Evening star., 1940-08-03
Boys 70-Foot Tower
Must Be Dismant|ed,
Arlington Rules
Structure Assembled
Lost Summer Without
Adult Aid Held Unsufe

70-foot observation tower erected
by four Arlington County (Va0
youths with considerable skill and
labor last summer, must be removed
because of an alleged safety hazard
county officials have ruled.
surmounted by platform six or
seven feet square, the ingeniously
assembled tower stands in the rear
lot of the home of Mr. and Mrs
william A. Dayton, 1872 Twenty
fourth street North.
Orlo Dayton, 16, a former Star
newspaper carrier. and George Sum-
mers. 10, who lives a short distance
down the street, were assisted by
two other youths in the community
In the enterprise.
Even Mrs. Dayton is at a loss to
understand how such a towering
structure could have been erected
without the assistance of expert
enced engineers. 1t consists of one
tower about 40 feet high, which is
supported by four well-braced legs
made from small tree trunks ano
limbs. Running up the side of this
tower and extending 80 feet higher
is a 60-foot pole. This pole rests on
top of another pole buried in the
ground and extending up 10 feet. A
second pole extends up Is feet from,
the ground and is bolted to the taller
timber. -',,
Extending for 100 to 200 feet or
all sides are strong guy wires at.
tached to trees and iron spike,
driven in the ground A "sky-ride
from the 40-foot tower and running
to pine tree more than 200 feet
away has been constructed. Tht
boys sit on a board suspended by
pulleys from a cable and coast ovel
tree tops to the pine tree. A rope
is used to pull the chair" back tt
the tower.
The boys have discouraged the
use of the tower by small children
by making it difficult for any but
large persons to climb to the 40.
foot platform. Railroad spikes are
set in one of the four legs too high
for a small child to reach.
Orlo is visiting his grandmother
in Michigan and has not beer
notified of action by the country
building inspector In ordering the
structure removed. George, how.
ever, circulated a petition in the
community Friday night which
nearly all the residents signed anc
testified that the structure is moi
Objectionable.
Mrs. Dayton said Orlo bought 9
car for $25 last summer to have
power to hoist the 60-foot pole or
top of the 10-foot pole. A series
Of pulleys and braces was used
she said. When operations were
completed, Orlo sold the car for $40
The boys have Installed a bel
in the top platform and issue calls
for meetings" from there. Elec-
trio wires are strung to the top sc
they can enjoy small radio which
they sometimes use.
Building Inspector Andrew Jen-
sen declared: II hate to make them
remove the tower when they have
shown so much skill in erecting it
1t Is an engineering feat which
seems impossible without some sort
of expert aid. I suppose they will
be capable of the same skill ir
taking it down, but 1t must be re.
moved because some child may
get hurt or killed there"
Mrs. Dayton said no adult as.
sistance was ever given the boys
The guy wires were found aban.
doned on various hikes as far away
as Herndon. The pole was obtained
from q tree felled in woods severa
blocks away. They hewed off the
limbs, placed one end of the pole
on the old automobile and another
end in a wagon and drove it tc
the scene Of operations.
MY husband did not want the
boys to erect the tower" Mrs. Day.
ton said, "but I would rather have
them near me where they won't
get into trouble than going OF
somewhere where I wouldn't know
their whereabouts"