17 



Though they extinguished many fires new ones were starting con- 

 tinually, and the question may arise as to why this was permitted. 

 But under the weather conditions no earthly power or organization 

 could prevent this evil when locomotives were daily kindling fires in 

 the dry grass along the railroads, and wandering fishermen were 

 leaving their smudge and coffee fires burning in the woods uncared 

 for. The city of Chicago had a model fire department, but that did 

 not prevent the great catastrophe in 1871, when a large portion of 

 the city was destroyed by fire. And so the firewardens of Northern 

 New York, energetic and efficient as they are in fighting fire, have to 

 work under discouraging conditions so long as the railroads and care- 

 less natives are continually firing the woods. 



Every effort was made to enable the gangs to work to good advan- 

 tage. The best time to check a large fire is early in the morning at 

 daybreak for the flames die down in the night. The air then is cool 

 and damp ; there is little or no wind. Where a fire occurred at any 

 considerable distance from a camp or boarding house, the crew was 

 ordered to remain there all night and sleep on the ground, arrange- 

 ments having been made at the same time to send in food and blank- 

 ets to them. This involved no hardship, as the men were used to 

 camping out ; moreover the nights, with one exception, were warm, 

 and there was no rain. In each case of this kind the firewarden was 

 ordered to make a contract for food supplies and some simple camp 

 equipment at the nearest store, lumber camp, hotel or boarding 

 house, and to detail one or more men with pack baskets to carry in 

 this material. Under this plan many fires were checked and extin- 

 guished which could not have been controlled by fighting them in the 

 daytime only, and allowing the crew to leave their work at a critical 

 time to go some distance for meals and lodging. Expenses thus 

 incurred were assumed by the towns as well as the wages of the men. 



