The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-24

Washington, Aug. 22.-With forest res causing greater destruction than turing any year in history peculiar interest attaches to a pamphlet on hat subject by Chief Henry s. Braves, of the Forest Service. MT. Braves takes up the whole subject Of he causes and characteristics of the tres and the best means of fighting hem
 City. dwellers with their steam en- tines and high power water supply will find in the pamphlet strong contrast in the equipment maintained md means employed in the great for sts of the west
 .'wharever dirt can be used," he ays, men should be provided with ong. handled shovels If water is lvailable. buckets should be provided md, where possible. bucket pumps, which. throw a stream about 20 feet. Under. most conditions it is desirable 70 have mattocks and iron rakes, and there should always be axes to aid n clearing brush or cutting through town timber or old tops. These inn clements should be kept in a conven- ent place for fighting fire. Proper organization for this protection in dudes an adequate equipment for the ire fighting force.
 "A very good plan is to have breaches at convenient points on the trails or at the lookout stations, con iaining firedghting tools. In some .ases in the mountain regions tools are kept in a special pack outfit ready so be thrown upon horses and taken at once to the fire. Such special out sdts usually include shovels, collapsible pails, axes, mattocks, ropes and in tome cases fire extinguishers and a small quantity of provisions"
 As to the methods of fighting fires Graves says:
 Small surface fires may often be the fire is burning chiefly in a dry leaf litter or short grass. Where there are tops or piles of dry bush, pr the fire is burning through thick brush or undergrowth, beating is very difficult.
 There are various devices for beating A blanket, coat, or riding slicker is often used. A gunny sack is one of the best implements for beating, particularly if it can be wet from time to time. A handful of green brush serves also very well TOT a beating device. In beating out fire, one strikes the fire with a side ways sweep, driving the flames and material back upon the burned ground. A direct stroke scatters the fire.
 aThe best way to extinguish run ming fires is to throw sand upon the flames This method is, of course practicable only when the soil is fair ly clear of rocks and loose enough for. ready digging. When the fire is running in the open woods, in pine needles, a single ,shovelful of sand properly thrown, will extinguish over 10 feet of fire
 Loose loam is also very good. but not so effective as sand. Heavy soil which clods is difficult to man ipulate. Frequently sand or loose loam can be dug up in spots. but II is too stony to secure it all along the line of fire. Fighters must then supplement the use of sand Or earth with beating or other methods.
 Where, on account of the aceum- ulated debris, the flames are inter riittenly too severe for beating, wa ter is used if available Water usu' ally has to be brought from some distance: it must therefore be useo very economically. The best way IS { to deaden the flames by a little wa ter. and then beat them out with 2 gunny sack or other devlce-
 When water must be brought ovel mountain trails special water sacks are used, which can be slung on 2 pack saddle.
 .fGround fires, burning in the deer layer of organic matter, are exceed ingly difficult to extinguish. If ths layer Is deep, trenching is the only nrsctical method of stopping the pro eress of the fire. Such trench which has a width at the bottom O. one foot, will enable the fighters tt stop on ordinary ground fire, especl ally if the work can be supplement- ed by the use of water or sand at th' trench.
 ssCrown fires which burn througl the crowns of trees. are always ac companied by surface fires. Crowl fires stop when there are no longe inflammable crowns through Whlci the fire will run. or when there i no. longer any material on the ground to carry the surface fire An ordi nary crown fire will jump a wide fir line. and many fires have been knowl to cross wide rivers almost wlthou check. Tn the mountains, crowl fire running up slope is almost i'm possible to check
 "On level ground it is possible U stop crown fires by back hrlng' Wnel the conditions are such as to max back firing possible at all. Thus Il the pine forests of the Atlantic coas crown fires are frequently checke' by back firing. The back fire burn off the surface material and thu! in itself acts as cnech to lhe eio"' fire. eff it is found that a back fire l necessary. a favorable point is select ed directly in front of the ire, iron which to set the new fire. This mus be a point such as road, 1lreilne stream. or swamp. The leaves ar ignited at points five feet to a TO anart for a distance not greater tna the estimated width of the head Q the fire. These small fires graduall meet and form a continuous llnt eating back against the wind Tn meeting of the two fires stops once the head of the main ire is usually possible then to attack th wings with the ordinary methods c fighting. ,o.
 "A fire is never out until the las spark is extinguished. After the TIT fighting crew has left the ground is always we'll to assign at least on man to patrol the edges of the burn ed area until it is certain that tn fire is entirely out This may not for several days.
 "Desiring to see parliament ana tn Hnnse of Lords in session you se certain official letters here to tn American Ambassador at London said a tourist, who has just returne from a long trip abroad. You pIac them beside your letter of credit an in due time you arrive in Lonool With a light heart you look up ou representative. On a street or grea insignificance you discover an III posing mansion having our nag aIios and you bet that the danclng 191,sd 31al and Stripes make you feel gooo. w ne
 --al xI. poJaoa yOu don't in