80 Fourth Annual Report of the 



one of safety. If coal burners are surely safe, they should be 

 allowed, if unsafe, they should be disallowed and in either case 

 without regard to the question of expense — at least while that 

 question falls within the limits of the present alleged difference 

 in operation cost between the two methods. 



" 3. The only sure way to safeguard against forest fires is to 

 prevent setting fires in or near to forest lands; and since neither 

 sparks nor coals are produced by the burning of oil, which is a 

 fluid and leaves no ash that can be identified in the oil burning 

 locomotive we have an absolutely effective means of preventing 

 railroad fires from locomotive operation; whereas live coals and 

 sparks are bound to appear in the combustion of coal under 

 forced draft, and accordingly in the coal burning type of locomo- 

 tive we have safety only to the extent that the escape of sparks 

 and the dropping of live coals can be prevented. 



" 4. While substantial progress has been made in the develop- 

 ment of a coal burning type of locomotive which will not throw 

 sparks nor drop live coals, it has not yet been demonstrated that 

 in the continuous operation of these devices the danger risk will 

 be reduced to that minimum which under existing conditions in 

 the Forest Preserve must properly remain as the standard for 

 regulative guidance in railroad operation." 



Fires to clear land or fallow fires were once one of the agencies 

 which caused a large proportion of our fires. These fires are now 

 regulated. A permit must be obtained before such fires can be 

 legally set. The result is that it is the exception when they cause 

 a forest fire, and if they do so they are illegally set. These fires 

 amounted to but 20 in number, or 5 per cent, of the total, and 

 only one did appreciable damage. The results obtained in this 

 case suggest a solution of campers' and other fires, if such pre- 

 ventive methods become necessary. 



We have, when necessity required, and when in our judgment 

 public safety would be amply guarded, appointed as special forest 

 ranger without pay, one or more reliable employees of a firm which 

 had a large amount of burning. This person had to be there during 

 the burning, had authority to issue permits and make reports to 

 us, thus saving the expense of detailing a ranger. The result has 

 been satisfactory. 



