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#’ FOREST FIRES

IN MASSACHUSETTS

STATE FORESTER

wie MUS) STOP

feel FIRES
MASSACHUSETTS.

I. A Worp FROM THE STaTE FORESTER.
II. WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE Past YEAR.
Ill. Lerrers rrom Towns THAT ARE DOING SOMETHING (READ THEM AND
SEE IF yOUR TOWN IS THERE).
IY. SvucGeEstions anpD EQuIPMENT FoR ALL Towns (Forest WARDENS
TAKE NOTICE, AND LET YOUR TOWNS KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD DO).

V. Orricrat List of MASSACHUSETTS FOREST WARDENS.

BOSTON:
WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS,
- 18 Post OrriceE SQuaARE.
1909.

APPROVED BY
THE STATE BOARD OF PUBLICATION.

CONTENTS.

A word from the State Forester, .

Massachusetts forest fires of 1908,

Table on damage by causes,

Table on causes by months, .

Table on acreage and damage by months, .

Summary of fires by months,

Fire fighting and protection as carried on by enterprising towns,
Forest wardens’ letters,

On forest fire protection and apparatus,

Organization and fire lines, .

Fire patrol,

Damage by forest fires,

Miscellaneous points — extracts from wardens’ letters,

Address list of forest wardens,

PAGE

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an

ay en
Ln 2

KINGSTON FIRE, JULY, 1908.

FOREST FIRES IN MASSACHUSETTS.

I. A WORD FROM THE STATE FORESTER.

Do you know, good people of this grand old Bay State, that
annually we are allowing fires to run rampant over Massachusetts ?
We talk about putting out shade trees along our roadsides, in our
public squares and about our homes, which is all very good; but
forestry or the lumber crop is the only thing that will fill in the
background of the painting, that will produce the ideal Massachu-
setts of the future.

Forest fires have destroyed and are continuing to deplete the very
birthright of town after town, and hence the Commonwealth. Take
a trip with me throughout the State and see the utter wanton waste
and destructiveness of man on every hand. Lands by the thousands
of acres are to-day standing idle that but yesterday bore magnificent
primeval forests from which it is said the graceful spars of the
English navy were cut. These same soils, whether barren, rocky,
sandy, hilly or mountainous, the veritable eyesores of the State, are
as capable as ever of producing noble forests at our bidding, pro-
vided we, as people, rise to the occasion by stifling the fire demon,
and educating our present and coming generations to the im-
portance of so grand and beneficial a work as the practice of modern
forestry.

The time has come, as a business proposition alone, leaving out
the great «esthetic value, when we can ill afford not to establish
definite fundamental principles of constructive forestry in this
State. Two and one-half million acres of non-agricultural lands,
producing a thousand feet board measure of white pine per acre,
for example, per year, at stumpage value of $5 to $10, would mean
an income of $12,000,000 to $25,000,000 a year. Is this not worth
thinking of ?

Was there ever a State more worthy of our endeavors? The
eastern part of the State presents one aspect, the beautiful Berk-
shires another and the grand old Cape country is pathetically in
need of our special attention. Every part of Massachusetts is a

6

natural forest country, and were we to move out of the State, nature
would reclothe the whole territory in a relatively short time. This
fact alone is suggestive enough, and if we will but stop fires and
assist nature we must succeed.

This bulletin on the subject of forest fires is published that our
people may realize more fully the exact condition, and especially
for the benefit of our forest wardens and their deputies, that they
may know what other towns in the State are doing, thereby gaining
new ideas and being enabled more intelligently to accomplish good
results in their own communities.

The State Forester is proud of the showing that the forest
wardens have made in their first year of service, and desires in
every way possible to assist and further their public-spirited en-
deavors.

It certainly is hoped that this bulletin will be made use of and
that some good will result therefrom.

II. MASSACHUSETTS FOREST FIRES OF 1908.

The past year has been one of great interest to any one interested
in the forest fire situation in Massachusetts.

In the first place, it is the first and trial year of the new system
of forest fire fighting. Forest fire work in each town is in charge
of an officer called a forest warden, who is appointed by the local
authorities, their choice being confirmed by the State Forester. In
cities and towns having an organized fire department, the chief is
usually the forest warden, or a deputy. The warden does his fire
fighting in the interest of and at the expense of the town, but
reports the fires, with their extent and damage, to the State For-
ester. The reports which were sent in this year form the material
out of which the following tables were made, and make a valuable
contribution to the knowledge of forest fires, concerning their causes
and extent, etc.

In the second place, the season of 1908 was one of extraordinary
drought, — a condition extremely favorable to the spread of forest
fires and to increasing their damage, for when the ground is dry,
the fire burns deeply into the soil. This drought, caused by a defi-
ciency of 17 per cent. in the annual rainfall, was intensified at times
by more than the usual number of high winds.

We have, then, a new system of fire protection and of collecting
the data, started in a year calling for unusual activity. Let us
examine the results.

TABLE 1.— General Table on Damage and Acreage, by Causes.

| |

a 3 E
$ I s 2
i = a ; , cs 2
E 3 0 a et) 2
3 FE 5 £ a 8 Ss 3 a
ce ie ee Re aa Cle a
=) 2] Q na Q 3) fa = =
Number of fires re- 337 539 96 lll 58 18 11 209 1,379

ported.
Reports having dam- |$72,936 |$27,938 |$18,000 |$28,000 183,500 7,000 |$2,500 |$49,874 |$209,748
age estimated.
Damage on burned | $7,749 | $4,369 | $2,913 | $5,040 | $800 |$1,603 | $700 | $7,492 | $40,396
acreage not given
in reports, esti-
mated.
Total damage, . + |$90,415 |$82,307 |$20,913 |$33,040 |$4,300 |$8,603 |$3,200 |$57,366 |$250,144

Burned area on 6,491 | 3,840] 3,958 | 5,163 957 957 | 1,796 | 4,578 | 27,740
which damage was
reported (acres), -

Burned area op 23.4 13.8 14.2 18.6 3.4 3.4 6.4 16.8 -
whichdamage was
reported (per
cent.).

Burned area for 1,638 966 994 | 1,302 238 238 448 | 1,176 7,002
which no damage
was given (acres).

Burned area not tab- - - - - - = - - 4,596
ulated by months
(acres).

Total area reported - - - - - - - - 991
as not damaged
(acres).

Total acreage = - - = = = - -| 40,327
burned (acres).

There are 342 towns and cities in the Commonwealth which have
forest wardens, out of which, 234, or 68 per cent., reported that
they had 1,379 fires; 15, or 5 per cent., reported that they had no
fires ; 93, or 27 per cent., sent in no reports. Just how many of this
last class had fires to report and neglected to do so it is impossible
to state, but it must have been many, because we cannot believe
that all these towns were without fires when their neighbors were
reporting many. Probably about 20 per cent. should be added to
the figures in the table for the number, acreage and damage of fires,
to allow for the negligence of these wardens.

The number of acres reported as burned over was 40,327. Esti-
mating the forest area of the State at 2,500,000 acres, — and to do
this we have to include all the scrub growth and thinly stocked
pasture, — we find that 1 acre in 62 has been burned. Looking at
it in another way, it means that the entire forest area of the State
might be burned over every sixty-two years. Taking the entire land
area of the State, it is 1 acre in 123. On the United States national
forests it is 1 in 10,000 acres, and in Germany 1 in 15,000 acres
which are annually burned.

8

The average damage per acre was $6.20, and the total damage
$250,000. To this should be added 20 per cent., or $50,000, for
towns not reporting, making a total estimated damage caused by
forest fires in 1908 of $300,000. Even with the allowances made
we do not arrive at the true damage caused by forest fires, because,
for reasons which will be discussed in another chapter, it is exceed-
ingly difficult to reduce the damage to terms of dollars and cents,
and, indeed, some of it cannot be so estimated. The damage caused
by fire in woodlands is in the long run greatly underrated.

In the following table, which is not quite complete, because it was
made up before all the reports came in, we have the number of fires
arranged by causes and months. We find a great variety of causes,
26 in all, not including the large number in the column headed
unknown. ;

Railroads are the largest producers of forest fires, with nearly
40 per cent. of the total. Next comes the unknown, with 25 per
cent. Then there is 8 per cent. caused by smokers and 7 per cent.
from burning brush. If some of the unknown fires could be traced
out, probably smokers would figure more heavily in the total. In-
cendiary and boys setting fires maliciously, which we imagine is
much the same thing, together make 11 per cent.

It ought to be noted that of all the 1,299 fires, 5, or .3 per cent.,
which were set by lightning, were the only ones which were abso-
lutely not preventable. The rest in large part could have been pre-
vented if people would go to the same lengths that they do in cities.
A small city of 25,000 population, with a property valuation of
$20,000,000, spends about $30,000 a year on its fire department, or
an expenditure of $1.50 per $1,000 of the valuation. Information
collected in 1906 by the State Forester showed that in 1905 311
towns spent $30,000 for fighting fires. The forested area of the
State can be roughly valued at $50,000,000, which makes the ex-
penditure on forest fires about 60 cents per $1,000 of their valua-
tion. With proper care and safeguards we could attain such a
condition as that in Prussia, where in twenty-five years only 1,400
acres were burned over on the average each year, or .02 of 1 per
cent. In Bavaria, during five years it averaged only .007 of 1 per
cent. of the total forest area. Compare this with an enlightened
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with an average of 1 per cent.
or more.

TABLE 2.— Fires by Causes and Months.

