Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-10-31
Fire Season In Shen'
andOah National
Forests

the fire protective organization
has been set in motion. For thu
past month the rangers hav'
been overhauling telephone lines
and putting the finishing touches
to trails in the note sections.
The lookout stations, of which
! there are twelve, have beer
manned. and there is the genera
feeling among forest officers tina
they are going into the fir
season better equipped than eve
before to handle any emergency.
An important contributing
factor in this feeling Of assur
ance is the addition of the Mt
Elliott lookout which was bull
this summer and is now in oper'
alton for the first time. 1t is tint
most complete and up-to-dat'
station in the Southern Appal
aehian National Forests, an6
commands a wonderful view o.
the Shenandoah Range from
Goshen Pass to Brooks Gap. and
of the Blue Ridge from the
Peaks OF Otter to Thoroughfare
Gap
The thirty-foot tower is oil
heavy steel construction, topped
by l4xl4 glass enclosed cab, in
which the lookout man will live
during the fire season. The
steel frame is set in concrete and
to it the cab is securely anchor
ed. The whole is then guyed OH
the four corners by steel cables,
also set i'll concrete, and is de.
Sign, d TO withstand wind
velocity of 100 miles per hour
Th stsiion is equipped with
the latest devices for detecting
aud loca ting forest fires, and is
in telephone communication with
all other lookout stations, all
ranger stations, and the super
vlsor's Office in Harrisonburg.
Mt. Elliott is the highest poin
in this section of the State, and
the third highest in Virginia.
A telephone line has been built
from the ranger Station in the
Dear field Valley across Mt.
Elliott TO Augusta Springs. On
account of the lack of timber
suita BILE for telephone poles and
the difficulty of stalking them up
the mountain, iron piping was
used in place of wooden poles.
The hike to the top of Mt
Elliot is "a favorite one for the
patrons of the Mt. Elliot Spring.
and other summer resorts in til,
western part of Augusta County
1t is frequently visited likewise
by classes from the schools IL
Stanton. Within one-fourtlI o
mile of the top of the mountain
there is a plateau OH which ,th'
most wonderful springs gusi
forth. Here shelters and othe
| cCnveniences are being construct
ed by the Forest Service for tn,
use of the public.
In addition 10 the improved
lookout facilities, road crew
have been organized into firt
crews. provisioned, equipped will
fire fighting tools and trucks TO
rapid transportation so tina
they NAV be hustled to any par
of the forests where thei
services are needed. Fores
officers hope that it will NOT b
necessary TO interrupt the roa,
| program which is being carrie,
out on various parts of til
Forest, but fire has first call am
and the whole organization liza
been mobilized with a view +
Kidding the forest OF this menac
if it is humanity possible.
The Forest Service is not onl
doing everything possible to pre-
serve the beauty of the mountai
and make tile national forest
attractive, but it is also en-
ltruSted With tile handling oil til
timber to the end that succeeding
generations may have a cor
tinuing supply.
| Tile Forest Service is goin
the limit in time, money, and n
sources for FIRE prevention, an
will continue to do so unit
forest fires are a thing of til
| past, but the best offers in til
world will be fruitIess witlior
the aid and cooperation of flores
users.
Remember these single rule
and pass them on to your friend
BE sure your match is on
break it in two before throw
ing 1t away.
H.. -