1915-16 DEPAETME^'T OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. xv 



Nepigon Eeserve had IT rangers on duty under one chief. There were in 

 addition a staff of 17 men in the Kowkash Mining District. 



Eastern and Sibley Reserves had the usual staff of rangers. 

 The cost of patrol in the forest reserves was $86,966.78. 



Railways. 



One hundred and twenty-seven men under six chief rangers and a deputy cliief 

 ranger patrolled the T. & N. 0. and Canadian Government railways, there being 

 62 on the T. & N. 0. and 65 on the Transcontinental, including 8 men on the 

 Superior Junction branch. 



All other railways were under the jurisdiction of the Dominion Railway Board 

 and were responsible for fire protection along their lines. The Department appointed 

 12 inspectors to see that the regulations of the Board were carried out. The cost 

 of railway patrol was $60,374.00. The cost of fire ranging on Crown Lands other 

 than railways and reserves was $50,842.22. 



The num1)er of rangers on licensed lands was 290. The approximate cost of 

 fire ranging would be $75,000.00. This is borne by the licensees who are re- 

 sponsible for fire protection in connection with their limits. 



SUMMARY OF COST 



Cost of PatroJ, Railways and Crown Lands $111,118 23 



Forest Reserves 86,966 78 



$198,085 00 



Licenses Lands (Approximate) 75,000 00 



The rangers on railways are furnished with velocipedes, 73 being in use last 

 season, 3 of them motor speeders. Canoes are provided for rangers in the reserves 

 and wherever their use could be of any assistance. Seven gasoline launches were 

 used in the fire protection service, and on one of them the Department, last season, 

 installed a pump which rendered excellent service. 



The different fire ranging camps in the Nepigon Forest Reserve are connected 

 with each other and with headquarters by telephone, some .125,. miles .of phoni^ 

 service being in operation. This phone service has been in operation several seasons 

 and has proved i3f great value, fully Justifying the expense incurred in its 

 establishment. 



Forest Fires ix July-August. 



On the 29th of July last, and the week following, a very destructive forest 

 fire swept over the country in the vicinity of Matheson and Cochrane. It extended 

 in a north-westerly direction along the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Rail- 

 way, through the townships of Bowman, Carr, Taylor, Walker, and part of Clergue, 

 to Iroquois Falls Jet., and easterly, north-easterly and southerly through the town- 

 ships of Hislop, Beatty, Munro, and other townships in part to the Abitibi river. 



The fire destroyed nearly all the culverts, corduroy roads and small bridges 

 built in previous years on the territory swept over, and several of the large bridge^. 



The fire extended easterly along the Porcupine Branch of the T. & N. 0. Rly. 

 to the Abitibi river, burning practically everything in its course — settlers' homes 

 2 L. 



