Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-12-05
Supt. Wood Gets
Historical Souvenir

Continued from page one)
dramatic departure from the execu-
tive Mansion, fleeing up Pennsylvania
Avenue just ahead Of the British.
Reconstruction was begun shortly
after the fire, the new roof being held
in place by sturdy wooden trusses.
Today these trusses, with their tim
bers in almost as good condition as
when they were cut liz years ago, are
interesting examples of early work.
manship. The timbers, all hand sawn,
are held together not only by mortis-
ing but with bowels and heavy
Wrought iron straps pounded out by
hand.
When the old roof was removed it
was found that there was practically
nu deer .orstion of material in any
W place n the massive main roof
! t.Mbes trusces and only the ends Of
LIZ timbers forming the trusses over
the north portico were damaged by
powder post beetles. Builders Of
century ago were not familiar with
the use of preservatives to lengthen
the life Of the exposed wood and did
not treat the material as would the
builders of today.
Overlooking an attic that was not
designed for occupancy Of any kind
and certain defects Of construction,
as well as subsequent "tinkering"
rather than any deterioration of the
wood, are said by army engineers to
have been responsible for the unsafe
condition of the roof.
W. F. Lusk, construction superin-
tendent on the renovating job, speaks
enthusiastically Of the condition Of the
old lumber removed from the White
House.
ut took me about fifteen minutes
with sharp hand saw to cut through
the top of a ten-by-ten that is 112
years DID," he said. at cut like oak
and is in the pink Of condition"
Miscellaneous pieces of the old lum-
Der have been sold at auction and
number Of patriotic and historical so
cieties have purchased some Of the
larger pieces. Old hand wrought nails
| of our forefathers time, used in hold
| ing the timber together, today rusty,
bent and showing signs of having
yielded to time, are being eagerly
sought as souvenirs.
| 1t is apparent that if the trusses
had not been abused the White House
roof might not have required rep
placement for ages. It was only re-
Gently, after nine centuries that the
timbers in the roof of the Westmin-
ster Hall, London, had to be reinforced
because of weevil infestation. In
some Of the old stone chateaux of
France hemlock timbers have with
stood time better than the walls. 1t
remains to be seen whether modern
steel frame construction will endure
any better than heavy timber con-
struetion. Certainly steel ships do not
last longer than their wooden pre-
decessors on the high seas.
Incidentally it might be said that
we may have to return to timber for
much structural work in which it has
! been replaced by steel. The diminish
ing iron ore supplies of the world may
require that steel shall never be used
where renewable, potentially mex
haustible wood will do. A member of
the u. S. Geological Survey say that
the iron mines of the Lake Superior
region will be worked out in about
thirty years-and iron does not grow
again The improvement of antirot and
| fire-resistant treatments Of wood may
make it even more desirable than steel
for some of the purposes in which
the latter has succeeded the former.
However that may be, the half sec
tion of the White House truss that
the government is to preserve will be
a reminder to future generations of
the incalculable service the primeval
forests of America were to the form
alive days of the nation. From set
tiers board shack or log cabin to the
stately mansions of the president the
forests sheltered and protected the
swarming millions. Without forests
we would not be the mighty nation we
are. 1t may we'll be that the new for
ests-the continuous forests-that will
take their place, even though their
time comes so slowly, will play an
equally important part in the future