238 



THE FORESTER. 



October, 



Forest Protection, 



Fires in Nehasane Park. 



The extreme drought in the Adiron- 

 dack^ during the past summer has been 

 almost unprecedented. For months 

 practically no rain fell and the surface of 

 the ground in the dense forest, which 

 usually contains a considerable amount 

 of moisture, became thoroughly dry. 

 Even the moss in many of the swamps, 

 usually saturated with water, was so dry 

 as to be readily burned by fire. In con- 

 sequence numerous fires were started in 

 all parts of the woods, and the methods 

 of forest protection employed by the 

 State and private owners were put to a 

 severe test. Probably no more complete 

 organization for forest protection is found 

 in the Adirondack^ than in Nehasane 

 Park, the property of Dr. W. S. Webb, 

 in Herkimer and Hamilton counties, New 

 York. The park is primarily a game 

 preserve and the system of protection 

 was devised by Dr. Webb to prevent 

 poaching as well as to guard against 

 forest fires. 



The park, which covers an area of 

 about 40,000 acres, is divided into four 

 sections, each watched over by an ex- 

 perienced woodsman, who lives at a 

 point from which all parts of his section 

 can be easily and quickly reached. The 

 houses of the rangers are connected by 

 telephone and there is an admirable 

 system of roads and trails. In case of 

 fire in the park, the superintendent, who 

 lives at Nehasane station, and the rangers 

 are notified by telephone, and all avail- 

 able men are called out to extinguish it. 

 If it occurs along the railroad which 

 traverses the park, the " Nehasane Fire 

 Service " is put into use. This consists 

 of a large tank placed on a flat car to 

 which is attached a box freight car. con- 

 taining a small engine, used to pump the 

 water from the tank, and a complete 

 outfit of fire hose, axes and other articles 

 used in fighting fire. In case of a severe 

 fire along the railroad Dr. Webb is noti- 

 fied by telegraph and a locomotive is 



dispatched to draw the " Fire Service " 

 to the scene. 



During the past season extra men were 

 employed to follow each train on 

 speeders and to extinguish any fires 

 which were set. Some days as many as 

 five fires were started by the locomotives 

 and immediately extinguished. In sev- 

 eral cases, however, the "Fire Service" 

 had to be called into play, and with its 

 aid the fires, which might have proved 

 very disastrous, were put out. 



One very severe fire was started in 

 September and burned over about four 

 acres before it could be controlled. The 

 workmen from the lumber camps on the 

 park were called to assist and at one 

 time as many as 100 men were fighting 

 the fire. Trenches were dug completely 

 about it, streams of water were thrown 

 by the "Fire Service," and sand was 

 brought from the railroad track. 



A constant watch was kept on the fire 

 after it was once controlled. This meas- 

 ure was very necessary, for the fire con- 

 tinued to smoulder in the deep duff and 

 every now and then burst forth anew. 

 Trees were undermined and, as they 

 toppled over, scattered sparks in all di- 

 rections. Occasionally the fire would 

 run up a Birch tree and pieces of burn- 

 ing bark would be blown over the 

 trenches upon the dry leaves. If con- 

 stant vigilance had not been exercised 

 in the manner described a considerable 

 area would doubtless have suffered. 



A Bit of Historical Information. 



The awakening interest of lumbermen 

 in forest protection is shown by the fol- 

 lowing excerpt from a letter to the Divi- 

 sion of Forestry from a prominent lum- 

 ber firm in Michigan, regarding the 

 abuse, rather than the use, of the forest 

 wealth of that section. 



That lumbermen themselves speak in 

 this vein is sufficient evidence that the 

 facts are exactly as stated, and that no 

 one can offer in rebuttal any argument 



