Evening star., 1926-05-11
CATOCT|N FOREST
BLAZE IS SUBDUED
Probe of Alleged Incendiary
Origin of Fire Begun by
Maryland Officials.
BY a staff Correspondent.

| damaging forest fire that laid waste
| 5000 acres of valuable timberland
| around Catoctin Mountain during the
last three days, and which for Il time
| threatened an entire township and
| score of homes with destruction, had
been brought under control by rang
erS of the Maryland State forestry
forces and several hundred volunteer
| fire fighters this morning.
Throughout Sunday and up to early
this morning the rangers worked with
out sleep and on short food rations
backfiring on all sides of the con-
| fiagration to hem it in. They finally
| reached their goal when the wind that
| seemed determined to drive the flames
straight down the mountain ridge to
Braddock Heights died down suddenly
and made it possible to approach near
| enough to the blaze to be effective.
Blaze Eighth of Season.
This was the eighth devastating
blaze to whip through the valuable
timberlands of the Blue Ridge Noun
| tainS hereaboutS this Spring, and
the entire countryside is aroused
over what seems to be definite proof
that all of the confiagrationS were
deliberately ignited by berry pickers.
To burn the timber and under
brush from the mountain slopes in
the Spring is to assure an excellent
berry crop in the Fan.
Officials of the State forestry de
partment have begun Il sweeping in
yestigation and there is talk of send
ing strong forces into the mountains
to seek out those who are reSpon
sible and bring them to quick trial.
Police officials have expressed fear
that il feeling continues to grow at
it's present rate, trouble may result
between the mountaineers and the
people of the valleys.
There is Il veritable feud under
way now between the mountaineers
and the forest rangers. The noun
tain people depend TO a large extent
upon the berries for their living and
the States determination to en-
courage forest growth has endanger-
ed this source of revenue. To save
a berry crop that could not be worth
more than $1,000 at the most, it is
charged, the mountaineers already
have destroyed timber that is esti-
mated to be worth $250,000, not to
mention considerable live stock that
had been turned loose to browse and
which cannot be checked up for
weeks.
Water Shortage Feared.
Besides finding rich revenues from
the timber of the mountains, the
forests there constitute the water
sheds for this entire valley, and if
many more such devastating fires as
that of the past few days occur there
is a real possibility that dangerous
water shortages may occur. If the
water supply in the streams were
lessened Frederick County, one of
the richest agricultural counties in
the United States, would be faced
with the necessity of developing an
expensive irrigation system.
Forest rangers and volunteers de.
clared today that there can be no
doubt but that the last fire, which was
one of the most damaging in the his
tory of this section. was started by
''tirebugs. The men declared they
saw it starting from a dozen different
points. AS quickly as forces We're sent
TO one place flames would break out in
another.
Ranger Escapes Fire.
The berry picllers are so bitterly op-
posed to the forest rangers that it is
charged a dozen of them deliberately
set fire to the brush around the signal
tower in which Ranger Louis Gardner
was trapped Gardner returned home
yesterday, having made his way out
when the flames died down. The
ranger was little troubled by the
flames. being perched 60 feet above
the ground. Fears We're felt by some
persons, however, that he might be
choked to death by the smoke.
Once before, it is said, the berry
niPkorS ipnitpd the WOodpn StopS lear
ing part of the way up the steel tower
Gardner returned in time to summon
help and eXtinguish the fire before any
serious damage resulted. Since then,
however, a steel ladder has replaced
the wooden steps. These incidents
show in some measure, it is declared,
how seriously the berry pickers are
determined to drive the rangers out of
their domain.