5 B ;
es. a | 8 e
Causes or Forest Fires. eer fel ei 8] 2| 8/aisé
(>) ma ia) Eo = Se > $ he
3 Pa <) = E} = ® 2 } ° ©
=e Fe S>!ldj/a|jo} al] a a
Berry pickers, . . - - = - 9 1 - 1 - ll ~
Blasting fuse, . : - - - = - 1 - - - 1
Boys setting fires maliciously, . a ees | 38 - - L | 12 2 58 | 4.0
Burning brush Ne . -| 58] 21 3 3 2 2 6 - 90 | 7.0
Campers’ fires, - i - - - - - - - 1 -
Carelessness, 1 3 2 6 - ~ 1 2 1 16 -
Children playing with matches, 1 2 3 1 - - 1 4 1 13) 1.0
Coals dumped ‘by locomotives - 2 - 2 - ~ ~ - - 4 -
and others.
Cranberry pickers, é - - - - - - 1 - - 1 -
Fire balloons, . . F - - - ~ 2 - - - - 2 -
Firecrackers, 5 s : - - - - 3 - - - - 3 -
Grass fires, . - 1 6 - - - - - 4 - ll -
Gypsy Moth Commission men, j 2 1 1 - 1 - 2 - - ‘l -
Hunters, a - - - - - - isi) iG 1 18} 1.5
Incendiary, - -| 48] 16 5 4 - -| 16 3 92} 7.0
Lightning, . - - - 1 4 - - ~ - 5 45)
Locomotive sparks, 2 8/199 | 93] 29] 65 2 5| 68| 21] 490] 38.0
Picnic and May parties, - 2 = = - - - 2 - 4 -
Rubbish fire, - 7 5 1 1 - ~ 1 1 16 ~
Section men burning railroad - 3 - - - - - - - 3 -
ties and brush.
Smokers’ pipes, cigars, cigar- 3 | (389) 239)" 10)) 13 1 5; 14 By) EL 880.
ettes and matches.
Steam portable sawmill, . . - - 6 4 1 - 1 - - 12} 1.0
Tramps setting fire, . 5 c - 1 - 1 - ~ 1 ~ 3
Unknown, . 4/105 | 39| 28] 35 3| 21) 74 5 | 314 | 25.0
Sparks from burning buildings, - - - - 3 - - 2 - 5 -
Sparks from forest fires, - - - - 2 - - 3 - 5 -
Wood choppers cooking, 2 5 - - - - - - ~ 2 1 3 -
Motilae es oe Se OL | 500 | 220; 93| 147] 10] 41| 228] 39]1,299| -

SUMMARY BY MoNTHs.

The following is a brief summary of the fires for each month,
the object being to show the effect of different seasons on the
frequency of forest fires. It may be said in passing that ordinarily
the danger season runs from the 15th of March to the 1st of June
and from the 15th of September to the 1st of December, but on
account of the drought conditions which existed last year the sum-
mer season was little different from the spring and fall in its lia-
bility to fire.

The following table gives the acreage burned and the resulting
damage for each month. It is not quite complete, as some of the
wardens withheld their reports until the close of the year, too late
to be included with the others, but their number is small and they
do not materially affect the comparison. ,

10

TABLE 3.— Acreage and Damage by Months.

Montus. ’ Acres. Damage. Dareee ver
March, . - 5 3 6 4 o 5 236 $420 $1 78
PSSST LS Oe Roane Ah > SO Pa 16,262 52,731 325
May, m . 5 5 5 o u . 5,856 48,506 8 28
June, J 6 n c 5 . c : 1,195 17,824 14 91
July, C cd 6 4 2 “ 6,109 28,783 4 71
August, - A ss 5 5 ‘ 0 C 1,567 22,320 14 25
September, . é : : : 5 1,062 3,140 2 95
October, .- ; 0 : o : C 6 7,084 29,960 4 22
November ie ee ee ee 301 1,468 4 88
Totals, a ° : 2 5 . : 39,672 $205,152 -
March.

Many towns failed to make reports of forest fires during the early
days of March, because the new system of appointing forest wardens
did not become established in smooth running order until the latter
part of the month. The figures for this month are not, therefore,
worth analyzing.

April.

During this month woodland conditions were extremely favorable
to the spread of forest fires. Not only was the rainfall light, but a
succession of strong winds from the northwest blew much of the
time. The consequence was that the moisture in the upper soil
was quickly dried, leaving the débris on the forest floor in an in-
flammable condition.

The wardens’ reports for Sunday the 26th and Thursday the 23d
amounted to 40 fires for each day, the record for the year. Sunday
the 5th and the 12th, the latter the date of the Chelsea fire, were
next in order. Three Sundays in April show a total of 148 fires,
almost one-third the total for the month.

Prominent among the causes were locomotives, equal to 39.8 per
cent., and burning brush, 10.6 per cent. Next in order came fires
caused by discarded smoking material, equal to 7.8 per cent.

Wardens’ returns in April show the largest area burned and the
greatest estimated damage for the whole season. As compared with
some other months the per acre damage was less, but this may have

if.

been accounted for by the fact that more moisture lay near the
surface than later in the season, which prevented the fire burning
very deep or long enough in one place to do much damage.

May.

The largest number of fires for any one day in this month came
on the 19th, being 25 in all, or 11 per cent. of the total. The prin-
cipal causes were locomotives, 41 per cent., smokers, 10.4 per cent.,
and burning brush, 9.5 per cent. Fires set deliberately were 5 per
cent. of the total, while the remaining 25 per cent. were due to
unknown or scattering causes.

Most of the spring rains this year came in May and gave the
grass and verdure a good start, nevertheless it did not prevent the
fires in May from being more destructive than those in April, their
per acre damage being $8.28, as against $3.25 for the previous
month.

June.

According to expectations June reveals a marked reduction in
point of number of fires. May showed a falling off over April, and
June has 127 less fires than May.

The dry weather continued, with a showing of 31.2 per cent. for
locomotive fires, a reduction from May and April of nearly one-
fourth, due probably to the infrequency of high winds. Smokers
with 11 per cent. and 5 per cent. for boys are about the same as
the average of the previous months.

The acreage burned in June was 4,661 less than that of May
and the damage $30,682 smaller.

July.

The lack of rain in June produced a drought in July, which dried
up the growing vegetation so that fire ran through the green leaves
almost as freely as through the dead débris of previous years.

Forest warden reports reveal an increase of 54 fires over June,
whereas a decrease in the number would ordinarily be expected.

The most prolific source of fires was again the railroads, with 44.2
per cent., an increase of 13 per cent. over the figures for the pre-
vious month. Smokers maintain their average with 8.8 per cent.
Fires escaping from persons burning up brush while clearing land,
either because insufficient aid was at hand to keep them in check or
because they were left overnight unattended, amounted to only 2

12

per cent. of the whole number, while in April, which is the brush-
burning season, such fires were the second largest cause.

It may be here remarked that fires from this cause are exceed-
ingly reprehensible, because they are quite unnecessary when proper
precautions are observed. Such fires cannot be classed as purely
accidental.

August.

Fires in August were the least in point of numbers of any month
of the season. To offset this advantage, however, they proved quite
destructive and burned over a large area.

Locomotives lead the list of causes, with 20 per cent. of the
month’s total. Burning brush also foots up to 20 per cent., which
points to a complete disregard of responsibility on the part of per-
sons starting such fires at an unseasonable time of the year and in
the face of a severe drought. Smokers furnished 10 per cent.

The fires of August were more extensive than usual, for although
July had fourteen times as many fires, their area was only three
times as great. The reason for this is not apparent.

September.

A marked increase in the number of fires appears for September
over August, the numbers being as 41 is to 10. August was unique
in having more than its normal rainfall, but September was not so
blessed.

An examination of the prominent causes shows that locomotive
fires drop to 12.2 per cent., which is far below the average. Smok-
ers were responsible for a like amount. The reports which gave
cause unknown made up 51 per cent., far too great an amount.

The estimated damage and acreage of the fires were small con-
sidering the conditions, which were as favorable to the spread of
fires as were those of some other months that show greater totals.
It is probable that much of the land particularly liable to fire, espe-
cially along the railroads, had by this time been burned over, and
was immune for the rest of the year.

October.

The second drought of the year 1908, which commenced in Sep-
tember, was by this time in full swing, so that the woodlands were
again abnormally dry. Fires of considerable extent raged, particu-
larly in the Berkshires, which up to this time had not suffered a
great deal. The acreage burned was the second largest of the sea-

13

son, although it was less than half as great as the record month of
April.

A greater loss was prevented by the timely arrival of rain during
the latter part of the month.

Locomotives, with 30 per cent. of the fires to their credit or dis-
credit, still lead, although below their yearly average. Hunters
appear, as we might expect at this time, and are the cause of 7.7
per cent. of the fires. Smokers, whom we imagine are often hunters,
fall a little below their average, and into third place, 6 per cent.
Mischievous boys were responsible for 5.3 per cent., which indicates
that the young generation need some sharp lessons to instil in them
a decent regard for other people’s property and the value of forest
land.

November.

This is the tenth and last month of the season of 1908, and the
number of fires and their damage falls abruptly. The figures for
this month are not quite complete on account of delayed reports,
but they give some clew to the fire damage which we should expect
under ordinary conditions. The figures for November are below
those of the summer months. When given average conditions, we
should expect more and serious fires in the fall, when the ground is
covered with fallen leaves.

Locomotives run high this month, with 54 per cent. of the fires,
and smokers hold to their usual average, with 7.6 per cent. Fires
set by boys amounted to 5.1 per cent.

ADDENDA.

There were three fires resulting in a severe financial loss so much
greater than the average that they are worthy of mention. On
May 19 sparks from a portable sawmill set fire to a stack of lumber
valued at $10,000. A similar loss of lumber was reported from
Carlisle June 28, caused by a lightning bolt. The heaviest single
loss was reported from Orleans, July 15, which amounted to
$15,000. Dwellers in large cities are accustomed to fires causing
far greater loss than these, but in small country towns such sums
are very considerable.

During the present season no less than nine men have been
arrested for unlawfully starting fires, which arrests resulted in the
payment of asfine or imprisonment or both.

At Clinton one forest fire fighter was burned to death and in
Franklin a man died of heart disease while fighting fire. So far
as known these were the only casualties.

14

ITI. FIRE FIGHTING AND PROTECTION AS CARRIED ON BY
ENTERPRISING TOWNS.

