FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. IOl 



While at Loon Lake I received a telegram to return to Old Forge. From there 

 I went through the chain to the head of Fourth Lake to be sure that the Black 

 Bear mountain fire was receiving proper attention. Meeting Kirch that evening, he 

 assured me that he had the fire under complete control, which was evident on going 

 up the lake, there being little or no smoke in sight. 



In the meantime alarming reports of fresh fires were received from the Lower 

 Saranac district, and it became necessary to go there as soon as possible. 



It should be explained here that, owing to the alarming conditions, arrange- 

 ments were made with Governor Roosevelt and Comptroller Morgan for a special 

 emergency fund which enabled us to hire men and pay them without waiting for 

 the slow methods provided in the law. 



Arriving at Saranac Lake at daybreak, Protector Vosburgh was instructed to go 

 through the town .and hire all the men he could. On passing through Township 20 

 during the night, several fires were noticed along the railroad which had been 

 kindled by locomotive sparks. Vosburgh's crew, well equipped with the necessary 

 implements, was loaded on a special train before noon, and went down the line, 

 dropping off parties of men at different places on Township 20, wherever a fire had 

 started. Chief Protector Pond joined the party here and rendered valuable assist- 

 ance in superintending some of the work. 



Having distributed the men at different points of danger, the train was ordered 

 to run to Loon Lake so that we could ascertain the condition of affairs in that 

 locality. The fires in that vicinity being evidently under control, the train 

 returned to Saranac Junction. While waiting there to pass the express, dark, heavy 

 columns of smoke could be seen rolling up from a large fire in the vicinity of 

 Paul Smith's station, where the open, waste lands at that place were being burned 

 over by a fire caused by locomotive sparks. Our train had just passed through 

 the edge of this fire as we came from Loon Lake. Another and more serious 

 conflagration was raging in the opposite direction, along the line of the junction 

 railroad, and traveling towards the Ampersand Hotel. Finding that there were 

 enough men working at these fires to prevent the flames from spreading, the train 

 was ordered to Tupper Lake, passing on our way there the fires of Township 20, at 

 which Vosburgh's gangs were at work with evident success. 



At Tupper Lake Junction we found the fires substantially out ; but the open 

 country which adjoins the station on every side was still smoking hot for a mile or 

 more in every direction, with a fringe of little brush fires along the border of the 

 burned district where the men were still at work trenching. 



While at the Junction I received a telegram from Mr. James Hickey, Indian 



