224 



Canadian Forestry Journal, May, 1919 



DANGERS OF THE LOCOMOTIVE SPARK 



(Rail-may and Locomotive Engineering.) 



We have observed in connection with some 

 of the large raihoads of the country that severe 

 service tests have been given through a period 

 of years to develop better conditions and that 

 the front-end arrangement on locomotives, or 

 what is known as the "spark arresters", have 

 been receiving careful consideration. It is .^ 

 question to draw forcefully the attention of this 

 subject to every official, as we consider the spark 

 hazard is possibly the greatest that has to be 

 contended with in connection with fires on rail- 

 load property and that even though spark causes 

 have been very much lessened in many in- 

 stances, it is a question whether it may not be 

 possible in the future to eliminate entirely the 

 occurrence of fires from these causes . . • 

 We find that the relative importance of the value 

 of property destroyed shows that sparks from 

 locomotives occupies about second place ot all 

 the sundry hazards involved in the destruction ot 

 railroad property, and that in the number ot 

 fires reported it occupies about the same rela- 

 tive position. 



The approximate danger-line from sparks is 

 150 feet distance from the centre of the track. 

 In confirming this statement the testimony of 

 those who have had occasion to observe the pro- 

 gress of fires originating from locomotives is to 

 the effect that while objects located at a greater 

 distance sometimes burn, the firing of such ob- 

 jects is not the immediate result of sparks from 



a locomotive, but that of a flying brand from the 

 original spark fire within the above distance. 

 These conditions, however, would not prevail 

 with a defective spark-arrester. So small is the 

 heat-carrying power of a spark from a locomo- 

 tive in good condition that there is doubt as to 

 whether or not they cause a fire. Well-known 

 laws applied to falling bodies show that sparks 

 sufficiently large to carry fire must, under ordin- 

 ary conditions of discharge and of wind velocity, 

 strike the ground within a comparatively short 

 distance from the track. 



There is, therefore, nothing to bear up the 

 locomotive spark but the initial velocity with 

 which it is projected. From considerations, it 

 should be evident that conclusions based on ob- 

 servation in connection with fixed fires are not 

 applicable to the conditions affecting sparks in 

 locomotive service. 



We believe with a uniformity in respect to 

 careful maintenance of the corrective influences 

 that have been devised up to date, that much 

 can be done in preventing the large fire waste 

 caused by flying sparks. This, however, must 

 receive careful individual co-operation on the 

 part of all employees and the motive-power de- 

 partments, and our hope is that we may be able 

 in the future to acknowledge the result of the 

 work of some inventive mind that will bring 

 about the entire elimination of fires caused by 

 sparks thrown from the smoke-stacks of 

 locomotives. 



918 FOREST FIRES IN NEW BRUNSWICK AND 

 NEEDLESS DAMAGE CAUSED 



CAUSES No. of fires. Area, acres. Damage. 



1. Fishermen, hunters, campers, picnic parties, neglecting camp fires or .tr^cfliv 



throwing away burning matches •^^ %t aoln 



2. Settlers neglecting their slash fires -,-----,■, 



3 Careless use of fire by industrial operations, such as portable mills, ross- 



1 , f 5 oz /,/4J 



ing plants, etc y~]~~ 



4 Fires caused by railroads, defective nestings and ashpans— hot clinkers 



bemg thrown on right of way. etc 788 637 2,606 



5. Unknown causes '" -" 



6. Incendiary (supposed) ^ 



y^j^l3 850 19,080 $72,266 



