522 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



lay in the fact that persons who wished The approximate average cost of a 



to burn the woods could watch the tower on the Ozark Forest is as follows : 



movements of the patrolmen and set 



, ATA, Cost of tower f. o. b. factory $03.00 



fires during their absence. Thus sev- Te i e phone instrument 24.00 



eral fires could be started and given the Range finder s.oo 



opportunity to spread past control be- Tools, dynamite, and miscellaneous 5.00 

 fore the patrolmen returned. This Freight and hauling .__ 25.00 

 fully demonstrated the need for per- 

 manent lookout points from which fires Total $150.00 



could be accurately located immediately 



upon their appearance. The patrol- Description of tower: 



men, it is true, maintained an inter- Weight.. 1.440 pounds 



mittent lookout in riding point to point, pj^Jim" " " 5'x5' 



where tall trees had been trimmed and Capacity." 5 persons 



made climable by the insertion of tele- Safe load 16,000 pounds 



phone pole steps, but this was insuf- Depth of anchor plates 5 feet 



ficJent Spread between posts at 



"At this point, Mr. Adams, then Su- 

 pervisor of the Arkansas National For- As soon as a fire is reported by a 

 est, introduced his ingenious ideas in lookout the district ranger takes steps 

 watch towers and fire-fighting appara- to extinguish it. Each ranger district 

 tus. His success encouraged the adop- is subdivided, as streams and roads dic- 

 tion of a scheme of steel lookout tow- tate, into fire-fighting units, in each of 

 ers. The system installed on the Ozark which a reliable settler is designated 

 during the fall of 1911 includes seven .as "selected fire-fighter" and supplied 

 64-foot towers and 120 miles of tele- with complete fire-fighting equipment, 

 phone line. The towers, with square consisting of potato rakes, wooden 

 open platform, are placed upon the brooms, canvas sprinkling buckets, and 

 highest points of vantage with least ob- pack bags. He has also a title and 

 structed view. Each tower is connected topographic map of his unit which en- 

 with the others by telephone, and is ables him quickly and intelligently to 

 equipped with a special telephone in- plan his action. As a rule each "selected 

 strument and dial range finder. The fire-fighter" is connected indirectly to 

 range finder, a German silver plate 1-16 the ranger station and lookout tower 

 of an inch thick and 10 inches square, by a neighborhood telephone line, 

 inscribed with a compass circle, is se- When a line of communication is lack- 

 curely mounted on the apex of the four ing the "selected fire-fighter" is reached 

 posts of the tower in the center of the by a mounted messenger, 

 platform, at a convenient height for the As soon as a fire is reported to a 

 observer. In the center of the circle, ranger he notifies the proper "selected 

 swung on a pivot, is an arrow with fire-fighter" to hasten immediately to 

 sights. When the lookout discovers a the blaze with such tools and extra 

 smoke, he trains the sights on the fire help as he may need. Should the ranger 

 and reads the bearing indicated by the in the course of his duties be out of 

 arrow point. He then communicates touch with the lookout tower, the man 

 by telephone with a neighboring tower in charge of the tower directs the 

 and secures a cross bearing. With two "selected fire-fighter." 

 bearings he is able to notify the district This simple organization has worked 

 ranger of the exact position of the fire successfully wherever reliable men to 

 with reference to legal subdivision, serve as fire-fighters can be found and 

 topography, roads, etc. In this he is a good telephone line exists. Fires are 

 aided by the title map and protraction discovered in their beginning and ex- 

 chart showing each tower with bearings tinguished while they are still small, 

 projected for every five degrees. As The value of a tower itself lies in the 

 a check the lookout makes a detailed fact that it gives a stable and protected 

 report of his finding and action, and at support to the range finder and ele- 

 stated intervals during the day reports vates the lookout above the surround- 

 by telephone to ranger headquarters. ing brush and timber. 



