IOO REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



learned that this fire was on Oakham Township in St. Lawrence county, about 

 eleven miles away. As there are no people living in that vicinity, I telegraphed to 

 Mr. Emery P. Gale, a firewarden residing near Childwold Park, to warn out a party 

 to go there. Mr. Charles H. Sisson, of the Sherman Lumber Co., Tupper Lake, 

 kindly volunteered to go over to Oakham and ascertain for me the location and 

 extent of the fire, concerning which I was unable to obtain any particulars, while 

 the alarming mass of smoke made it a matter of grave concern. The news soon 

 came, however, that Gale and his men were at work and had stopped the progress 

 of the flames. 



Leaving the burned district at Tupper Lake in charge of Firewarden Le Bouef 

 and his assistants, I took the train for Fulton Chain in response to a telegram 

 informing me that a fire had broken out on the summit of Black Bear Mountain, in 

 Hamilton county, near Seventh Lake. 



With the exception of the Indian Lake fire, the others were on waste or brush 

 lands and in old burnings, involving no destruction of merchantable timber or large 

 hardwood trees. In fact, this was the case with nearly all the fires last season. 

 But this fire on Black Bear Mountain was not only destroying a good piece of virgin 

 forest, but it was on State land. In going up Fourth Lake the mountain was in 

 full view and smoking like a volcano. When night came the summer people in 

 large numbers went out in boats to witness the spectacle which the towering flames 

 produced. Arriving on the ground I found that little was being done to check it, 

 for the firewarden lived in the south part of the town of Morehouseville, about 

 thirty miles distant and with no connecting road. To get there he would have to 

 go around by rail and steamer, a day's journey ; and he had neglected to appoint a 

 district firewarden for this part of his town, which, except in the summer months, 

 has but very few residents. 



Having an extended acquaintance with the people in each locality, I had no dif- 

 ficulty in finding a competent man who was willing to serve as district firewarden, 

 and accordingly arranged with Fred. Kirch, a local guide, to take charge of this fire. 

 He immediately warned out a large posse and went up the mountain with them. 

 By the next day he had the fire trenched and under control. This fire was started 

 by a picnic party of summer people, who left their coffee fire burning. 



Returning to the railroad station at Fulton Chain I took the train to Loon 

 Lake, in Franklin county, where fires had also been reported to me by telegraph. I 

 found everything there well in hand, owing to the efficiency of Mr. Henry N. Paye, 

 the firewarden for the town of Franklin. Mr. Ferd. W. Chase, who has a large hotel 

 property there, had also assisted by sending out some of the men in his employ. 



