282 THE PRINCIPLES OF HANDLING WOODLANDS 



this strip of timber. The theory is that the trees on the 

 timbered strip will catch the sparks thrown beyond the 

 right of wav. Any fire set by these sparks on the tim- 

 bered strip will be stopped by the second fire-line. 



This principle has been used in a number of instances 

 in this country. One good example is found in a hard- 

 wood forest in southern New York. A railroad runs 

 through the tract, along a stream valley. The stream 

 acts as a fire-line on the low side of the railroad, but the 

 opposite side is exposed to frequent fires resulting from 

 the sparks escaping from the locomotives. A stretch of 

 several miles is on a steep grade, and the locomotives, 

 under forced draft, throw out great showers of burning 

 cinders, and no spark-arresters whatever are used. As a 

 protection, a fire-line, varying in width from 8 to 1 5 feet, 

 has been constructed on a bench at a distance of from 50 

 to 150 feet from the railroad. The strip between the 

 line and the railroad is left untouched. A patrolman 

 rides over the strip about the time the trains going up 

 grade pass by. Ordinarily the small fires are extin- 

 guished by beating. In case, however, a number of 

 fires are started by a train, as often happens, one or two 

 of them burn over the strip to the fire-line before the 

 patrolman can reach them. The strip is so narrow, how- 

 ever, that they gain little headway, and are absolutely 

 stopped by the fire-line. 



In mountainous country, fire-lines are located with 

 reference to the topography. Where roads are used, or 

 fire-lines are made that are intended to be used later as 



