The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-11-16
DWELLSONICY SUMMIT
1l,22SFEET ABOVE SEA
FIRE WARDEN OF OREGON FOR
ESTS KEEPS LONELY VIGIL
ON MT. HOODS PEAK.
SHOWS ABOVE THE CLOUDS
His Last Climb Miles Above Civiliza-
ton Was Over Fields of Ice and
PERCEPTIONS Cliffs, and Required
Aid of Ropes and Ladders.

ton Was Over Fields of Ice and
PERCEPTIONS Cliffs, and Required
Aid of Ropes and Ladders.
PORTLAND. Ore.-At an altitude
of 1925 feet, his only protection
against the elements a light knock
down hut, Elijah Coleman, mountain
Ger and guide, maintains a lonely but
constant lookout for signs Of fire on
the Oregon national forests, making
his observations from the snow capp-
ed summit of the celebrated Mount
Hood in the Cascade range.
Coleman climbed to the summit OF
Mount Hood six weeks ago. The last
part of his upward climb, from the
timber line to the summit, was over
fields of ice and precipitous cliffs, re-
curing the aid of ropes and ladders.
Coleman has chosen for this hazard
Gus lookout duty because of his IA
miliarity with conditions on Mount
Hood, which he assembled numerous
times in the capacity of guide.
The mountaineer had to pack his
food, fuel hut and all other necessi-
ties on his own back for the most
perilous part of the journey. Sew
eral trips were required. They were
packed on the backs of horses as far
as the animals could go, then Cole
man had to be his own pack mule
and bodyguard. He lives amid arc
tic conditions. Heat is supplied for
cooking and warmth from kerosene.
Has Telephone Communication.
At one point near the summit,
which is the crater of an extinct vol
cano there is a fumarole, or volcanic
opening, from which issue sulphuric
fumes and heat sufficient to cook an
egg. Unfortunately this point is too
far removed from the location of the
leokout's hut to be of of practical use
to him.
Colemans means of cOmmunica-
ton with the outer and lower world
is through copper cable nine miles IN
length, which connects his hut with
the telephone system of the Oregon
national forest below. During the six
weeks which he has spent on the top
of Mt. Hood this lone lookout has re-
ported thirty fires to the fire protec-
ton organizations below, all in time
to prevent any considerable damage
to the timber on Uncle Sans pre-
serves.
The station on this lofty peak has
been an unqualified success, to use
the language of forest service Off
Gals, in spite of the fact that it is
located away above the usual cloud
line The plan to put a lookout sta
ton on Mt. Hood was opposed by
some forest service officials on the
ground that at such and altitude the
lookout would frequently, if not con-
stantly, find the clouds below him
and his vision completely obscured.
Important Observation Point.
In most regions of the West this
objection would hold good and the
higher peaks are not chosen for look
out stations. 1t appears, however
that the atmospheric and mete-
geological conditions on Mt. Hood
are different Now government sci
entists propose to make an inyesti-
cation to determine the cause of this
difference.
On account of its location in the
very heart of the Cascade range,
overlooking one Of the most pictur-
esque regions in the country, as well
as enormous values in timber and
watershed, from which the city of
Portland, Ore, gets it's domestic sup
ply; practically the entire Oregon
national forest, a good deal of the
Columbia national forest and the
large part of the Columbia scenic
highway, recently constructed at a
cost of $1,000, 600.
The fact that this lofty lookout
station has proved a complete success
has attracted wide attention among
scientists. Experts of the United
States weather bureau are as keenly
interested as the forest service Off
Gals to determine the reason why at
mospheric and meteorological condi-
tions about Mount Hood are so diff
ferent from those surrounding most
of the high peaks in that section Of
the country.
If Coleman is suffering any incon-
venience from his arctic vigil miles
above civilization he has given no
indications of it over the telephone
which connects him with his fellows
on the lower levels. To hear him
tell it he is having a bully" time.
Occasionally he knows the wind is
blowing and that it is decidedly
frosty.