The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-03-04
New Pole Treating Plants "a
Hour CdpddtyIs 16O0PoIes


when F. B. Morse asked for bids OF
200 wood poles, "a feet in length, t
be used in supporting telegraph
wires between Baltimore, Md, anc
Washington D. c. Since that time
the trade has grown till in l945
4226,0 900 poles were given preserVa-
tive treatment, and many thousands
more were used untreated in the
telegraph, telephone, signal, and
power utilities.
For many years southern pine,
western red cedar and eastern or
northern white cedar provided the
bulk of poles used in the United
States. Research todate has shown
that of all the native timber in the
Rocky Mountain region, lodgepole
pine possesses more of the desired
characteristics for producing good
poles than any other tree This Spe-
cies which is said to have obtained
its name on account of its wide use
by the Indians in lodge and WigWam
construction, is found in great
abundance throughout the region.
The Kootenai Forest has its full
share of lodgepole pine.
At the time of cutting, lodgepOle /
pine has a water content of from |
$50 to $50 of its oven dry weight. |
Untreated poles even after air seas
oning. decay rapidly in contact with !
the earth. The life in the ground of
an untreated pole varies from two
treated lodgepole pine poles still in
service after "a years. The differ
ence in length of service between
ord ,,p4raafaI ron1ec boc
suited in a demand for the treated {
product Originally it was custom ;
ary to apply creoSOte, which has
been found to be the most practical
by applying it with a
brush, but such methods are now
obsolete and have been superseded I
by modern devices of removing the ]
water content and forcing the crea-
sote into the fibre of the wood. +
With the foregoing background
the reason for the J. Neils Lumber v
new pole treating plant \
becomes apparent. The plant which f
IS one of the most modern in the G
0leted and during the past two
weeks has been making trial runs :
o Iron out the bugs" in prepare 4
iOli AOA SbGdAJ R4ONAAANNAOAA VI LII !
,oln County treated poles which in a
he near future will carry wires inl is
many sections of the United States. O
A representative of The Western n
News has been privileged to inspect v
he new plant under the guidance is
f its superintendent, Melvin Knud-
on, son of Mr. and Mrs John Z
hudson of this place. Mr. Knud-
on served with distinction in the
United States Para-troops during
he recent war in the Pacific, where 4
G rose to the rank of lieutenant 4
olOnel Before entering the Army,
e graduated from the Oregon State I
ollege where he specialized in
)restry and wood products cours-
S. Since his return to civilian life
hudson has taken additional re- ST
earch work in wood products lines, da
aving been selected by the j. ca
ellis Lumber Company to head fu
leir pole treating project
The Superintendent described the va
ork of the plant in phraseology re
,adily understandable to the lay an
an. as the removal by boiling out
OIL of the desired amount of tri
alter content from the poles, and tol
e impregnation of the creosote no
'eSerVatiVe in place of the remoV- ~
moisture. WI
A. off;oo b,,ild;ao :. 1ooo4od ;,,a4 no
% of ~ 49,, +lfon4 T1ie L, IT, Do
g, in addition to having the super eli Gil
tendent's office, is equipped with T 9l
overs and clothing lockers for r
G of the workmen, as well as an
nchroom. Each carload of creosote
tested for toxicity, a preservative CO..
alysiS being made. The office Ine
Hiding also contains a laboratory cISi
r making these analyses. The plant NJ
S storage capacity of 100000 l1a
lions Of preserVatiVe, which is
ntained in four tanks. two of
1000 gallon capacity, each; and
o of $4,000 gallon capacity, each.
e set-up is designed for an addi-
nal 100000 gallons of creosote
len and if there is a future need
it,
Logs come to the yards either by
! or truck and are dumped into
pond for immediate storage as a
erve supply. From the pond, the
IS go through the peeler depart a
mt, where they are fabricated, "
lied, bored, gained, rooted and
o9AAANNAf eAAS bLACAA 4OdhGu OH re-
t tram cars prior to treatment.
the event that certain poles in
peeler will not be treated at
,e, they are peeled and sent out
a seasoning yard, and at a later
te fabrication is completed for
.ating.
A tram car holds from so to SIS
es which are bound on it in a
,kage. The poles are treated in a
ort which has a capacity of four
m cars at one time. There are
} steel retorts, each IA feet long.
of cylindrical shape with inside
meter of eight feet. After the
0rts are loaded a huge door,
tened with 48 large bolts is
sed. The doors are capable of
total applied pres
e of over million pounds.
When the tramloads of poles are
ked in the retorts, there is no
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