The best information on forest fire fighting should logically come
from those men who are doing this work, and we have therefore
included abstracts from letters of various wardens who have kindly
contributed their ideas. It is recognized that conditions vary over
the State, and that a method of forest fire fighting used in one
town may not be feasible in another. Again, this office, by publish-
ing these letters, does not by that act endorse the ideas and views
contained therein, but offers them so that the readers may draw
their own conclusions. The selection of reports has been made so
as to include some from towns with an organized fire department
as well as some without.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF FoREST WARDENS.

James W. Cutting, Forest Warden, Braintree.

Fire fighting here depends largely on general conditions and extent of
the territory, the topography and the wind. Fires are usually discovered
by a lookout on the cliff or the mill tower.

A wagon is at once driven as near the scene as possible. One man
takes an extinguisher and goes along the line, deadening the flames, while
three others follow, one of whom carries the soda pail and acid box
while the other two carry a can of water each. As soon as the cans are
emptied they are returned to the wagon and full ones are taken to the
front by one of the men, while the other takes the five empty cans for a new
supply. Men with shovels and rakes follow after the extinguisher to beat
out any remaining fire. Back fires are only resorted to in cases of par-
ticular emergency.

The town of Braintree owns an express wagon, 6 extinguishers, an acid
box containing 100 charges, 30 water cans and 18 rakes and brooms. The
soda pails are provided with hinged covers, to keep out the dirt. The
water cans have covers which prevent slopping over and pitcher mouths
for ease in filling extinguishers and to stop waste. The Star extinguishers
have been used with good results. The soda is not added to the water
until reaching the fire. In case the fire is very hot an extra charge of
soda is used, to throw the stream further. The Star will stand this extra
pressure. Soda should be sifted if lumpy, because it will not dissolve
quickly otherwise. A copper wire should be carried with each extinguisher,
to clean out the tube. To prevent the brooms from taking fire they should
be saturated with salt water. The hose should be covered with a covering
of electric tape, to prevent its being shrivelled by the heat.

On an alarm of fire our wagon picks up the men along the way. If
more men are needed than the warden’s force, the fire alarm is rung,
but no man receives pay unless put to work by the warden. The rate pre-
seribed by the town is 30 cents per hour.

BRAINTREE WAGON.

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15

Those communities provided with an electric alarm system are in a
position of advantage, as they can use a special call for forest fires, with
a resulting economy of time which is of great importance.

Experience in Braintree has shown that 6 extinguishers are sufficient
for a small crew. This would be on a basis of four men to a crew. The
supplies needed consist of 2 pails of soda and 1 of acid, in addition to
50 bottles in the carrier, 12 cans of water and 4 shovels.

The town uses the Star and Holloway extinguishers. Any re-
versible extinguisher is unreliable, according to Mr. Cutting, after
having been shaken about in the wagon. Those charged by refilling
the acid bottles take up too much time. The Holloway works by
the breaking of the bottle. The water cans have proved very handy,
rendering good service. They are made of galvanized iron, cover
attached with a chain, and with a bail handle for ease in carrying
in the woods.

John Breagy, Forest Warden, Dover.

Sometime ago the town purchased a fire wagon. As Dover has no water
system, the wagon was equipped with ladders, two or three dozen milk
cans, 18 Brict hand pumps and 6 hand chemical extinguishers.

The cans cost $9 per dozen, while the pumps were $54 per dozen and
the extinguishers were $14 apiece. The wagon without equipment cost
$500. Two 54-gallon barrels filled with water were also placed on the
wagon. The force pumps threw a stream 30 feet.

E. A. White, Chief of Fire Department and Forest Warden,
Foxborough.

The town has its own horses and a regular wagon equipped for forest
fires. The outfit consists of 8 extinguishers, 20 4-gallon milk cans, 2
tanks holding 50 gallons, and 12 shovels. A 50-pound keg of soda and 100
bottles of acid are carried along to recharge the extinguishers. The Hol-
loway extinguisher is used.

Foxborough has an alarm system, and when the warden or one of the
engineers is notified of a woods fire he sounds an alarm, which consists of
three strokes three times repeated. This calls out twelve men, picked for
forest fire work. If the required number do not appear within five minutes
a second alarm is given which calls the entire department.

At the fire four men use the extinguishers and four men follow with a
couple of cans of water each, and two men bring the soda and the acid.
Other men armed with shovels come behind to finish all remaining blaze.
In times of necessity a back fire is set, but only rarely.

Forty cents an hour is the rate prescribed by the town, and no one
outside of the regular force is hired unless the fire is extremely severe,
and then they must be well-known, good men.

The new Jaw in regard to setting fire without a permit between April
and December was adopted by the town last year and has proved a great

16

success. A printed form is used for the permits, and no one receives
one unless he can satisfy the warden that he can protect himself and
others against the spread of fire.

Edward R. Farrar, Forest Warden, Lincoln.

In Lincoln, whoever sees a forest fire notifies the nearest fire company
by telephone. There are three wagons, located in separate districts.

Besides the above-mentioned apparatus, Mr. Chas. Francis Adams has
a light express wagon which he keeps loaded with 8 extinguishers and
20 milk cans filled with water, which is always offered when needed.

On the estate of Major Higginson, near by, 12 extinguishers are kept
for a similar purpose, and 12 more may be obtained if necessary. Many
other citizens have extinguishers to be had in time of need.

When fighting forest fires we send men ahead with extinguishers and
cans of water, and behind these follow careful men with shovels, to put
out the remaining fire.

Jas. J. Shepard, Forest Warden, Pembroke.

A definite plan of operation at forest fires is followed in Pembroke.
When the apparatus arrives at the fire a man starts along the blaze with
an extinguisher. He does not stop to extinguish everything, as another
man or more follow on to put out the fire left by the first. Generally a
man or two with extinguishers can deaden the fire so that men with shovels
can complete the job. Meanwhile I set one man at work refilling ex-
tinguishers and bringing supplies of water. Cans are preferred to tanks,
as they can be carried into the woods, whereas a tank must remain in one
place and the extinguishers be carried to it.

During the drought this year I issued an order through our local paper
stating that permits for fires would not be issued until rain came. A re-
quest was also published asking for the co-operation of the people. For-
tunately we escaped the infliction of the severe fires which some of our
neighbors suffered from.

One of our wagons went to a fire located in a large house, while directly
across the road were three more buildings with the wind blowing towards
them. Our men went out on the roofs with the extinguishers, and as
fast as the shingles caught put them out. All the buildings were saved.
It was three miles from the place where the wagon was kept to the fire,
but the driver got there in eighteen minutes from the time the telephone
message was received. The above merely shows that the wagons serve
the town in more than one capacity.

The cost of our three wagons and equipment, consisting for each wagon
of 14 Standard extinguishers supplied with extra heavy cover and a patent
shutoff, 2 axes, 9 shovels, 2 lanterns, a large gong, 10 water cans, each
holding enough for two charges, a brass rail along the sides, and under
the driver’s seat 60 charges of acid and soda, was about $400 each.

Doubtless this is a more expensive wagon than others rendering similar
_ service. The bare wagon, fitted with pole, nicely painted and lettered,
cost without freight in Indiana $135. The outfitting was done here by
local men. Each extinguisher stands by itself in a case, so that there

a 4 “ oo
fe : f , mr
wt 6 in beh ‘ § ou
‘ : a? : ’

—— — |
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eV.

an al
-

Avi:

LINCOLN WAGON.

PEMBROKE FOREST WARDEN APPARATUS.

Laer am
ee

ney es
one

WILMINGTON FOREST FIRE WAGON.

17

can be no chafing against each other. The water cans are also inside a
wooden ease, where their slop will not wet the chemicals.

I presume a wagon might be fitted up, less the price of the extinguishers
and water cans, for $150.

Thomas Maher, Chief of Fire Department and Forest Warden,
Milford.

The regular supply wagon of the department is used to carry the forest
fire apparatus, which consists of 6 extinguishers, shovels and brooms. The
forest fire alarm consists of 5 strokes, and all the men report at the station.
From six to ten men are taken along on the wagon and they are paid 25
cents per hour.

_ Mr. Maher also says that back fires may be required in some
instances, but they are often more disastrous than the original ones.

S. T. Parker, Forest Warden, Wakefield.

Wakefield has furnished apparatus for forest fires valued at $1,400.
This apparatus consists of 268 Johnson pumps of the double acting variety,
500 buckets and a few cans. Forty oil barrels were purchased and sunk
in the ground in the woods, at a cost of $1 each, for a reserve supply
of water.

When a man receives a pump he signs a receipt for it, agreeing to
report at any fire within half a mile. Failing in this he gives up the
pump. The pumps may be used for other purposes, but they must be
kept in condition for immediate use. :

Very little time is lost before men are working at the fire, and it
seldom burns more than three or four hours. When the fire is too hot
in front work is confined to the flanks, and the fire is gradually nar-
rowed down until put out. In a dry season a trench is dug and water
turned in to prevent the fire from running under ground.

Water for the pumps is found in brooks and ponds, with which Wake-
field is well supplied, and from the water barrels mentioned before.

Every fire is investigated and the cause is usually discovered. If boys
set fire their parents are notified, and if they are caught again they are
brought before the Board. The warden keeps a record of every fire, its
extent, cause and damage.

J. M. Hill, Chief Fire Department and Forest Warden, Wilmington.

The town has two single express wagons which are equipped with 20
10-quart cans with stoppers attached, 6 Johnson pumps, 6 shovels and 3
brooms each. The wagons are kept at opposite ends of the town.

Men report voluntarily, and if the fire is a small one the warden or
deputy takes fhe wagon with two or three men and goes to it. If more
men are needed the fire alarm is sounded. The signal is one blast fol-
lowed by the box number sounded thrice.

18

Mr. Hill thinks that good results are obtained with water and
hand pumps, especially in his section, where on account of the rocky
soil there is little chance of using a shovel. Quickness in reaching
the fire he considers is paramount. He resorts to back fires when
a large number of men are at hand, and then only when necessary.

