Evening star., 1915-04-11

Not every one who goes down to the
sea in motor boats-and it Is estimated
that there are no
Inspection of fewer than 25o.o0O
n.4.D. such boats in use in
0'oA oo"'s' the United States
knows that Uncle Sam keeps about as
watchful an eye on these small craft
as on the great liners that ply his
waters. Special federal navigation
laws have been enacted to apply to
the small pleasure craft. and the ma
chfnery OF the Commerce Department
Is brought into operation against the
small violators of the regulations as
quickly as against malefactors of great
size and tonnage. The entire revenue
cutter service is engaged in enforcing
the navigation laws irrespective of the
size of the boats, but the most effec-
tive and picturesque work in keeping
tab on motor craft is done by the de
tective boat" Tarragon. which operates
under the supervision of the commits
sioner of navigation of the Depart
ment of Commerce
This little craft Is a motor boat it.
self 1t is sixty feet long and is pro-
1t a speed of twelve miles an hour.
Since 1912. when the increase that had
come In the number of motor boats IN
operation made its purchase necessary,
, the Tarragon has patrolled the waters
Of coast and tidewater ports on the
Atlantic from Eastport, Me-. to Key
west, Fla, and has reported thousands
OF cases of violations Of the navigation
laws. After winter work In the south.
the the %Tarragon is just now turning
Will send swarms of pleasure craft out
OF winter storage and into the harbors
The Tarragon does not advertise her
coming; She will slip quietly into port.
n $h> Ia
boats realize it will have captured a
score or more of offenders. During the
last fiscal year this little craft reported
l.762 violations of the law by motor
boats. more than twice as many as
were reported by the entire revenue
cutter service. The work of the Tar
ragon has been SO satisfactory to the
navigation officials that with the steady
growth OF motor-boating they have
purchased another detective craft. the
pixie. and will put it into commission
July l. The Dixie is ninety feet long
and can reach a speed OF more than
hfteen miles an hour. Being the larger
of the two scouting launches, the Dixie
which are sometimes very rough, while
the Tarragon will cover the more
placid southern waters.
The navigation laws for motor boats,
which are SO often violated, relate to
the carrying Of certain lights while
navigating between sunset and sunrise,
and to equipment with whistles, bells.
fog horns, life preservers and means
violations of the navigation laws by
owners OF motor boats are reported to
the collectors of customs for the dis
trict in which the violations occur. and
fines are imposed by him. The records
of the commissioner Of navigation
show that it is necessary to carry only
few Of the cases to the courts
Now that winter has definitely passed
the work of preparation for the busy
spring and summer
Preparations to seasons for the for
rl. n est service is being
Tlsns flfes. taken up by rangers,
who. during the past few months. have
been keeping lonely vigil in the ma
tional forests. Though there are many
activities with the coming of spring,
most of them center on preparations
for the fre-hghting period that Is sure
to come each dry season.
There Is every reason, in fact, to fear
that the coming season will be one
for reports which reach the headquar-
ters of the forest service in Washing
ton show that the snowfall during the
past winter has been exceptionally
little moisture will be stored in the
forest soil, and that much earlier than
usual in the summer condition OF
tinder dryness will be reached by the
underground and fallen needles. Then
for long period, unless unexpected
rains come. every vagrant spark of
smoldering coal or lighted match In
the forest will mean potential hre,
whose possibilities for destruction are
almost unlimited.
To meet this probable situation for
est rangers are now looking to the
well organized fire-fghting system that
has been built up in recent years.
While the snow is yet on the ground
they go out on snow shoes to inspect
and repair the forest telephone lines,
which are sure to have suffered more
or less damage from ice and falling
limbs. When the ground begins to
turn their attention to the roads and
trails and carefully remove the numer-
Gus winter wind falls. These may be
only limbs and branches or may. on
the other hand. be some great monarch
of the forest, which, borne down by a.
heavy mantle of ice and snow. has fall
en- prey to the winter gales and has
crashed down across the road
Other factors in the ffre-fighting sys-
tenn that are inspected and put in
shape for summer use are the observation
stations. Some of these are mere To-
cations on promontories or mountains
rising above the treetops OF the sur
rounding forests. Others are platforms
surmounting towers of wood or metal
scaffolding.
One of the final activities Of the
rangers in preparation for their fights
against fire smacks of the romance of
treasure-seeking. 1t is the locating
of caches where fire-fighting tools
and canned food supplies were buried
the preceding fall. These supplies are
removed from their winter hiding
places and put in positions from which
watchers at the observation stations
give the alarm. Besides the food sup
plies there are to bo found in the
caches. for the most part. picks, show
els and axes. for fre-hghting methods
in the depths of the forest are chiefly
a matter of strenuous digging and
hacking that clearings may be thrown
across the path Of the advancing
flames.
In addition to preparations for COM
batting fires the forest employees find
many other things to do in the spring.
Supplies must be hauled. fences put
in shape for the coming of the grazing
focks, predatory animals must be
hunted and game preserved. At odd
times the forest employees work at the
building of bridges. dwellings. barns
and corrals and at the development of
waterpower projects; Some trees are
most of the planting is now done in
the fall. The estimated value of the
Improvements on the national forests
at the close of the last fiscal year was
$4.553. 453. The emphasis that has come
to be placed on the prevention and
checking of fires in the forests is
shown by the fact that of this total