The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-01-03
THAYERVILLE STRUCTURE
REPLACED BY NEW TOWER
Is Eighty Feet High; Finishing
Touches Being Added

The old 47-foot Thayerville forest
fire tower, which was dismantled last
summer, has been replaced by a new
80-foot steel lookout structure which
greatly improves the vision from this
Garrett county observation point.
Standing on the south end of Meadow
Mountain, high above the blue waters
of Deep Creek Lake, this addition to
the Maryland system of lookout tow
ers enables prompt detection of forest
fires originating on both sides of the
continental divide, for Meadow Noun
tain and the scattered hills and ridges
stretching southwark through Alta
mont to the slopes of Backbone Noun
tain form the dividing line between
the waters that flow eastward to the
Atlantic Ocean and those that flow
westward and southwark to the Gulf
of Mexico.
This Allegheny plateau region, with
its fertile rolling valleys and rugged
mountain slopes possesses some of
Maryland's most extensive areas. For
est fires set by incendiarists are real
threat to the economic future of this
important forested country.
The Thayerville Tower stands on
the Thayer State Game Refuge at an
elevation of 5000 feet and overlooks
wonderful expanse of forest and
mountains. Looking across the waters
of Deep Creek Lake which are 600
feet below the towerman's lofty perch,
the southeastern horizon is formed by
the wooded crest of backbone Noun
! tain, while to the east the abrupt gap,
through which the Savage River flows
to the Potomac, marks the northern
end of Backbone Mountain and sepa-
rates it from the precipitous slopes
| of Savage Mountain on whose crest
the neighboring High Rock tower
stands out boldly on the skyline. In
the foreground to the northeast,
stretching across the ridges and steep
hollows extending from Meadow
Mountain to the banks of Savage
River, may be seen the area acquired
within recent years by the State,
known as the Savage River State For
est. To the north, west and south
west the forested slopes of rugged
mountain tops stand out above rolling
valleys. Across Cherry Creek and
Castleman River Valleys the long
towering ridge known as Negro Noun
tain leads the eye northward towards
the Pennsylvania line, and beyond its
southern end other prominent knobs
and ridges such as Marsh Hill and
Roman Nose spread their wooded
slopes before the towerman's watch
full gaze. Ten miles to the southwest
at the end of Hoop Pole Ridge, To-
Gated on the broad Allegheny plateau,
are seen the spires and glistening
buildings of Oakland and Mountain
Lake Park, while looking further
south the plateau with its rolling
pasturelands and scattered woodlots
extends in an uninterrupted expanse
as far as the eye will carry. Thus,
the panorama of plateau and rugged
forest slopes is one of great charm
and placid rural tranquility, which
certainly should be preserved from
the Disagreement and economic loss
incident to forest fires.
The new tower has been provided
through the Federal Emergency Con-
servation Funds of the Roosevelt Ad-
ministration and the tower was built
by the civilian conservation forces
from the Swallow Falls State Camp.
The work was directed by District
Forest Warden Cecil Ramsey of Oak
land, who is now putting the finishing
touches on the interior of the tower
observatory room. Earle B. Thayer
has acted as towerman on several
days this fall and this tower will
assume its expanded function in the
forest protection organization with
the opening of the spring fire season.
The tower is connected by State
owned telephone line with the Biting
er, Elder Hill, High Rock and Shaggy
Mountain towers, as we'll as the forest
guards and the, headquarters of the
Savage River State Forest at New
Germany. This tower should prove
to be the focal point of much of the
protection activity in Garrett county,
serving as a key point surrounded
on all sides by neighboring towers.
The Department of Forestry is look
ing for greatly improved fire detec-
ton and faster attack of fires through
this improved facility.
Service companV has already received