Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-10

Ing the DEW line along the arc
American and Canadian report
inspection trip along the line
agree that the cold isn't so bad
sometimes.
1t is still winter by the ther-
mometer in the arctic. At each
Second OF Series
stop along the line. reporters
asked the first workman they
saw what the temperature was
ITS a pretty good day.
don't know the temperature,
was a typical answer. Or a
worker would guess. It's about
20"-meaning 20 below zero.
Wind Is Difference
In one Baffin Island stop a
foreman said it was "38 below
and good working day" Ac-
tually, it was. because there
was little wind. But when high
wind combines with such cold
the men do not work outside.
Workmen at the sites said the
sense Of isolation and loneliness
does bother them. The Arctic
particularly in the fiat areas Of
Western Canada. can be a vast
bleak desolation. Only the Es-
kimoS like the place. What the
white man likes is the high wage
scale-averaging $500 a month
and the opportunity to save
several thousand dollars in q
single year.
The radar crews will keep ir
touch with the outside world
through frequent mail and sup
ply visits from shuttle planes
Each site has a landing strip
gravel in some instances, ice
strips on a frozen lake or bay
at some sites. All ultimately
will have gravel strips.
The DEW line itself is I'M
pressive to See-in its isolation,
in the boldness of its assault on
the unknown Arctic. in the stark
beauty of some of the radar
sites.
Each site has one or two long
narrow buildings, with the mar
row end of each facing the d.
rection of the prevailing winds,
These buildings contain radar
control rooms. communications
rooms and ample living and
recreation space
Decorations Simple
Workmen today are finishing
the interiors of the buildings
Decorations and furnishings are
simple but apparently the build
ings will be quite livable.
Civilians will man Thea sta
tons Just as civilians are build
ing them. Design and construc-
ton has been done under con-
tract by the Western Electric
Corn. unit of the Bell System
WE. has called on specialists
from the vast Bell System TO
build the line. The Federal Elec-
trio Corp. of Clifton. N. j., will
operate the DEW line, using
skilled Canadians and Ameri-
cans
The basic jobs of these work
ers, when the line is finished
within two years. will be TO spot
unfriendly aircraft and send a
warning back 10 civilization.
Detection is the first step Two
types of radar stations are being
built The first will use fixed
antenna radar. throwing up a
constant, unbroken radar fence
The second will use rotating an
tenna ladar which will be able
to search vast circular areas
when fixed radar station
signals that airplanes are in the
area.
No Holes In This Fence
The Air Force says there will
be no holes in this improved
type Of Yaday fence
The radar stations will be
semi automatic. The desolation
of the arctic works on the nerves
OF persons who live there over
long periods Of time No indivi-
dual could spend much time
hunched over a PICKERING radar
screen waiting for a Dlp that
might never come. So the sets
will give a signal when a blip
appears. The crews can drop
their ping pong paddles and get
to work
The DEW stations Will be vul-
nerable to enemy attack. as
there mas been no attempt to
ring them with defcnses The
function Of the stations is TO
warn. not TO fight,
So in a somewhat callous way
from the viewpoint OF the sta
ton CreWS---the architects OF the
DEW line remark that if a radar
station is obllterated by an
atomic bomb, the destruction
will be noted by the armed
forces, and the station will have
performed successfully its warn
Ing function
Ultimately the stations may
have the ability to control inter-
ceptor planes fighting overhead