Herbert Morrissey, Forest Warden, Plymouth.

Fires are controlled by chemical extinguishers, and after the flames
have been deadened, men with shovels finish the work by throwing on sand.
Close watch is kept on fires, the men remaining overnight if necessary.
The area burned is patrolled at least once the next day. When the fires
are too hot to combat from the front this work is carried on at the flanks,
gradually narrowing in the line until it is all put out by the men meeting
in the middle of the line.

The town owns about 100 extinguishers and has three especially equipped
wagons. Two of these wagons carry 12 extinguishers each and the other
14. The wagons are also equipped with tanks holding 50 gallons and covers
holding an equal amount, which are put on the ground and the tanks
emptied into them, the wagons then going for a new supply. Compart-
ments of acid and soda are fitted into the wagon, and shovels, hoes and
brooms are provided.

Two men remain at the wagon to refill the empty extinguishers as they
are brought in. Besides the extinguishers on the wagons, each of the
twenty deputy wardens have 4, which they bring to the fire with them.
All the extinguishers have straps, so that they may be slung on a man’s
back. One extinguisher will deaden the fire on a line from 50 to 100
yards in length on one charge.

Plymouth is, we believe, unique in having an iron watch tower on
one of the highest hills in the town, for the detection of forest fires.
The tower is of steel lattice work construction, similar to that of a
windmill, and with a sheet-iron cabin at the top. The tower is 85
feet tall, the hill 165 feet above the sea, so that gives the watchman
a total elevation of 250 feet. It is connected by telephone with Mr.
Morrissey’s house. The watchman who stays up here during the
dry seasons has a strong glass and thus is given a clear view over
many miles of country.

When fires are severe and the situation critical Mr. Morrissey does
not hesitate to use back fires, which are handled as follows : —

The warden places his men along a road, if convenient, or along
a line of freshly dug earth extending across the face of the fire. A
man with a torch goes along the road setting the back fire. Men
with shovels are stationed at short intervals along the road, ready
to deaden the flames or to stop them from jumping the road to the

ONE OF THE WAGONS OF THE PLYMOUTH FOREST WARDEN.

OBSERVATION POST OF FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT ON RESER-
VOIR HILL, PLYMOUTH, 248 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL.

19

woods behind. Within these woods are stationed men with extin-
guishers, indicated in the diagram by large black dots. These men
stand ready to put out all incipient fires lighted by flying sparks,
and hasten forward to the aid of the men on the line when called.

u

SRT c= ¥ o LONE Tay ; uF

DZONE NS PLY MOUTH METHOD
aac y SW Sao) 4 or

ap ©) BACK FIRING

WIND + OIRECTION

MAIN FIRE
WITH THE WIND

In Plymouth fires set by locomotives are usually put out by the
section men, but when the forest warden is called the railway com-
pany reimburses the town for the expense.

Permission to build fires in the open must be obtained from the
warden. Cranberry bog owners are treated with leniency when
obliged to build smudge fires to protect their crops from frost. All
fires for clearing up brush are guarded by a wagon and crew, the
owner of the property paying the charge for the protection.

C. H. Trowbridge, Forest Warden, Oakham.

When a forest fire breaks out the warden telephones all persons having
fire extinguishers to turn out, and then, taking what men and extinguishers
he can muster, he hastens to the fire at once.

At the fire it is the custom of the warden to have three or four men
follow him along the line to pass forward loaded extinguishers and take
back empty ones for recharging.

Water for recharging the extinguishers is brought in cans from the
nearest supply. Much of the advantage of extinguishers over a chemical
wagon is that they may be carried with their cans to inaccessible places
in the woods.

20

Oakham owns 34 extinguishers, which have been placed in private houses
throughout the town. Many more persons applied for them than could be
supplied. Next year the town intends to buy enough to supply the de-
mand. The first ones cost $18, but a substantial reduction was obtained
by ordering a large quantity. While there are many kinds of extinguishers,
those most effective at woods fires are provided with an arrangement
which cuts off the stream by means of a valve which stops the flow of
acid. Such a device saves the remainder of the soda charge, so that it
may be used at intervals when needed. Those chemicals using the whole
charge are useful in buildings. Every small town should have some such
protection as this of Oakham. Many houses have been saved here by
extinguishers when a bad fire seemed inevitable.

J. A, Healy, Forest Warden, Westford.

I will give you the list of the fire tools of the town of Westford: 30
shovels, 30 hand pumps, 12 extinguishers, 60 pails.
Enelosed find picture of fire wagon.

F. B. Knapp, Forest Warden, Duxbury.

Our woodland area covers about two-thirds that of the town, and pro-
duces cord wood, box boards and some better lumber. It forms part of
a continuous forest extending into adjoining towns, but is split up by
roads, ponds and open spaces. There are numerous isolated farms liable
to damage from forest fires.

Our liability to fire is considerable. A railroad runs the length of the
town, many strangers come for mayflowers in the spring and cranberry
bogs are in process of construction. The soil is light and the woods get
very dry.

The town is liberal in its appropriation and appreciates our efforts.
Telephones are pretty common, and the men turn out well. We are in
close touch with the railroad people and co-operate with them.

The forest warden and fire departments are technically distinct, but
work together. I am chief of the fire department, and all of the engineers
are deputy wardens. One commissary looks after all of the apparatus.

We have 2 60-gallon hand combination fire engines (used for forest
fires when specially called out), 4 forest fire wagons, and several private
ones used at times, 100 3-gallon Standard extinguishers scattered through-
out the town, shovels, mattocks, ete.

The fire wagons vary, but this one is typical: A light, one-horse express
wagon, 4 extinguishers, 6 boxes, each with 6 charges of chemicals, 16
3-gallon Marshfield cans, not completely filled (on account of weight), 10
shovels, 2 mattocks, 2 axes, 2 lanterns, torches.

We spread the alarm of fire by direct telephoning and by bells. In
times of great danger a man is stationed in a church belfry.

We are inaugurating a system of outlooks in conjunction with the
Plymouth fire tower. Our tower is the Standish monument, on Captain’s
Hill. From these two points the compass bearings of an incipient fire
can be read and telephoned to a central station. These lines are then
run out on the United States geological survey map, allowance being

. goad er
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Ay

WESTFORD FIRE WAGON.

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21

made for the difference between the true and magnetic north. If the
compass readings are correct the intersection of the two lines gives the
position of the fire.

RQ 5 Forest Fire

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® PAS
a FRR fo
&, tO tees
Ly
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es Com bass Heddings —_—
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DIAGRAM oe :
SHOWING METHOS aie ‘s
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OF LOCAT| N & FIRES > A [Incipient

NS | Forest Fire
ws, Several Miles
From Either Tower

At a small fire we do not attempt any thorough organization, but we
organize at serious fires as follows. All are familiar with the organization,
either through experience or printed instructions.

Chief.— The forest warden or deputy of the district. Does not stay at
any one point, but overlooks the whole line. Informs himself carefully as
to the extent of the fire and picks out the critical points. If the attack
on one line is unsuccessful he draws the men back to another.

Aids. — Messengers for the chief.

Deputy Wardens.— Act for section as chief does for pahuls, Or, 36
smaller fires, are simply foremen.

Foremen.— Each has from four to six men, who stay with him until
the fire is out. Each foreman and his crew form the units for fighting.
As, for instance, one crew might be put to work refilling extinguishers,
another at carrying them, another at guard duty, to prevent fresh out-
breaks after the fire is apparently out.

Commissary. — Takes care of the apparatus, and at the fires sees that the
men are supplied with food and other supplies.

[The diagram on page 22 gives this organization in graphic form and is
remodelled from one sent in by Mr. Knapp.]

It is essential that the work of forest fire fighting should be done as
systematically as possible, and that the directions of the leaders should
be faithfully carried out. The failure of a single man to do the part
assigned to him,may make useless a whole lot of hard work and cause
a new start to be made.

22

If the force is too small to attempt to stop it across its whole front,
we start to windward and work down both flanks, narrowing to the front.
One crew with extinguishers pushes ahead and deadens the flames, and is
followed by a second crew consisting of one man with a mattock and

Forester

Warden

Commissary
S

and men
(0)

OG ©

DIAGRAM

Showing Effective Town
Organization
Of Men Far Fire Fighting

four with shovels, and a reserve man. If very dry a second shovelling
crew follows this one. Then come the guards with shovels and ex-
tinguishers, who patrol the whole line.

With a force strong enough to attack in front, back firing is used.
A back fire must be set on a natural line, such as a road, but, failing in this,

INTERIOR OF WELL-EQUIPPED WAGON.

23

one can be plowed. For this purpose use a strong plow drawing a nar-
row furrow and pulled by two horses set tandem. Set a back fire as
rapidly and continually as possible, the men with torches being followed
by shovellers to put out fire spreading on the leeward side of the line.
Other shovellers and extinguisher men are stationed some distance back
in the woods to put out sparks as they fly over.

Our work is still in the experimental stage and just at present we are
trying to get the fire fighters more systematic, and are getting into closer
relations with neighboring towns.

The preceding letters were selected so as to give as wide a range
of conditions as possible. There are letters from wardens who are
at the same time the chiefs of organized fire departments, letters
from wardens who have an organization distinct from the fire
department and letters from wardens in towns which have no fire
department. The apparatus used varies in value from $300 to
$3,000. There are towns which have done as much or more than
some of those mentioned above, but the fact remains that a large
majority have made no provision for fighting forest fires. The cities
also are as indifferent as the towns. It is not to be supposed that
all the towns represented by the letters have done the best thing
possible under the circumstances, but they have done something.

IV. WHAT IS YOUR TOWN DOING?
On Forest FIRE PROTECTION.

Apparatus.

Every town having 1,000 acres or more of forest land should have
some form of apparatus, its amount depending, of course, on the
financial ability of the town, the acreage of forest land and the value
the inhabitants set upon it. Cities and towns having organized
departments should see that special provision is made for combating
forest fires, whether the warden is a member of the fire department
or not.

