FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 205 



about eighteen inches wide, start the men a few rods apart and let them 

 all work in the same direction until the fire line is connected. At the same 

 time have the dead trees and stubs cut down to prevent the fire spreading 

 from bark and rotten wood, which is easily carried in the draught of the 

 flames far ahead of the main fire and trenches. Fire is kept under control 

 to great extent by throwing sand or dirt upon brush heaps while burning 

 near the fire line. 



In some cases swamps, streams and roads are used to stop fire in place 

 of trenching. It is advisable in extreme cases to back fire, that is, by making 

 a fire line at some convenient place, far enough ahead to burn back from 

 the road, swamp, stream or trench against the wind, a few rods from the 

 fire line, before the main fire comes on. 



The distance a fire line should be established ahead of a raging fire can 

 only be determined according to the speed of the fire, but this should only be 

 done in very extreme cases as the backfire is liable to go with the wind over 

 fire line and cause more damage than the original fire. After the fire is 

 under control and is still burning in the ground it is dug out around the edge 

 of the burnings into the space where the soil is burned away. It is then 

 allowed to burn out or cool. It is advisable, however, to use water where 

 it can be had to put the fire all out in such places and in this way save a 

 large amount of valuable timber, which if left to burn in the ground would 

 burn for weeks, sometimes months, slowly burning away the soil and letting 

 the timber fall in masses that will make a fire trap for years. West Moun- 

 tain Fire Station proved a success, although installed late in the season. 

 One fire was reported promptly in town of Inlet, in the Second District, ten 

 miles away, another in the town of Webb, a distance of twenty-three 

 miles ; also two bush or tie fires set under permit twelve miles away on the 

 Mohawk and Malone railroad, of which it commands about forty-six miles. 



There has been installed in the Third District since the fire season 

 two mountain stations, one on Moosehead mountain, St. Lawrence county, 

 on the Racquette river, and one on Cat mountain, St. Lawrence county, 

 south of Cranberry lake. This will give a good command of the forest 

 in St. Lawrence county and also a portion of Herkimer county. I would 

 make the following recommendations: that one station be installed on 

 Bald mountain, in the northeast end of Lewis county; also one on the 

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