The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-28
AIRPLANES TO LOOK OUT FOR
 FOREST FIRES

SoCIdteu TTeSS).-OulIeu oCdIes dllAy aviators will put their practice work to practical and valuable use by CO., operating with the United States for estry service in the protection of na- tional forest areas from fire. There is scarcely phrase of army aerOnaut1cs that cannot be utilized in the proven tion or fighting of forest fires. Air planes can circle the forests as pa trols. sausage balloons may be located as lookouts and accurate maps and photographs of heretofore inaccessible places can be made which will be invaluable to the forest service.
 In the matter of fighting fires, large airplanes will be able quickly to get fighters to remote points which heretofore have taken hours to reach so that the battle may be waged be- fore the fires have gained heavy head way. Bombs containing gases which will put out fires can be dropped by the fliers while the observers can keep the fire fighters informed as to the trend and the direction of the flames and advise them as to the best disposition of their forces.
 Details have been perfected for the regular patrolling of the Angeles na- tional forest in Southern California beginning June 1. Officers of the army balloon school at Arcadia and March field near Riverside have map ped out the scheme which is believed to be the first time in the history ot .aeronautics that the plan has been tried, Methods of patrolling, observa- tion, giving fire warnings and other particulars are set forth in the order which follows:
 "An observation balloon will be sta toned at an elevation of about 3,OO0 feet at the balloon school field near Arcadia, This observer will be on duty from a. m. to 2:30 p. m. each day. He will be furnished with map of the front of the Angeles national forest from La Canada to San Dimas canyon and can probably give ade- uuate lookout service as far north as the crest of the San Gabriel water shed The student detachment learn ing observation now stationed at Mt Wilson will also render lookout serv- ice Reports of fires from both the halloon observer and the Mt. Wilson detachment will come in by phone and the balloon school at Arcadia and will Los Angeles who will call upon the he transmitted to the forest service at appropriate unit of the suppresslng forces. In addition to lookout serv- ice will be vailable at all times, one and a half ton truck at Arcadia equipped with a fifty gallon tank or water, shovels, canteens, axes and fire extinguishers. This truck, to- gether with ten enlisted men will be- come a unit of the suppression force subject to the call of the forest service.
 Two routes of airplane patrol have been laid out starting and ending at March Field, twelve miles southeast of Riverside, Route No. covers circle touching on it's west, the east edge of the area covered by the ob- seryation balloon and zigzaging east, in and out of the mountains to the mouth of Mill creek, thence back to the base. Route No. 2 starts from March field and circles east over Beaumont and Banning covering the south slope of the Angeles front near the head of Mill creek, then returning south along the southwest slope or the San Jacinto mountains covering the headwaters of the San Jac1nto river in the Cleveland national forest' thence back to the base at March field. In each route, two planes Will operate. One starting at ten a. m. and the other at one p. m, thence covering the route twice day. Eacn Of t0oS0 paLIOl iOuI0o oA0 "SS-~o
 hundred miles in length.
 These planes are not equipped with wireless telephone apparatus ol such a nature that the messages can be communicated to the ground at any point except at high expensive ground installations therefore reporting or fires discovered will be:
 "1. By parachute message dropped over town, the finder to phone them in to the forest service.
 "2. By special landings made to re. port, for which we propose to install one or two additional phone box re- porting stations, and
 a. By returning to the base anu ronort,ng from March field direct to the supervisor.
 .-., n, l.. Joootod and r0OOrt0O