The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-17


mission Of Conservation Of Canada
Forest fire protective work is in
general NOT so far advanced in Canada
as in the United States However
the reverse is the case as to the por.
tion of the problem which has to DO
with the prevention and control of
fires along railway lines.
\ wise act OF craftsmanship was
the passage in 1903 of the Dominion
Railway Act, establishing a board Of
railway commissioners with almost
unlimited powers over railway con.
struction and operation This beard
has powers over railways that are
scarcely even approached by the in.
terstate commerce commission of the
United States.
At the end of 1917 the total length
Of railways operating in Canada was
over $4,000 miles. leaving the Domin
ion in the unique position of hayng
the largest railway mileage per cap.
tia OF population of any country in
the world, despite the rapid peoplinG
of the western provinces during the
past ten years At the same time
there were nearly 1000 additional
miles of liAe actually under construc.
ton
The powers granted to and eXer-
cised by the railway commission as to
fire protective measures have been
gradually modified and extended, cul.
minating last May in the issuance Of
Order 1870, covering all phases of
railway fire protective work. The es.
sential requirements Of this order are
as follows:
(First) The use of fire-protective
appliances on cCal-burning locomo.
lives, calculated to prevent so far as
possible the escape of live sparks or
c.nders from stack and fire-boX. These
appliances TO be inspected at least
once each week by railway employees.
Frequent check inspections are also
made by the inspectors of the oper.
ating department of the railway COM
mission The best modern appliances
are prescribed, and experience shows
that the frequent inspections made
by the railways themselves result I'm
the early discovery and rectifiCation
Of defects in netting mesh or other
appliances, In this way the occur.
renee of fires is very largely prevented
though not entirely so, as there seems
as yet to be no satisfactory appliance
that will wholly prevent the escape
OF live sparks from stacks under ex.
tremc conditions.
(seeond) The extinguishlng of fire.
live Goals and ashes deposited upon
tracks or rights of way outside of
yard limits. Fortunately there now
seems TO be very little trouble from
this source.
(Third.) The non use of Ignite coal
There are vast deposits Of Ignite in
the prairie provinces, and much trou-
Bile has been experienced in the past
through fires caused by the use of this
fuel on railways. It finally became
necessary to prohibit its use entirely
(Fourth) The establishment and
maintenance OF fire guards in the prai-
rie sections The application of this
requirement has so far been limited
to portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan
and Manitoba, where there is danger
of grass or stubble fires. The chief
fire inspector is given full authority
TO prescribe who. when and where
fire guards are to be constructed.
(Fifth) Regulation of burning OF
la flor mn r,h1 A 81,
way The Railway Act requires that
railway companies shall az all times
maintain and keep their rights of way
free from dead or dry grass. weeds
and other unnecessary combustible
matter. II has often happened in the
past that in complying with this re
GGirement, railway employees have
built fires during extremely dry peri
DDS, and much damage has resulted
from such fires getting beyond con.
troll The new order prohibits such
burning during the fire season. except
under such supervision as will prevent
the fire from spreading beyond the
strip being cleared. The chief fire
Inspector or other authorized officer
of the board may require that no such
burning be done a'ong specified por.
tions Of any railway line. except with
the written permission or under the
direction Of such officer. Thus, ample
provision is made for regulating RICH;
OF way burning without at all reliev.
ing the railway company of the neces
sity for getting the work done Such
regulation is especially important
whore railway construction work is
being carried on. since construction
gangs usually consist of an irresponsi
! BILE class of laborers, and the con
/ tractors and sub-contractors have no
| interest except in getting the work
| done at minimum cost Of time and
money The application of this regu
lation has been especially valuable
during The past sumner on railway
| construction work alCng the Grand
| Trunk Pacific in Northern British Co
| lumbia. where the season was dry, In
! marked contrast to most of the rest
of the country. The power TO regu
late burning is, however, highly de
! sirable as TO operating lines which
run through a forest country. This oil
I course assumes the existence of some
| governmental organization on The