Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-09-27

who, with their families. take up small |
claims on government forest reserva-
tions and farm and raise stock on a
small scale under the limitations set |
down by the government
II is nothing for a forest reserva !
tlon to have a population of 10000 !
persons. exclusive of the employees Of
the forest service. Several of the
forests In Idaho and Montana are filled
with "nesters."
AS for the loss I'm money from for
est fires in ordinary years, that I'm Il
self is enough to warrant extraor.
binary effort and expense in the pre-
vention of such disasters.
viii 1t pay to support an adequate
fire protection system?"
This is the question practical lum-
bermen OF the old school ask The
forest service men are confident II
will. They have had experience and
know that reasonable protection re-
quircs no patented tools, no secret
method. Cooperation on the part of
the state governments and more
money from congress will bring about
the desired results.
Does the maintenance Of an expen-
sive fire-nghting force pay a city," is
the counter question of the forest
service experts. The affirmative an
swer comes promptly.
The government methods OF fight
ing and controlling forest fires are
simple. They consist of nothing
g.,
many fires as possible and plain, bus.
inessllke methods of getting to work
on the flames as soon as they are dis.
covered and staying with the fire un-
til it is ont.
An ak, a mattock, a pick, a shovel
and a wet gunny sack. If water is OBJ
tainable, are the forest rangers fire
fighting apparatus. In the more ac-
cessible regions, where water is abund-
ant, wagons equipped with hose are
used. But these are impossible far
up In the mountains. where the most
sure-footed horses find progress diff
| hcult.
Get Quickly TO Work.
There the work is done by the cool,
nervy rangers. Trained woodmen they
are, who know their work and have
the heart to do it, They haunt the
high places and keep persistent watch
over the surrounding country for
miles.
When they see FIRE they go to It.
II It looks too big for one or two men
to handle they hurry to the nearest
station for help. In some of the
ranges the telephone and telegraph
wires and the railroads are at their
disposal.
Gradually the forest service is lay.
ing out a network of telephone lines
through the forest reserves. But such
a system as is contemplated In con.
nection with forest preservation is in
its infancy today, and, in the last an
alysis. the average embryonic fire is
| fought by small groups of men, some
times by only two men. sometimes by
a single one.
OF the thousands Of fires that are
put out every year In the national re-
serves before they get well started
the general public knows nothing.
They are part of the regular routine
of the forest guards and rangers.
The amount spent on forest fire
lighting by the forest service is ap-
proximately $4,000 year in ordinary
years. Twice or three times that sum
would not seem large in view of the
amount of property saved, to say moth
ing of loss OF life prevented.
Aside from the loss OF life and leav.
ing out Indirect results of forest fires.
damage done by such conhagrations
include the death of standing trees. In
jury to trees that are not killed, in.
jury to the soil, reduction OF the
growth of the stand and the effect on
reproduction. Some Of the resistant
species of trees are harmed but lit
tie, while forest fires at times utterly
wipe out species of less vitality, SO
that they never return to the terri
tory which has been swept by the
flames.
In considering the causes OF fires
the forest service has learned by ex
perience that the principal ones are
sparks from locomotives, sparks from
sawmills, camp fires, burning brush
careless smokers. incendiarism and
lightning.
For the prevention of fires, OF les
sening their ravages. the following
are necessary:
Elimination, so far as possible, oil
the causes of fires, proper organ
ization of the forest by the careful dis
position of slash, by which is meant
chips and cut branches, the opening
OF roads and trails. adequate super
vision, and sufficient men. armed will
the proper apparatus.
The forest service gives great i'm
portance to the necessity of carefully
burning brush and of the establish
ment of trails through the forest, 81
the small fires may be the more easily
got at The brush should be piled II
small piles and each pile burned in
dependently. This work is best don,
In the winter, when there is snow oil