The equipment best suited to various localities will, of course,
vary in detail, but a practical outfit will include the following
essential things : —

1. A stout express wagon. Gold paint and brass work are not
necessary to its practicability, and a second-hand wagon in good
condition would fulfill all requirements.

2. Five or 6 chemical extinguishers of a reputable make, and
costing from $12 to $20 each.

3. A dozen or more cans, with attached covers, and filled with

24

water in which soda has been dissolved ready to recharge the extin-
guishers. Large milk cans are often used, but cannot as a rule
withstand hard service.

4. Extra charges of soda and acid carried in proper receptacles.

5. Shovels, mattocks, axes, rakes, hoes and brooms, as many as the
wagon will conveniently carry.

Such an outfit will cost from $300 up.

Organization.

Each warden should have some kind of organization, although
the exact form will depend a good deal on local circumstances. The
warden and each deputy should have a small crew of men whom he
can call quickly and upon whom he can rely. No others should be
taken to the fire unless its size makes it imperative. Such a plan
will stop irresponsible people from setting fires in the woods merely
to get a job at putting them out.

Fire Lines.

This subject is a rather unsatisfactory one to discuss, because
although more or less has been written on it, there have never any
real tests been made.

A fire line as ordinarily described is a strip through the woods
from which all the growth has been removed. Some people acting
on this description have made fire lines which were veritable traps.
They cleaned out all the trees and undergrowth and there left it.
Consequently during the next year it came up to sprouts and bram-
bles. To keep such a line clear it must be mowed and burned over
every year, although of course as time goes on grass will take the
place of brambles and sprouts, and this can be easily burned over.
The cost of such a line made for the Metropolitan Water Board at
the Wachusett Reservoir was $150 a mile.

What appears to be a very efficient fire guard is to be found on
the estate of Mr. Charles Francis Adams, Esq., in Lincoln. It con-
sists of a trench 6 feet wide and dug down to mineral soil (about 2
feet), paralleling the railroad track at a distance averaging 60 feet
from the center of the right of way. We are of the opinion that if
the distance had been 100 feet there would be less likelihood of
cinders blowing over it. Between this ditch and the track the under-
brush has been cut and the dead leaves are annually burned. The
large trees are left undisturbed, and serve as a screen to catch the
flying sparks. Except in the case of a very high wind this line is
fireproof. It is two miles long.

FIRE LINE, METROPOLITAN WATER BOARD RESERVATION,
BOYLSTON.

i

oe
"4

ny Di i

ye i a4 ey am ,
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1 + ’ : J At | :

aay Ye)

FIRE LINE, ADAMS ESTATE, LINCOLN
(WINTER SCENE).

ty

2 * 76 ieed eS ~~ ne er. ache

25

A similar but cheaper line could be made by running a few fur-
rows with a plow instead of digging a trench. Mr. Knapp contem-
plates the use of a rotary disk plow followed by a drag to smooth
over the ground. A plowed line of this sort would not be sure to
keep a fire from running under ground while the trench would.

Just a word of protest should be inserted here against the common
practice of cutting brush along the side of country roads, where it
lies, making fuel for the first match that is thrown into it.

One of the best natural fire lines is the old wood road. These
roads are more or less common, and often ground fires run up and
skirt them and there terminate. Were these old roads kept cleaned
and widened, with an idea of usefulness as a fire line as well as
for getting out forest products, they could be made to serve both
purposes.

Forest wardens will do well to emphasize the importance of
having all large forest tracts and even relatively small areas sub-
divided by fire lines, and thus be able to concentrate forces on
definite units. System and forethought will put out many fires
before they even occur.

Old stone walls relieved of débris, as leaves, brush, etc., also
may be utilized as splendid fire protectors. Fires will run up to
and skirt these old walls without crossing them if these walls are
cared for.

Patrol.

The old saw concerning the stitch in time which saves nine ought
to be changed to nine thousand when applied to fire. The quickest
and surest way to handle a forest fire is to be on the watch for it.
We have seen in the report of Warden Morrissey of Plymouth how
that town handles the situation with its tower. This idea is worthy
of wider application. Where the topography admits it, several
towns could combine to maintain such a station. The Forest Com-
missioner of Maine maintains several watchmen, who are stationed
on some of the highest mountains in the forest region of the State.

The first place to start a patrol would be along the railroads, for,
relative to the territory covered, far more fires are started there than
elsewhere. Imagine a small car mounted on the rails, run by gaso-
line, capable of carrying one man, a couple cf extinguishers and
other tools and geared to a speed of 35 miles an hour. A man so
provided could cover a 50-mile stretch of track five times a day.
The dangerous season for which a patrol would be needed usually
extends from the 15th of March to the 1st of June and from the
15th of September to the 1st of December, —150 days in all.

26

The expense for wages and supplies would be $500 per man. The
machines might cost $500 each. Let us imagine ten such patrols
distributed as follows and see how well they cover the danger points.
We do not mean by this that ten men are adequate; but they are
enough for an experiment.

New HAvEN RAILROAD.

Plymouth Division.

Brockton to Provincetown, 100 miles, two men, $1,000.
Braintree to Plymouth (main line) and Middleborough Branch, 40 miles,
one man, $500.

Midland Dwision.
Norwood Central to Douglas, 40 miles, one man, $500.

Boston & ALBANY RAILROAD.

Main Line.

Westfield to Pittsfield, 40 miles, one man, $500.
Ware River Branch, 50 miles, one man, $500.

Boston & MAINE RAILROAD.

Fitchburg to Greenfield, 65 miles, two men, $1,000.
Central Massachusetts, Hudson to Belchertown, 50 miles, $500.

CENTRAL VERMONT RAILROAD.

Miller’s Falls to Monson, 50 miles, one man, $500.
Total cost: New Haven, $2,000; Boston & Albany Railroad, $1,000;
Boston & Maine Railroad, $1,500; Central Vermont Railroad, $500.

These figures do not allow for the cost of the machines, which
would double them for the first year. No allowance is made for
patrols at night, for as a rule comparatively few forest fires start
at night, as there is little wind and the ground is covered with dew.

Another scheme is suggested which would make it compulsory
along certain sections of track for the section men to detail one
of their crew to follow all trains over their section. A crew of
five men near Marshfield is said to have spent 50 per cent. of its
time during certain weeks of last summer in fighting fire. It
would have been real economy for the railroad if one man, or
20 per cent. of the force, had been detailed to patrol the track
and put out the fires when they first started.

The advantage of this last scheme is that it is more elastic
than the first one, because it can be put in operation when needed
and drawn off when not, regardless of months. It also fits into

27

the ordinary manner of administering the right of way. It would
take five men to cover the ground which one could under the first
plan, so the annual cost would undoubtedly average more.

That the railroads can afford to expend something on the patrol-
ling of their tracks will be plain from the following list of damage
claims paid by railroads in Massachusetts. If the figures of 1908
were at hand it is probable that increases of 200 per cent. would
be found. It will be seen that the patrol only has to stop about
10 per cent. of the fires in order to justify the expense.

Taste 4.— Forest Fire Damages paid by Railroads in Massachusetts.
New London Northern:

For three years ending June 30, 1906, . : - : . $8,339 36
Boston & Albany:

Nov. 1, 1903, to Nov. 1, 1904, . : : : ‘ . 4,699 33

Nov. 1, 1904, to Nov. 1, 1905, . ; : 3 : . 8,450 60

Nov. 1, 1905, to July 20, 1906, . - - - : . 1,244 62
Boston & Maine:

1903, : : : : - : : 7 : : . 34,859 15

1904, : : ‘ ; : . : : : . 19,426 36

1905, A ‘ 7 : : : 35,560 89
New York, New Haven & Hartford:

Year ending June 30, 1902, . : : : : : . 13,658 49

Year ending June 30, 1903, . : : : : - » 19;107-79

Year ending June 30, 1904, . : : : : : . 19,395 55

Year ending June 30, 1905, . : : : ; : . 26,311 20

Year ending June 30, 1906, . : : : - : . 45,112 96

In addition to patrolling by the railroads along their line, the
State should be ready in emergencies to put on a patrol in other
sections. The Forest Commissioner of Maine has an emergency
appropriation of $20,000 which he can use for such means. His
average annual expenditure from this fund has been $9,000, but
last year he exhausted the entire amount before the 1st of Sep-
tember. For a State of the area of Massachusetts probably $5,000
would constitute an ample emergency fund. The burden of patrol
work is put not on the towns but on the State, because the saving
of the forests is a problem which the State as a whole is interested
in, and the expense of it should not be borne by the towns, which
are forced now to pay the entire cost of fire fighting. As a rule,
those towns having the largest area of forest land are the least
able, from the financial standpoint, to protect it. In the States
of New York and Minnesota one-half the expense of fighting fires
is borne by the State; in Michigan it is one-third ; in New Jersey
one-half, and in Connecticut one-fourth is paid by the State and

28

one-fourth by the county. Massachusetts is one of the few States
having an organized forest fire fighting force in which the Com-
monwealth is not specifically obliged to assume part of the expense.

On DAMAGE BY FOREST FIREs.

There are many ways in which a fire injures the woods, some
of which are well known and fully appreciated, but several of
the most important are not usually considered when the cost of a
fire is estimated.

First.— A fire may kill the standing timber. This is always
the case when a top or crown fire occurs. In some eases such fire-
killed timber can be utilized, but it does not bring a good sale
value on the market and only a part of the loss can be recovered.

Second. — A light fire may run through a stand and kill a tree
here and there. In this case the damage is not so apparent as
when all the trees are killed, but a close examination of the wood-
lot through which surface fire has gone reveals the fact that other
trees do not escape without injury. It may be a shght scorching
of the bark, or the roots near the surface of the ground may be
damaged. Such trees die later on, because in this weakened con-
dition they are no longer able to withstand the attacks of insects
and fungi. Chestnut is a tree peculiarly susceptible to fire scorch.

