RAILWAY FOREST FIRES 15 



and passenger traffic, as well as in raising the price of ties and other 

 wood products which the railway companies must purchase for their 

 own use. A perfect example of the latter point is furnished by the 

 railway lines running through western Ontario, where, as a result of 

 repeated forest fires, even tie timber has become so scarce that large 

 supplies must be brought in from great distances, at a very great added 

 cost per year. The more progressive of the railway officials themselves 

 are rapidly coming to a full realization of this situation, so that on the 

 whole a very satisfactory desire to co-oper!ate was found to exist on 

 the part of most of the men with whom conferences were held. 



In determining the measures to be taken, the prevention of fires 

 was the great consideration, but provision was also required for the 

 control of such fires as might get started. It was recognized that while 

 locomotives form the chief source of fire danger along railway lines, 

 they are by no means the only source, since fires are undoubtedly 

 started by people travelling on foot along the right-of-way, as well as 

 by lighted cigars and cigarettes thrown from trains. 



Patrols. — Under regulations ii and 12, special patrols were 

 required in forest sections wherever the fire danger was suffi- 

 ciently great to demand such action. Under ordinary conditions 

 of grade and traffic, each patrolman was reqtiired to be equipped with 

 a velocipede (hand-speeder). Where the fire danger was great, each 

 man was required to make two round trips per day over his beat, 

 which consisted of from 6 to 15 miles of track, according to conditions. 

 Where one round trip per day would suffice, the length of the patrol 

 district was extended correspondingly. On the heaviest grades only 

 foot-patrols were practicable, these covering from 5 to 10 miles of track 

 each. Where the train traffic was light, as on some of the lines in 

 Southern British Columbia, and elsewhere, it was found practicable 

 to prescribe patrols by power speeder. In this case the patrol 

 district varied from 20 to 50 miles, according to conditions. Power 

 speeders are, however, not practicable for patrol where there is much 

 train traffic, on account of the danger to the patrolman. So far as 

 practicable, track- walkers and bridge and tunnel watchmen were 

 utilized on special patrol work, thus materially decreasing the cost to 

 the railway company. 



On portions of the line where the fire danger did not require the 

 establishment of a separate force of special patrolmen, the section-men, 

 track-waUcers, and bridge and tunnel watchmen were charged with 

 fire protection as a part of their regular work. In some cases two round 

 trips per day over the line were required, and in others only one. The 

 efficiency of this patrol, as also of the other classes, was greatly strength- 



