The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-11-10

rien1 eqrerFl sion most OF the unnscer
Isary fires enn be prevented.
As part Of this appropriation BY tho
forest service III Tie government for
est reserves are posted with warn.
Ilngs. These warnings are printed il
English, Italian. French and Spanish.
They warn against careiessness and
describe The penalties, The four Ian;
guages are used ) eeause many Italians
IRE at work on the railroad and more
|ldexlcans are adriIt an over the vest.
Watch Tor IpetpIent Fires. ~
n NJ over the forest reserves arc
lookout htatinnss in the nat country
they cohsist of platforms In the tops
cfthigh trees. approached by ladders.
IL there ore mo- tail trees towers are
erected. In the mountainous coun-
Itryianys high peak or crag VIII do.
From these tlookouts the keen eyed
rangers and guards. PROV "a with the
best long distance classes keep j
constant watch rover the territory as.
signed TO them. From one to another
they signal In various ways. Where
ever Il rs 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
5Picts of Scotland. the system the
white men Of Europe foind. the sreii
men of america using whehst they first;
struck the shores OF the western hem;
'isphere. e s;;;::,
& At d time when IRE signais are, mot
needed thesraagers. and guards build
little brush piles oil over their Terri,
tory. Placed about 100 feet apart.
they are ready to burn at a moments
notice. A regular code OF signals pre-
wallis. The number OF brush fires burn.
.ingyatsthe,same time-conyeysi the Sig
nal. One fire means a forest fire on
the west Of certain mountain. Two
fires mean o1eft the east, and SO on.
Where there are mo brush FIRE sig
nails the simple Indian system OF a
small fire and blanket serves the
purpose OFT Uncle SANS forest guar.
dianss The small sfiretis started. Then
wet grasss or earth Is used to deaden
1t and make the smoke heavy. Over.
the fire a blanket is thrown to hold
the smoke down; When the, blanket
IS released ID solid pun OF smoke goes
skyward. Again the blanket Is ap-
Piled and quickly removed. Up goes
another pun of smoke.
Other methods are the theliograph-
a windmill with small mirrors az.
tached TO It's wheels, which flash the
signal Of fire, and, in some cases.
the flag system Of the army signal
corps. " 5s.t 81
Best Of all, however, is lthestele.
phone. Since 1906 the forest service
has built 1850 miles of>telephoneiline.
and is extending them as rapidly as
congress appropriates the money.
In 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.. ,Plnchot in saying that
the forest service Is undermanned.
In some cases a, single man has ito
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 well organized. One
man Is always in charge. All know.
their business. The first rule is to
get there as quickly as possible. Then
organization counts. A well organized
email crew can do more work In an
hour than an ordinary gang of able
bndied men, well intentioned but. IT,
nprant, could accomplish in twenty.
four, !, f'.a
~ Hand!to.Hand. Conflict.
In most cases the battle between
the rangers and the fire Is a hand.to.
hand conflict. Using coats, slickers,;
guuny-sacks. or whatever they have,
Unele Sans guardians go after the
fire as though 1t were den of snakes,
and beat 1t out. Dirt, II 1t is loose.
may be dug up and thrawn on the
fire. %
Sometimes water is absolutely nee.
essary. oftenrit has to be brought
from a, distance, and must bea'used
economically Alittle water is thrown
on the ground to deaden the fire, AID
then beating begins. The fose,t
guards know that the most effective
way to use water is by means Of
hand sprays. These little pumps throw
water from twenty to thirty feet, ard
by them the water can be placed
where It will do the most good.
Where It is possible chemicals nre
used, but they are not feasible In the
remote placer. II the fire cannot be
checked quickly light trenches IRE