NEW PROCESS FOR PRESERVATION OF TELEGRAPH POLES 715 



ing a total length of from two to two 

 and one-half feet. This casing is held 

 out from the pole by spacing rods 

 which leave about a half inch opening 

 between the pole and the casing at the 

 solid portions and a greater space 

 where decay has existed. 



After the casing is in place, the dirt 

 is tamped in at the bottom up to the 

 base of the casing, and inside of the 

 form is poured a hot preparation of 

 pitch which will yield a distillate of 

 high boiling and high gravity creosote 

 oil. The pitch, after it hardens, will 

 form a perfect bond with the creosoted 

 surface of the wood and entirely pre- 

 vent the entrance of air, moisture, or 

 other agencies favorable to decay, and 

 at the same time pre\ent the evapora- 

 tion of the creosote which was applied 

 by brush treatment to the decayed sur- 

 face. The creosote in the pitch acts 

 as an additional toxic agent in destroy- 

 ing and preventing all forms of decay. 

 Experiments have shown that this pitch 

 filler will not only form a perfect bond 

 with the wood and remain in absolutely 

 close contact in all climatic changes, but 

 it also entirely fills all surface checks 



and, to a slight degree, penetrates the 

 wood. After the pitch has been poured 

 in and has cooled, the dirt is thrown 

 back around the pole and tamped tight 

 and a protective fireproof covering or 

 cap of cement is applied ; or, if the 

 filler is poured to within only about 

 two inches of the top, the edges of the 

 fireproof casing can be bent over and 

 tacked to the pole, thus eliminating the 

 use of a cement cap. 



The cost of the Lamb pole protective 

 treatment is but a fraction of the cost 

 of putting in a new pole, and under 

 average conditions one year's increase 

 in the life of a pole will pay for the 

 treatment. The average pole has a life 

 of about ten years, and the cost of re- 

 placement is averaged at $10, hence the 

 annual charge on a -i per cent com- 

 pound interest basis amounts to about 

 $1.25 per pole. If properly treated at 

 the ground line a conservative estimate 

 places the increase in life at from 5 to 

 10 years. To double the life of poles 

 would mean a saving of 2,000,000 poles 

 per year, which is equivalent to the pole 

 timber on at least 25,000 acres of 

 heavily stocked forest. 



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FINISHED POLE ON SLOPE. 



