82 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



down stream in a short time to facilitate the transit of the logs. 

 Sometimes thousands of logs form great "jams" against obstacles 

 in the streams, and much labor is required to break up such " jams." 

 Forest fires have wrought havoc in the Adirondacks. Hundreds 

 of square miles have been burned over, often leaving nothing of 

 value. In such cases, a second growth of any use requires many 

 years. In certain severe fires, forested mountains have been so 

 thoroughly denuded that even the sod has been consumed, leaving 

 nothing but mountains of barren rocks. One of the most severe fires 

 of this kind in recent years devasted many square miles in the 

 vicinity of Long Lake West on the Adirondack Division of the New 

 York Central Railroad in 1908. Shortly after this great fire, the 

 State adopted a system of fire watchmen on various prominent peaks 

 throughout the Adirondacks. During the season when fires are 

 likely, these watchmen, supplied with maps, field glasses and tele- 

 phone, scan the forests in all directions. Immediately upon the dis- 

 covery of a fire, the nearest fire warden, notified by telephone, goes 

 out, with assistants if necessary, to fight the fire. Since this plan 

 has been adopted, disastrous fires have been very notably reduced. 