Third. — The vegetable part of the soil, or humus, as it is called,
is consumed by a fire as well as the leaves and other litter which
would make a future supply of humus. The destruction of the
humus affects the fertility of the soil in a marked degree. The
elements which tend to conserve the soil moisture are thus de-
stroyed.

Fourth. — A forest fire may result in a change in the compo-
sition of the stand of trees. It is often followed by a growth of
poplars, birches, scrub oak and blueberry, which growth has little
or no value and is hard to get rid of.

Fifth. — Owing to the moisture-conserving elements which have
been destroyed and the rank new growth which succeeds the fire,
land which has been burned over is made more liable to fire, so
that each successive fire means danger of another.

Siath.— The young growth or reproduction is nearly always
killed. In the long run this is probably the greatest injury of all,
although it is seldom counted when the loss through a forest fire
is being reckoned.

When one comes to estimate the damage caused by fire in terms

_

29

of money he finds it a hard proposition. Allowance must be made
for all injuries that can possibly be expressed in dollars and cents,
which, except in case of mature growth which has been entirely
destroyed, a rare case, calls for a lot of judgment. By mature
growth we do not mean that the trees have stopped growing in
volume, but that their rate of increase does not keep pace with the
interest on their value. For a pine stand this age would be from
fifty to sixty years; chestnut sprouts, forty to fifty years; sprout
oak, thirty to forty years. To find the value of these stands before
they are mature, their expectation value at that age should be
discounted to the present date at 6 per cent. The expectation
value of these three types of stands at maturity could be averaged
as follows, although of course a great deal would depend on the
situation of the stand. Pine, $250 per acre; sprout chestnut,
$60 per acre; and mixed sprout hardwoods, $30 per acre. At
ten years of age, and discounted at 6 per cent., the value per acre
would be as follows: —

ee rete rd
(Years). Value.
WWidieyonG:, “a Oe ee wee 50 $250 $50 $19 40
Sprout chestnut, . ° < : 5 ; 40 75 25 8 70
Sprout hardwoods, : : ‘ : ‘ 30 30 15 1 70
Gray birch, . ‘ “ - - - > 20 20 10 55

The above values, it must be remembered, take no account of
the injury to the soil. It must also be remembered that a severe
injury to a young tree amounts to total destruction, since there
would be little chance of its reaching merchantable size and much
less financial maturity.

EXTRACTS FROM WARDENS’ LETTERS.

These paragraphs from wardens’ letters were selected because
they contained miscellaneous points of interest. Most of the let-
ters which contained information on fire fighting have been given
under that heading.

A. EH. Travis, Deputy Forest Warden, Barre.
The fires of the 24th were set by a locomotive. The two larger fires
were set at 9.30 A.M. between mile posts 29 and 30; the smaller fire was
started at 2.30 p.m. on the return trip, near mile post 29.

30

No section men came to any of these fires and as far as I can make
out no fire call was sounded by the locomotive.

Our fire department was called, but all that saved us from a severe loss
was the wind.

T. B. Tubman, Warden, Brewster.

I write you this letter hoping that you will do something about these
abominable railway fires. The railroad will not give the section foreman
a man to follow the trains, nor does it seem possible that they inspect their
screens as they should. Can you not influence the company to remedy
this evil so their engines will run over the road without burning up all
the woodland?

I have been a fire warden for about ten years, but have never known
anything like the number of locomotive fires during April, except one
day last summer when the Boston train set thirteen fires.

A. P. Baker, Forest Warden, Dennis.

Woods fires reported from South Dennis are set by locomotives. As
the same engines do not pass over the road every day, it is impossible to
report them for the inspection of their spark arresters.

Fires are of almost daily occurrence some weeks. Thus far I have
been able to get to them very soon after they start, thus preventing much
damage.

Ralph Earle, Forest Warden, Dighton.

I am reporting the only fire which the town has had this year. This
I feel is due to our excellent fire laws being well advertised among the
people.

EH. HE. Chapman, Forest Warden, Ludlow.
I have issued to fourteen different persons permits to set fire.
I have had two fires to date where I called out a large number of men.

They were extinguished by back firing from a plowed furrow across the
face of the fire.

H. J. Montgomery, Forest Warden, North Adams.

The warning notices printed on cloth, calling attention to the fire laws,
and sent out by the State Forester, have been a very effective check on
forest fires here this season.

-A. F. Howlett, Forest Warden, Spencer.
The selectmen think that the railroad company should at least pay
half the expense that it costs this town to fight the numerous brush fires
set by locomotives.

A. C. Warner, Forest Warden, Sunderland.
We have been for the past two days fighting the worst fire that we
have ever had in Sunderland. It was started by a locomotive of the
Central Vermont Railroad. I believe the fire covered more than 200 acres

31

of valuable timber land. I have had 125 men out and think that it is
under control, but shall maintain a watch on it for a few days.

This fire is only one of a number set in the same locality by the Central
Vermont.

Alvarado Henry, Forest Warden, Upton.
Please send me more blue books with the forest laws as I have ap-
pointed nine deputies. -
I have had extracts of the forest laws printed on postal cards, which
I sent to every voter in the town, so that all may know its mandates.

EH. A. Young, Forest Warden, Hubbardston.

There have been many small fires along the railroad which have been
taken care of by the section men and of which I have no account. No
timber of consequence has been destroyed.

In this unusually dry year adjoining towns have all suffered severely
from fires. I believe that the small loss and light cost of fighting fires in
Hubbardston have been due to: —

First.— The enforcement of the law against setting fires without a
permit.

Second. — The co-operation of citizens with the forest warden and his
deputies to prevent fires of careless origin, and the prompt reporting of
fires where observed.

During the danger period of the past year special warnings were posted
and all citizens were requested to extinguish or report small fires.

ON THE WoRK OF GAME WARDENS.

This book may well close with a short tribute to the work of
the deputies of the Fish and Game Commission. Of the nine
arrests and convictions made for violations of the fire laws, seven
were brought about by these two men, Deputy H. A. Bent of
Franklin, four men, and Deputy T. L. Burney of Lynn, three
cases. The Lynn offenders were boys. ‘Twelve other deputies re-
ported to the commission that they had seen and aided in ex-
tinguishing nearly fifty fires. The reports of a few of them are
here appended.

Walter A. Larkin, Andover.

I have put out three fires since I have been here; one in Haverhill, set
by fishermen; one at Foster Pond, Andover, and one recently in Bedford.
The fishermen at Foster Pond set the fire to drive away mosquitoes. I have
spoken to them and no more have been set.

Allen A. David, Taunton.

As to forest fires, I have put out ten of them last year. Nine out
of ten were along the railroad track and the other in the woods. Three
fires did not do, much damage, on account of being put out before they
got much headway.

32

Irving O. Converse, Fitchburg.

Fires found and extinguished alone, 2; fires found and department
called out, 3; fires found and section hands notified, 3; fires found and
farmers called upon.

William H. Leonard, East Foxborough.

I have, with the assistance of one man, put out two woods fires, one in
North Attleborough and one in Foxborough. I called out the fire depart-
ment in the latter town and also notified the chief in Blackstone of a
forest fire.

Strange to say, many of the towns in the district have been quite im-
mune compared with former years.

In travelling along the railroad line in Bellingham and Blackstone one is
astounded at the vast acreage of woodland forever destroyed by fires.

While in Kingston in October I was told that a fire there in July last
cost the town hundreds of dollars just to fight it ($1,500).

D. E. Wansey, Montague City.
Sunday I saw a forest fire and went out with my son and fought it all
the afternoon.
Francis B. Osborne, Hingham.

Number of forest fires extinguished, 5. All of these were in the first
stages and help was required only in one. I think that the cause of them
was in at least two cases locomotives.

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS.

Town or CIry. Badge Warden.
Abington, . : : 287 | B. Ernest Wilkes, chief fire department.
Acton, . : 5 181 | William H. Kingsley.
Acushnet, . ‘ . 275 | Geo. T. Parker, selectman.
Adams, : : - 7 | John Clancy.
Agawam, . . .| 93 | Edward M. Hitchcock.
Alford, : 5 : 24 | John H. Wilcox.
Amesbury, . “ : 228 | James E. Feltham, chief fire department.
Amherst, . : ; 67 | G. E. Stone, tree warden.
Andover, . : : 212 | J.H. Playdon, tree warden.
Arlington, . : : 193 | Walter H. Pierce, chief fire department.
Ashburnham, 4 . 104 | William D. Miller.
Ashby, ° A : 158 | Henry A. Lawrence.

33

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or City. eres Warden.
Ashfield, . : : 50 | Chas. A. Hall.
Ashland, . E 5 200 | H. H. Piper.
Athol, . - - ‘ 105 | Jas. A. Dunbar.
Attleborough, . . 265 | Hiram Packard, 3 Hope Street, chief fire depart-
Auburn, : : - 123 | J “pred Searle.
Avon, . A : 259 | E. Walter Packard, constable.
Ayer, . : : : 169 | Henry E. Sanderson.
Barnstable, . Ay 315 | Henry C. Bacon, P. O. Hyannis.
Barre, . 2 : 5 142 | D.H. Rice.
Becket, - : eZ 23 | Elmer D. Ballou.
Bedford, A - 179 | Chas. E. Williams.
Belchertown, - : 73 | James A. Peeso, constable.
Bellingham, : : 326 | L. F. Thayer, town treasurer.
Belmont, . * : 194 | John F. Leonard, chief fire department.
Berkley, : ° : 271 | Gideon H. Babbitt.
Berlin, - : * 139 | Walter Cole, constable.
Bernardston, é ; 39 | KE. E. Benjamen.
Beverly, - 5 = 220 | Levi K. Goodhue, chief fire department.
Billerica, . - ; 173 | Geo. C. Crosby, chief engineer fire department.
Blackstone, . : : 114 | Thomas Reilly.
Blandford, . : ‘ 81 | Stephen Bodurtha.
Bolton, : 5 5 146 | Frank A. Powers, tree warden.
Bourne, ; : ‘ 311 | Emory A. Ellis, P. O. Bournedale.
Boxborough, - 4 182 | M. L. Wetherbee, selectman.
Boxford, . ; ; 218 | Harry L. Cole, selectman.

