Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-10-01

c1ent supervision most OF the unnece9
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
&exicans are adrift all over the west
Watch for inciplent Fires
All over the forest reserves are
lookout stations In the fiat country
they consist of platforms in the tops
of high trees, approached by ladders
If 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
constant watch over the territory as
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 a 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 Il
| small fire and a blanket serves the
purpose of Uncle Sans forest guar
| dians. The small fire is started. Then
| wet grass or earth is used to deaden
| it and make the smoke heavy. Over
I the fire a blanket is thrown to hold
| the smoke down. When the blanket
| is released a solid puff of smoke goes
| skyward Again the blanket is ap-
piled and quickly removed Up goes
another pun of smoke.
Other methods are the heliograph-
windmill with small mirrors at
| tached to it's wheels, which fash 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 4, 1850 miles of telephone line.
| and is extending them as rapidly as
congress appropriates the money.
In a report on the forest fire ques-
| ton Chief Forester Graves says 1t is
| impossible to- give a specific rule for
the number. of men required to pro-
| tect tracts of different sizes, although
he supports Mr. Pinchot In saying that
the forest service is undermined.
In some cases a single man has to
watch a tract of 1000 acres. More
men are required in fiat regions, as in
| the mountain regions a single man
| may, by climbing to a high peak, and
there pitching his camp. keep guard
! over a vast territory.
The fire fighting crews of the for
est service are we'll organized One
man is always in charge All know
| their business The first rule is to
| get there quickly as possible Then
organization counts. A well organized
| small crew can do more work in an
hour than an ordinary gang of able
bodied men. well intentioned but ig
norant, could accomplish in twenty
| four.
Hand-to-Hand Conflict.
In most cases the battle between
! the rangers and the fire is a hand-to
| hand conflict Using coats, slickers
| gunny-sacks, or whatever they have
Uncle Sans guardians go after the
| fire as though it were a den of snakes
and beat it out Dirt, If 1t is loose
may be dug up and thrown on the
fire.
Sometimes water is absolutely nee
| essary Often it has to be brought
from a distance, and must be used
| economically. A little water is thrown
on the ground to deaden the fire. and
then beating begins The fores
| guards know that the most effective
way to use water is by means o
hand sprays These little pumps throw
water from twenty to thirty feet. anc
by them the water can be placed
where it will do the most good
Where 1T is possible chemicals arr
used, but they are not feasible in th'
remote places If the fire cannot b.
checked quickly light trenches ar
| dug ahead of it in its direct line o
J march and the fight Is made owe
these trenches
So much for the ordinary surface
l fires. They are handled with com
, narrative ease if caught in time. Tn
| liaS in know