The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-11-18
KEEPS LONELY VIGIL
Fire Guard Watches on Icy Pea.
1925 Feet Up.
Famous Guard, Elijah Coleman, Climbs
High Frozen Summit Of Mount
Hood and Lives Alone to Help
Forest Service.

High Frozen Summit Of Mount
Hood and Lives Alone to HELD
Forest Service.
Washlngton.-At an altitude of
11,225 feet, his only protection against
the elements a light knockdown hut,
Elijah Coleman, mountaineer and
guide, maintains a lonely out con.
slant lookout for signs OF fire on the
Oregon National forest and a portion
of the Columbia National forest, max
ing his observations from the snow
capped summit. of the celebrated
Mount Hood in the Cascade range.
Coleman was chosen for this haz-
ardous lookout duty because of his
familiarity 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 WI pack for the most
p%erilous part Of the journey. Several
trips we're required. They were
packed on the backs of horses as
far as the animals could go, then
Coleman had to be his own pack niue
and bodyguard.
At m point near the summit,
which is the crater of an extinct vol
cano, there is a fumarole, or vol.
canic opening, from which issue sui.
phurous fumes and heat sufficient to
cook an egg. Unfortunately this point
is too far remote from the location of
the lookout's hut to be Of practical
use to him.
Coleman's means of communication
with the outer and lower world is
through 9 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 ne has spent on the
top of Mount Hood. this lone look.
out has reported 30 fires to the
ti"re-protection organizations below,
all in time to prevent any consider.
able damage to the timber on Uncle
Sans preserves.
The station on this lofty peak has
been an unqualified success" to uso
the language of forest service OIL.
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 Mount Hood was opposed by
some forest service officials on the
ground that at such an altitude the
lookout would frequently, if not con.
stantly, find the clouds below him and
his vision completely obscured.
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 meteoro.
logical conditions on Mount Hood are
different. Now government scien-
lists propose to make an investica.
ton to determine the cause OF this
difference.
On account of it's 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 covering, Mount Hood is
regarded as enc Of the most impor.
tant points of observation in the en-.
tire national forest system. 1t over.
looks the Bull Run watershed. from
which the city of Portland, Ore, gets
its domestic supply, practically the
entire Oregon National forest, a good
deal of the Columbia National for.
est, and a lars pa It of the Columbia
river scenic highway, recently con
structed at a cost Of 100000
The fact that this lofty lookout sta
ton has proved a complete sue
cess has attracted wide attention
among scientists. Experts OF t..
United States weather bureau are as
keenly interested as the forest serviyc
officials to determine the reason VIZ,
atmospheric and meteorological col.
tions about Mount Hood are so Il
ferent from those surrounding m
OF the high peaks in that section
the country.
II Coleman is suffering any incu.
Ven1ence from his arctic vigil miIes
above civilization he has given nc in
dlcation Of 1t over the telephone Will
connects him with his fellows on q,
lower levels. To hear him tell it. .
is having a bully" time. Occasion
ly ne knows the wind is blowing q
that it is decidedly frosty.