just as much the governments reserve as
the other and he would furnish troops for
both. but not until the officials got to-
Rether.
The acting heads OF the forestry and
Indian services admitted to Genral Wood
that the conditions in the Flathead, Occur
d'Alene ana Glacier park reservations were
acute and that quick action and relief was
needed to save the forests
Several thousand men are now working
on the fires said General Wood. The
fires are extremely dangerous this year,
owing to the protracted drouth Troops
have been ordered to the scene of the fires
from both the Departments of the Dakotas
and Columbia Pack trains have been
ordered to proceed Immediately from ne
army posts to the flrestricken territories
with supplies for the men.
THE Indian bureau has it's agent on the
Flathead reservation with a force of team
sters and other employees and Indians fight
ing the fires there, while the forestry
service is making every effort to check the
flames to the national reserves. These
departments must work together. There is
no difference between the forests on the
Indian reservations and those in the ma
| tional reserves. 1 believe that since our
conference there will be a better under
| standing and all win pull together"
situation BGd in Montana.
MISSOULA, Mont, Aug. 13.-Condtions
today in the forests Of western Montana
show no appreciable Improvement The
work Of securing fighting crews is being
vigorously pressed.
Three companies OF the Fourteenth in
/ fantry stationed at Fort Missoula arrived
home from American lake this morning
and were Immediately dispatched to the
scene Oh IlTeS This QlSITlcI. Two more
companies of soldiers have been ordered
here.
In the forests about Missoua the situation
/ is worse today. Fire is spreading along
Belmont creek and fifty men have been
asked for. The Lolo Hot Springs fire is
also unchecked.
WALLACE. Ida. Aug. 1S.-with Loo
men fighting fires in the Occur dAlene
national forest and a prospect of rain,
forest fire conditions are much improved
today.
Tales OF perilous adventure are being
brought here by the fire fighters who es.
Ieaped from the Slate creek fire Thursday
They say they Were forced to take refuge
in Slate creek. remaining there for hours
while great trees we're falling on all sides
and the country around was a roaring fur
mace.
The greatest difficulty now is getting
supplies to fire fighters. The bake shops
at Wallace are running night and day.
Mining Plant Destroyed.
SPOKANE, Wash, Aug. A-rhe plant OF
the Liscop Mining company on Big creek
near Wallace, Ida, was destroyed yesterday
by forest fire; loss $4,000 The bulldingI
OF the Blue Bell Mining company near tn,
| place were burned.
Reports from Bird creek on the st
Joseph river say every mining camp there
has been burned On Pine creek the fir,
has swept away much valuable timber