News and Notes. 771 



along the Great Northern Railway in Canada and the United 

 States, the following instructions to employees have been issued 

 from the office of the General Superintendent at Seattle, Wash- 

 ington : 



,1 

 Working Instructions in Connection with Order No. 16570 of the Board of 

 Railvvaj- Commissioners for Canada, Dated May 22, 1912. 



To Engineers : 



It will be the duty of engineers on freight and passenger trains, when 

 discovering any fire adjoining the right-of-way of the Railway Company, to 

 stop and extinguish such fire by the use of their branch pipe connections, 

 where such fire is close enough to the track to enable this to be done. 

 Where the fire is too far away from the track to be reached by hose, it will 

 be their duty to stop at the first telegraph station and file a report showing 

 the location of the fire accurately, with the Agent or Operator on duty. 



To Conductors : 



In all cases where fires along the right-of-way are noticed by conductors, 

 it will be their duty to assist the engine crew in extinguishing such fire, 

 where the fire can be reached by hose carried on the engine. If the fire is 

 so far away from the track that it cannot be reached, the train must pro- 

 ceed at once to the first telegraph station, where a report must be made to 

 the Superintendent, giving the exact location of the fire. 



To Agents : 



Engineers and Conductors of all trains have received instructions to 

 report fire along the right-of-way and adjacent thereto, and it will be your 

 duty to immediately wire the Superintendent, giving the location of the fire, 

 extent of same, and any other information which might be of value, par- 

 ticularly as to the number of men needed to control the fire and extinguish 

 it. At stations which are within the boundary of the United States, and 

 the Forest Reserve the local Forester or Ranger should be first notified 

 immediately, and notice also sent by wire to the Forest Supervisor in whose 

 territory the fire is located, giving the exact location of same and the 

 extent. Agents will also notify all section crews that can be reached, and 

 also any bridge crews or extra gangs which may be in their territory. 



To Roadmasters, Assistant Roadmasters, Master Carpenters, and other 

 officials : 

 In cases where fires are reported, it will be the duty of any division 

 official to proceed to the scene of the fire as quickly as possible and take 

 charge of the work of fire-fighting until he can be relieved bv the Division 

 Roadmaster. The man first on the ground should organize his men to do 

 the best work possible, and, when this is done, he should immediately pro- 

 ceed to investigate the origin of the fire, location, where it started; get 

 statements from all witnesses and make every eflFort to learn the origin and 

 responsibility. The law as now interpreted practically makes this Com- 

 pany responsible for fires starting within three hundred (300) feet of the 

 track, and it is necessary therefore to positively determine the origin in 

 order to relieve the Railway Company from the responsibility. On the 

 American side and in the Forest Reserve the Government will stand the 

 expense of fire starting two hundred (200) feet outside of the right-of-way, 

 and, in order to re-imburse the Railway Company, for any expense in- 

 curred in fighting fires starting outside of this limit, we are obliged to 

 determine positively the exact origin of the fire. On the Canadian side the 

 limit is three hundred (300) feet. 