Boylston, . = 138 | Chas. S. Knight, metropolitan watchman.
Braintree, . . ; 244 | James M. Cutting, special police, P. O. South
Braintree.

Brewster, . : 4 318 | T. B. Tubman, highway surveyor, P. O. North
Brewster.

Bridgewater, 2 : 293 | Edwin S. Rhoades.

Brimfield, . = 4 99 | Edward J. Prindle.

Brockton, . : 286 | Harry C. Marston, chief fire department.

Brookfield, . . : 120 | David N. Hunter.

34

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or City.

Brookline,
Buckland,
Burlington, .
Canton,
Carlisle,
Carver, 5
Charlemont,
Charlton,
Chatham,
Chelmsford,
Cheshire,
Chester,
Chesterfield,
Chicopee,
Chilmark,
Clarksburg, .
Clinton,
Cohasset,
Colrain,
Concord,
Conway,
Cummington,
Dalton,
Dana, .
Danvers,
Dartmouth, .
Dedham,
Deerfield,
Dennis,
Dighton,
Douglas,

Dover, .

Badge
No.

237

49
178
249
171
304

42
115
320
172

Warden.

Geo. H. Johnson, chief fire department.

William Sauer, P. O. Shelburne Falls.

Walter L. Skelton, tree warden.

Laurence Horton, fire engineer, P.O. Ponkapoag.

Herbert P. Dutton, selectman.

Eugene E. Shaw.

Fred D. Legate.

Carlos Bond.

Geo. H. Eldredge.

Ralph P. Adams.

Chas. D. Cummings.

William H. Babb.

Chas. A. Bisbee, P. O. Bisbee.

John H. Pomphret, chief fire department.

Ernest C. Mayhew.

Robert Lanfair, R. F. D. No. 1, P. O. North

dams.

Daniel W. Goss, 40 East Street.

Wm. J. Brennock, captain fire department.

Wm. H. Davenport.

G. E. Morrell, chief fire department.

Chas. Parsons, tree warden.

W.S. Gabb,! P. O. Swift River.

William M. Colton, forester, Flint Stone Farm.

Elmer A. Collier, chief fire department, P. O.
North Dana.

Thos. E. Tinsley, tree warden.

John W. Howland, P. O. North Dartmouth.

Everett J. Winn, chief fire department, P. O.
Box 96.

Wm. L. Harris, selectman.

Alpheus P. Baker, constable, P. O. South Dennis.

Ralph Earle.

W. L. Church, county commissioner.

Jobn Breagy.

1 Proprietor of the Elm Tree Inn.

30

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or. City.

Dracut, a
Dudley, :
Dunstable, .
Duxbury,

East Bridgewater,
Eastham,
Easthampton,

East Longmeadow,
Easton,

Egremont, .

Enfield,

Erving, : :
Essex, . A
Fairhaven, .

Fall River, .
Falmouth,
Fitchburg, .
Florida,
Foxborough,
Framingham,
Franklin,
Freetown, .
Gardner,
Gay Head, .
Georgetown,
Gill,
Gloucester, .
Goshen,
Gosnold,
Grafton,
Granby,

Granville,

Badge
No.

163
110
161
303
298
322

17

95
264

344
125

Warden.

Adelbert P. Bryant, 790 Pleasant Street.

F. A. Putnam.

Dexter Butterfield.

Fred B. Knapp, master Powder Point School.

Loren A. Flagg, chief fire department, P. O. Elm-
wood.

W. Horton Nickerson, road surveyor.

Frank P. Newkirk, tree warden.

Henry Ashley.

John Baldwin, chief fire department, P. O. North
Easton.

Frank W. Bradford, Great Barrington, R. F. D.
No. 3.

Chas. W. Felton.

Ch. H. Holmes, selectman, P. O. Farley.

Otis O. Story, tree warden.

Henry T. Howard.

William Bayard, tree warden.

J.M. Watson.

Geo. H. Hastings, superintendent, local superin-
tendent gypsy moth.

Fred R. Whitcomb, P. O. Hoosac Tunnel.

Ernest A. White, chief fire department and con-
stable.

James Stalker, P. O. South Framingham, assist-
ant tree warden.

Edward S. Cook, dealer in wood and lumber.

Andrew M. Hathaway, P. O. Assonet.

Theodore W. Danforth.

Leander B. Smally, Menemsha, Mass.

Clinton J. Eaton.

Lewis C. Munn.

M. A. Walton.

Sidney F. Packard, P. O. R. F. D. No. 2, Wil-
liamsburg.

Harold S. Veeder, P. O. Cuttyhunk.

Sumner F. Leonard, overseer of the poor.

C.N. Rust, P. O. South Hadley.

Laurence F. Henry, selectman.

36

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or CIty.

Great Barrington,
Greenfield, .
Greenwich, .
Groton,
Groveland, .
Hadley,
Halifax,
Hamilton,
Hampden,
Hancock, . A
Hanson,
Hanover,
Hardwick,
Harvard,
Harwich,
Hatfield,
Haverhill,
Hawley,
Heath,.
Hingham,
Hinsdale,
Holbrook,
Holden,
Holland,
Holliston,
Holyoke,
Hopedale,
Hopkinton, .
Hubbardston,
Hudson,
Hull,

Huntington,

Feces Warden.
25 | Daniel W. Flynn.
44 | William A. Ames, tree warden.
327 | William H. Walker, P. O. Greenwich Village.
167 | James B. Harrington, chief fire department.
225 | Sidney E. Johnson, 311 Center Street,
66 | Edward P. West, tree warden.
299 | Edwin H. Vaughan, assessor.
222 | Fred Berry, P. O. Essex, R. F. D.
97 | John S. Swenson.
9 | Chas. F. Tucker.
296 | Albert L. Dame, tree warden, P. O. South Han-
205 | Chas. E. Damon, P. 0. Box 113, North Hanover.
141 | Myron N. Ayers, constable.
152 | Benjamin Priest.
319 | John Condon.
65 | John M. Strong, P. O. West Hatfield.
216 | John B. Gordon, chief fire department.
48 | Ernest R. Seare, tree warden, P. O. Charlemont.
36 | S. G. Benson.
289 | Geo. Cushing, chief fire department.
15 | Lewis B. Brague, tree warden.
247 | E. W. Austin.
136 | J. W. Rice. ‘
101 | O. F. Howlett, P. O. Southbridge, R. F. D. No. 2.
202 | Waldo A. Collins.
85 | Chas. C. Hastings.
328 | Walter F. Durgin, constable, superintendent of
parks.
201 | R. D. Frail.
149 | Ernest A. Young, tree warden.
199 iRred W. Trowbridge, chief fire department.
329 | Smith F. Sturges, tree warden, P. O. Allerton.
70

Daniel B. Mack, constable.

37

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Badge
No.

Town or City.

Hyde Park, .
Ipswich,
Kingston,
Lakeville,
Lancaster,
Lanesborough,
Lawrence, .
Lee,
Leicester,
Lenox,
Leominster, .
Leverett,
Lexington, .
Leyden, 5
Lincoln,
Littleton,
Longmeadow,
Lowell,
Ludlow, :
Lunenburg, .
Lynn, . :
Lynnfield,
Malden, A
Manchester,
Mansfield, .
Marblehead,
Marion,
Marlborough,
Marshfield, .
Mashpee, .
Mattapoisett,
Maynard,

330
223
301
283
151

10
214

22
122

18
155

57
188

38
187
170

94
165

88
156
331
209
191
236
263
332
306
198
292
313
281
184

Warden.

Harry Higbee.

Augustus J. Barton.

Thos. W. Bailey, selectman.

Nathan F. Washburn, P. O. Middleborough.

Everett M. Hawkins, chief fire department.

King D. Keeler, constable.

Chas. G. Rutter, chief fire department.

James W. Bossidy.

Walter E. Sprague.

Geo. W. Fitch.

William K. Morse, chief fire department,"P. O.
North Leominster.

Orman C. Marvel, assessor.

Azor P. Howe.

Herman W. Severance, Bernardston.

Edward R. Farrer, tree warden.

Chas. F. Johnson, town clerk.

Oscar C. Pomeroy.

Edward 8. Hosmer, chief fire department.
Edward E. Chapman, constable.

Clayton E. Stone.

Nathan M. Hawkes, park commissioner.
Thos. E. Cox, P. O. Wakefield R. F. D.
Frank Turner.

Frederick Burnham.

Herbert E. King.

William H. Stevens.

Isaac E. Hiller.

Chas. H. Andrews, chief fire department.
Edward E. Ames.

Joseph A. Peters.

Everet C. Stetson.

Arthur J, Coughlan, room 17, Maynard’s block.

38

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or Ciry. Beige Warden.

Medfield, 252 | Waldo E. Kingsley, chief fire department.

Medford, 192 | Chas. Bacon, chief fire department.

Medway, 254 | Clyde C. Hunt, captain fire department.

Mendon, 119 | Albert W. Gaskell.

Merrimac, 227 | Edgar P. Sargent.

Methuen, 2138 | Alfred H. Wagland, tree warden.

Middleborough, . 284 | C. W. Weston.

Middlefield, 342 | Thos. H. Fleming, P. O. Bancroft.

Middleton, . 211 | William W. Richardson.

Milford, 127 | Thos. F. Maher, chief fire department.

Millbury, 124 | William E. Horn.

Millis, . 253 | Chas. La Croix.

Milton, 242 | Nathaniel T. Kidder, park commissioner.

Monroe, 34 | S. R. Tower.

Monson, 98 | Omer E. Broadway.

Montague, 53 | Fred W. Lyman, lumber dealer.

Monterey, 28 | Andrew J. Hall.

Montgomery, 82 | Frank C. Preston, P. O. Huntington.

Mount Washington, 30 | Fred Porter.

Nantucket, . 333 | Albert R. Coffin.

Natick, : ; 204 | William EK. Daniels.

