The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-03-30
.L|NEMEN BRAVE
WINTER PER|tS
: IN MOUNTAINS
Face Cold, Snow and Avalanche
to Fix Breaks in Wire
Communication.
HAVE MANY NARROW Al ESCAPES
One Lineman Is TraiIed for Hours by
Mountain Lion-Another Is Res
cued From Avalanche After
Narrowing Experience. ~

Seattle, Wash.-Sometimes after
of the newspapers learn that "tele-
graph and telephone lines are down."
Usually the next day after reading
such dispatch, sometimes but few.
hours later, the patron of telephone
or telegraph line will learn that the
line is again open. .,-. er4t-ss !
1t is terrific storm that can Grip
pie the wires of big telegraph. or
telephone corporation more than "a
hours. The public has become ac-
customed to this thing. 1t expects as
a matter of course that the lines will
be open after only a. 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 it will reach it's
destination some way. That's what the
superintendent of telegraph and tele-
phone operating departments are paid
for.
But who fixes these lines in the
snow fields? How is it that they are
seldom closed more than few hours?
Men do that work., for it is mans
Job-a job to try the quality of the
bravest man.
When some winter morning the rain
clouds part and show for a moment
the Cascades shining white in new
fallen snow be reasonably sure that
up along those embarrassed sum-,
mits, following the lonely trails, de-
flying the menace of the gale and the
avalanches, are the figures of men on
snowshoes, ypatroling 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 Snoqualmie 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
shriH key of the wind is blotted out
by a roar that blocks the mountains as
an avalanche sweeps over the cliffs.
Trees fall and wires and poles go
down. s.a,aT as-l = 1zAs
TraiIed by Lion. ...
AT his switchboard the wire chief
suddenly loses Spokane. He connects
up his Wheatstone bridge, 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 linemen just west of
the break. A muffied figure on snow
shoes, weighted down with 80 pounds
of climbing irons and tools, pushes out
into the storm. .a
An hour later, perhaps day later,
this same lineman climbs some pole
that leans into the abyss. The wind
lashes him with thousand singing
whips. 1t pounces upon him like a
beast of prey and seeks to shake him
to destruction. The lineman "cCts
in" his little pocket telegraph and,
bent low against the shriekins wind,
calls his chief. IS
IChief? This is Smith from Held
ridges. Wire o. X. here Anything
more? sress r4 i
"Huh? Yes. pretty nasty here,
Been71a mountain lion following me
through the brush all morning. It's
SO close now can smell its pesky
, wet hide. Guess he's waiting down at
the, foot of the pole. for his breakfast.
Shoot it? So / would. # the cuss
would come out ineo the open and
fight" f1mon n ra
Then the lineman spices his wire.
deccends the pole and plods on to
some fresh break the bridge" has To-
Gated. or, if he is very lucky. back