82 Fourth Annual Repoet of the 



At the time these fires occurred there was no statute providing 

 penalty for killing of trees by fire. Such a law has since been 

 enacted. 



May 21, 1911, this department alleged that the Erie Railroad 

 Company caused a fire which burned over 368 acres of State land 

 in the town of Hancock, Delaware county. Action was brought 

 for penalty and damages. We had but circumstantial evidence as 

 to cause. In former years fires had burned over this area and 

 there was a dispute as to particular trees being killed or injured 

 by this fire. After conferences the railroad company offered judg- 

 ment for $1,566,67, which was accepted by the Attorney-General. 

 This was under the circumstances a good settlement as it was for 

 more than the value of the property; the company spent a large 

 sum in examining the tract, the title to the land was not perfect, 

 and our proof was not conclusive. 



Pkotective Measures 



A force of sixty-five rangers and forty-nine observers was main- 

 tained through the latter part of the fire season. About a third of 

 the rangers and one-half of the observers were appointed during 

 the last ten days of April, Owing to uncertainty as to the funds 

 which would be available for fire protective work, the complete 

 quota of rangers and observers was not obtained until about June 

 10th, The records of fires during the year demonstrate better 

 than words the efiiciency of the force. 



One new mountain station was constructed during the year. It 

 is located on Azure Mountain, near Gile, in western Franklin 

 county. This mountain station covers a large area, nearly all of 

 which has been lumbered. These are the areas in which large 

 fires often occur, and the station commands a range of this 

 territory. 



The mountain stations have again demonstrated their useful- 

 ness and the observers' record shows that with one or two ex- 

 ceptions they attended faithfully to their duties. 



The observers are required in most instances to live continuously 

 on the mountain. It has been necessary during the year to build 

 eight new cabins for the mountain stations. Some of these were 

 to replace tents which were used by the observers, but which were 



