Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-04-08
The Telephone in the National Forests.

Most prominent among the meas
ures which Uncle Sam has taken to
protect his national forests in the
west from heavy loss by fire is the
extended use of the telephone. This
handy little instrument has proved
its worth during the past year Ac-
cording to figures which have just
/ been published by the Department of
Agriculture, the loss from fire has
been greatly reduced, although the
number of conhagrations has been
actually larger than in the year pre-
ceding.
Through the aid of the telephone
assistance is brought to the spot as
soon as blaze is discovered. In this
way it is possible to prevent the
spread of q fire and confine it to a
small area. In one instance last year
fire-tighting force was collected in
few hours where at least a day
would have been wasted if aid had
been sought by means of a courier.
The number of fires in the national
forest last year was 40 larger than
in 1908, but almost 80 per cent. of
the fires were extinguished before as
much as five acres had been damaged.
The fires covered less than one half
acres to the square mile of national
forest land, and the damage done to
the burned-over area averaged but
$1.25 an acre.
According to the government s
figures, during 1909 there were 3.13S
fires in the national domain; burning
over about 100000 acres. In 1908
there had been 100000 acres laid
waste. Last year some 10000, 600
board feet of timber were consumed,
as against 23O, ,OOO. 900 the previous
year.
The loss OF value of timber des-
troyed was less than 100000. The
loss the year before was $3.50. 900.
These figures seem to indicate that
although the damage to the forests
is still very great, the fires are not
so much of a scourge as formerly.
With q view to still greater in
creasing the firc-fighting facilities,
the work of extending the protective
system into all parts of the national
woodlands is being pursued this year.
The telephone will play an important
part in the measures that are to be
taken to reduce still further the loss
in the western forests.
In some sections the forest rangers
are supplied with portable tele-
phones, which they carry strapped
to their backs and with which
they can secure connection at any
convenient point. The government
owns and operates a number of tele-
phone lines, and makes connections,
with lookout stations, where watch
men with field-glasses are kept tC
search for signs of fire among the
trees. The instruments and line
material for these systems have beer
furnished by the Western Electric
Company. the largest manufacturer
| of telephones in the world.
Many of the States have jurisdiction
over great tracts of wooded land an6
maintain fire-fghting systems of theil
own. 1t is interesting to note thai
in New York, where lookout stations
are fully equipped with telephones
and telescopes for detecting and re
porting fires, the loss during 1905
amounted to only $25. 1Ol. whereas
the year before the damage had to
tailed 1914, 900.
Forest fires are still one of the
greatest problems the government
has to face. Since 1870 more than two
thousand have lost their lives through
these cOnfagrations in the national
forests. Five hundred and fifty mil
lion acres of standing timber are
centcred in six Pacific and north.
western States material for glorious
bonfire. To prevent fire seems to be
out of the question, but it is possible
to cheek the spread of the flames,
and in it's work OF the past year the
government has given demOnstra'
ton OF what up to-date methods will
dO