St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-10-01

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that are especially favorable to for.
est fires, these men become the
"lookouts" of the forest protection
force. Day and night they scan the
distant horizon with strong glasses.
for traces Of smoke or reflected
flames. In the woods. from such an
eminence, a fire may be seen for
miles, and the first traces of it may
be detected by these lookouts long
before 1t would be observed from q
rangers cabin much closer to the
scene.
Suppose the Waterman sees the
smoke of fire in the distance, per-
haps fifty miles away. For all prac-
tical purposes the lookouts are help
less. To cover that fifty miles in Ger.
tain parts of the Montana and Idaho
woods may require from four to SIX
| days; and when they arrive at the
fire It has grown to proportions that
defy their efforts.
Men and Money Needed.
1t is to cope with such conditions
that the forest service is asking Tor
more men and better organization OF
| the forests. At present the men on
| the hilltop stations use methods as
primitive as those Of the Indians to
| fash the news Of a forest fire to dis
| tant stations where help can be So
| cured. Often there is no telepnone
at the mountain lookout station; OF
no telephone connection to other
points where rangers and fire ward
| ems are supposed to be on duty,
Smoke signals such as the Indians
used, made with a blanket over
smoldering fire, or pillars OF smoke
| or flame from a number OF fires, con-
stitute the methods Of communities
ton used by many Of the forest ranger
| stations, and with which all OF the
men in the woods are expected to pc
| familiar.
| The heliograph, flashing the light
| of the sun; flag signals such as are
used In the army. and other systems
of signaling, also are used. In some
places where small settlement ex-
lists near the fire lookout, unique
means of summoning aid Is used. A.
small windmill is erected at the look
out station, equipped with revolv-
| ing ball in which mirrors are set az
! every angle. The Waterman who dis
| covers traces Of distant fire, sets
| his windmill in motion IL the day is
bright, and departs at once for the
scene OF the fire, secure In the knowl-
edge that the signal will call to his
aid every man who sees the flashing
mirrors.
To get rid of the fire causes is the
first lesson taught the forest guard
| ians, and the end toward which the
! forest service Is constantly working.
The origins of fires in the woods are
Sparks from locomotives, sparks
from sawmills and donkey engines
used in forest operations, camp fires
not properly safeguarded or extin-
guished, the burning OF brush to clear
land, the burning Of grass to i'm
prove pasturage, carelessness Of
smokers and hunters, incendiarism
and lightning.
From the last there can De little
protection except equipment to fight
the flames as soon as they make
their appearance. From every other
cause. however, the standing forests
OF America can be fairly well pro-
tected with proper equipment and
funds.
Ways Of Fighting Biazes.
The firemen Of the woods learn
that the night is the best time for
their fight. The damp air retards the
progress of the blaze. A fire that viii
sweep ten or twelve miles In the day
time will eat its way slowly at night.
when there is little breeze and the
air Is heavy. Then the fire fighters
attack it with all the energy they
possess. and often bring It within con-
troll.
The forest fire will burn up hill with
such rapidfty that no strategy Of the
fire fighters can cope with 1t. Sweep
ing from the bottom OF canyon, or
the foot of hill, 1t rushes UP the
slope like a hot blaze up chimney,
carrying the fire to the top in all III
credibly short time. Once at the sum
NIT OF the hill. the fire burns more
slowly descending the other side, AID
the fire fighters have an opportunity
to dig trenches, cut FIRE lines and pre-
pare other defenses to head it off and
stop it. #
On dry and sandy soils, OH southern
and western slopes, where the ground
and trees are dry and warm, the for-
est guardians know they may expect
the worst havoc OF the Are. Above
all things, the character Of the litter
on the ground determines the charac-
ter and severity of fire.
The source Of the greatest danger
TO forests is the presence Of dry tops
and piles OF brush left By lunbermen
and by the windfalls OF heavy storms
They constitute standing menace
from fires. and their disposal is one 81
the things which the forest rangers
are instructed to demand and to help
bring about. When more thoronsh
patrol Of the forests ID achiesx It
Is asserted that the chief danga ok
fre will be done away with.
Latest Mine Horror.
The Doctor-Of course. II the opera
tors In the anthracite and bituminols
nelds form a coalition
. f-E IL ~ 60