Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-05-05
L|NEMEN BRAVE
WINTER PER|LS
IN MOUNTAINS
Face Cold, Snow and Avalanche
to Fix Breaks in Wire
Communication.
HAVE MANY NARROW ESCAPES
One llneman 10 Tralled for Hours by
q Mountain llon-Another 10 Res
cued From Avalanche After
Narrowing Experience.

Seattle, Wash.-Sometimes after a
big storm in the mountains readers
Of the newspapers learn that "tele-
graph and telephone lines are down."
Usually the next day after reading
such . dispatch. sometimes but a few
hours later. the patron of a telephone
or telegraph line will learn that the
line Is again open.
It is q terrific storm that can Grip
pie the wires Of a big telegraph or
telephone corporation more than "a
hours. The public has become &C
customed to this thing. 1t expects as
q matter of course that the lines will
be open after only few hours. In
fact, actual interruption of traffic over
message lines is very rare. for bust
ness may be routed perhaps half way
round the American continent to avoid
the trouble zone, but 1t will reach its
destination some way. That's what the
superintendents of telegraph and tele-
phone operating departments are paid
for.
snow fields? How is it that they are
seldom closed more than few hours?
Mem do that work, for 1t IL q mans
job-a Job to try the quality Of the
braveet man.
When some winter morning the rain
clouds part and show for moment
the Cascades shining white in new
fallen snow be reasonably sure that
MP along those wind-harassed sum-
mits, following the lonely trails, de-
flying the menace Of the gale and the
avalapches. are the figures of men on
snowshoes. patroling the wires that
chatter necessarily with the gossip of
the world these workers serve but sell
dom see.
At Seattle and Spokane the wire
chiefs stand at the switchboards
watching the working conditions of
every wire. Fifty miles away a storm
swoops down on Snoqualunie pass. In
the pass the world is suddenly blotted
out BY the white hand of the gale. The
singing snow flies and the wind
screeches. And now and again the
shrin key Of the wind is blotted out
by q roar that blocks the mountains as
an avalanche sweeps over the cliffs
Trees fall and wires and poles 60
down.
TraIled BY . Lion.
At his switchboard the wire chief
suddenly loses Spokane. He connects
up his Wheatstone bridge, a device
which measures wire by the electric
resistance. The bridge tells him how
many miles away that break is.
Strung along the line through the
mountains are the trouble hunters
They are Quartered at ranches and
emergency cabins. about six miles
apart. The wire chief takes the key
and summons the hnemen just west Of
the break. A mufied figure on snow
shoes, weighted down with 80 pounds
of climbing irons and tools. pushes Out
into the storm.
An hour later. perhaps q day later
this same lineman climbs some poll
that leans into the abyss. The wint
lashes him with q thousand stinginl
whips. It pounces upon him like ,
beast of prey and seeks to shake ain
to destruction. The lineman "cut
In" his little pocket telegraph and
bent low against the shrieking wind
calls his chief.
Chief? This II Smith from Held
ridges. Wire o. K. here. Anything
more?
Huh? Yes, pretty nasty here
Been q mountain lion following m
through the brush all morning. It.
20 close now ! can smell its pesk
wet hide. Guess he's waiting down a
the foot Of the pole for his breakfas,
Shoot It? So would II the Gus
would come out into the open an
fight"
Then the lineman spices his wirt
deccends the pole and plods on {
some fresh break the bridge" has Il
Gated, or, II he II very lucky. BAG
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