Needham, 238 | Howard H. Upham, captain fire department.

New Ashford, 6 | Henry B. Baxter.

New Bedford, 277 | Edward F. Dahill, chief fire department.

New Braintree, 131 | E. L. Haven.

Newbury, 231 | William P. Bailey.

Newburyport, 230 | David Kent, 26 Arlington Street.

New Marlborough, 32 | Dennis Hayes, P. O. Mill River.

New Salem, 55 | Ransen King, P. O. Cooleyyille.

Newton, 205 | Walter B. Randlett, chief fire department, P. O.
West Newton.

Norfolk, : 256 | C. Albert Murphy.

North Adams, 4 | H. J. Montgomery, chief fire department.

39

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or Crry. Boake Warden.

Northampton, . r 72 | Fredrick E. Chase.

North Andover, . - 215 | Geo. A. Rea.

North Attleborough, . 262 | Harvey W. Tufts, chief fire department.

Northborough, . ; 140 | T. P. Haskell.

Northbridge, A , 117 | W. E. Beemap, P. O. Whitinsville.

North Brookfield, : 129 | H.S. Lytle, chief fire department.

Northfield, . ; ‘: 40 | Fred W. Doane.

North Reading, . ; 175 | Irving F. Batchelder.

Norton, ie : r 266 | Alden G. Walker.

Norwell, ‘ : 4 290 | John Wahlen.

Norwood, . - 250 | J. Fred Boyden, chief fire department.

Oak Bluffs, . F ; 334 | Samuel N. Kidder.

Oakham, . : : 135 | Chas. H. Trowbridge.

Orange, 4 4 : 47 | Chas. BE. Lane.

Orleans, = ; ‘ 321 | Chas. F. Poor.

Otis, . . : & 27 | Wilbur L. Strickland.

Oxford, F . F 335 | A. W. Stafford, North Oxford.

Palmer, A : : 89 | James Summers, chief fire department.

Paxton, ; : ; 130 | Geo. W. Van Wyke.

Peabody, . : ; 219 | Michael V. McCarthy, Forest Street.

Pelham, 5 = ; 68 | E. P. Bartlett, P. O. Amherst.

Pembroke, . : : 294 | Jos. J. Shepard.

Pepperell, . - , 160 | Geo. G. Tarbell, P. O. East Pepperell, Room 17,
Aldine block.

Peru, . : : . 16 | Clarence W. Hathaway.

Petersham, . “ ; 148 | George P. Marsh.

Phillipston, ; ‘ 106 | William C. Goddard.

Pittsfield, . ; 7 13 | Lucien D. Hazard.

Plainville, . ; : 59 | Harlie E. Thompson.

Plainfield, . . < 309 | Lestan E. Parker.

Plymouth, . - 302 | Herbert Morrisey.

Plympton, « ; : 300 | Thomas W. Blanchard.

Prescott, . - - 69 | Waldo H. Pierce, P. O. Greenwich Village.

40

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or Ciry.

Princeton,
Provincetown :
Quincy,
Randolph,
Raynham,
Reading,
Rehoboth, . 2 .
Richmond, .
Rochester,
Rockland,
Rockport, . c
Rowe, .
Rowley,
Royalston,
Russell,
Rutland,
Salisbury,
Sandisfield, .
Sandwich,
Saugus, 5
Savoy, . °
Scituate,
Seekonk,
Sharon,
Sheffield,
Shelburne,
Sherborn,
Shirley,
Shrewsbury,
Shutesbury,
Somerset,

Southampton,

Badge
No.

150
325
243
248
270

Warden.

J. Heyden Stimpson.

James H. Barnett.

Peter J. Williams, chief fire department.
Chas. A. Wales, chief fire department.
John Y. Festing.

Herbert E. McIntire.

Silas A. Pierce.

T. B. Salmon.

William N. Smellie.

John H. Burke, water commissioner.

A.J. McFarland, P. O. Box 91.

Solomon Granger, P. O. Zoar.

Daniel O’Brien, agent Gypsy Moth Commission.
Willard W. White, P. O. South Royalston.
Sidney F. Shurtleff, highway surveyor.
Henry Converse, chief fire department.
Wm. H. Evans.

Lyman H. Clark, P. O. New Boston.

John F, Carlton, P. O. Spring Hill.
Eugene Stephens.

Herbert H. Fitzroy,! P. O. Savoy Center.
Percival 8S. Brown, tree warden.

John L. Barker, P. O. Attleborough, R. F. D.
Jone G. Phillips.

Geo. G. Peck.

Samuel Oates, P. O. Shelburne Falls.

Milo F. Campbell, constable, South Sherborn.
Melvin W. Longley, assessor.

Wm. E. Rice.

Emmons J. Spear.

James Wilson, fish and game warden.

Geo. W. Tyler.

1 Proprietor Grand View Farm.

41

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town or Ciry. Heaee Warden.
Southborough, . ; 337 | Harry Burnett, tree warden.
Southbridge, : c 109 | Aimee Langevin, Olney Avenue.
South Hadley, . A 78 | Joseph Beach, P. O. South Hadley Falls.
Southwick, . é : 92 | Edward Gillett, tree warden.
Spencer, - c : 121 | A. F. Howlett.
Springfield, . : 86 | Burton Steere, assistant fire chief.
Sterling, . . * 144 | G. F. Herbert, assessor.
Stockbridge, - ; 21 | Geo. Schneyer, selectman, P. O. Glendale.
Stoneham, . - : 190 | Geo. E. Sturtevant, chief fire department.
Stoughton, . : = 258 | Jesse E. Smith.
Stow, . F Sz A 183 | William H. Parker, P. O. Gleasondale.
Sturbridge, . : : 108 | Chas. M. Clark, P. O. Fiskdale.
Sudbury, . a : 185 | F. E. Bent.
Sunderland, é ; 338 | A. C. Warner.
Sutton, g 7 é 116 | Ransom W. Richardson.
Swampscott, . : 339 | Geo. P. Cahoon, chief fire department.
Swansea, . 3 273 | Thos. L. Mason, constable, P. O. R. F. D. No. 2.
Taunton, . , - 269 | Fred A. Leonard, chief fire department.
Templeton, . : : 107 | Henry H. Seaver, P. O. Baldwinville.
Tewksbury, . p : 164 | Herbert W. Pillsbury.
Tisbury, F ; : 310 | Albert Rotch, P. O. Vineyard Haven.
‘Tolland: ss. é ; 90 | Eugene M. Moore.
Topsfield, . : : 218 | Isaac B. Young, selectman.
Townsend, . : : 159 | F. J. Piper, chief fire department.
‘Truro; . F : - 324 | Manuel F. Corey.
Tyngsborough, . ; 162 | Otis L. Wright.
Tyringham,. ; ; 26 | H. EB. Moore.
Upton, . F ~ : 126 | Alvarado Henry, chief fire department.
Uxbridge, . a - 113 | Arnold S. Allen, constable and chief fire depart-
Moketett <) 21 Nihaoa aitnat My Packbr
Wales,. : > - 100 | W. W. Eager.
Walpole, . &. F 340 | N. Emmons Winslow, chief fire department.

42

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued.

Town ork City.

Waltham,

Ware, .
Wareham,
Warren,
Warwick,
Washington,
Watertown,
Wayland,
Webster,
Wellesley,
Wellfleet,
Wendell,
Wenham,
Westborough,
West Boylston,
West Bridgewater,
West Brookfield,
Westfield, .
Westford,
Westhampton,
Westminster,
West Newbury,
Weston,
Westport,

West Springfield,
West Stockbridge,
West Tisbury,
Westwood, .
Weymouth,.
Whately,
Whitman,
Wilbraham,

fe: Warden.
195 | Geo. L. Johnson, chief fire department.
75 | L.S. Charbonneau, P. O. Box No. 25.
305 | Arthur B. Savary.
119 | Joseph St. George, constable.
41 | Chas. H. Williams.
19 | John B. Watson, R. F. D., Becket.
206 | John C. Ford, tree warden.
196 | Clarence S. Williams, Cochituate.
111 | Arthur B. Patterson.
239 | Fletcher M. Abbott, tree warden.
323 | Edwin P. Cook.
54 | Geo. A. Lewis.
221 | Jacob D. Barnes, tree warden.
133 | James H. McDonald, chief fire department.
137 | Frank H. Baldwin, agent Metropolitan Water
Board.
285 | Octave Belmore, tree warden.
128 | Robert M. Carter, P. O. Box 135.
84 | Geo. H. Byers, chief fire department, P. O. ad-
dress, Arnold Street.
166 | John A. Healey, P. O. Graniteville.
71 | Levi Burt.
154 | John C. Goodridge, chief fire department.
226 | Silas M. Titcomb, P. O. Byfield.
186 | Edward P. Ripley.
279 | Frank Whalon, North Westport.
341 | A. A. Sibley.
20 | Bernard Manning.
307 | William J. Rotch.
251 | Chas. Dean, P. O. Islington.
245 | J. Rupert Walsh, P. O. East Weymouth.
56 | James A. Wood.
297 | Clarence A. Randall, tree warden.
96 | Henry I. Edson, P. O. North Wilbraham.

43

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Concluded.

Town or City. de Warden.

Williamsburg, . A 64 | C.S. Damon.

Williamstown, . ‘ 2 | Daniel Russell.

Wilmington, ; ‘ 174 | Jos. M. Hill, chief fire department, P. O. North
Wilmington.

Winchendon, : - 103 | Arthur L. Brown, chief fire department.

Winchester, “ , 189 | Irving L. Symmes, chief fire department.

Windsor, . : : 12 | H. Ward Ford, tax collector.

Woburn, ; q 5 177 | Frank E. Tracy, chief fire department.

Worcester, . : : 131 | H. Ward Moore, Winnefred Avenue.

Worthington, . 62 | Chas. E. Clark.

Wrentham,. as 260 | Chas. E. Brown, chief fire department.

Yarmouth, . < - 316 | Seth Taylor, constable.

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