All,
This morning my kids and I walked a small section of the JCRR, but more on the rails in another post. We then traveled to Apple Pie Hill before noon and noticed it was manned. I had not been inside in 30 years, so I was hoping my kids could experience it also. Right on cue he opened the door and asked us up, which we gratefully accepted.
At one things started to happen. Phone calls and radio transmission were being exchanged rapidly, and he quickly told us there was a training fire in progress which he pointed out to us. The calls that were not important he quickly cut short telling them that he had visitors. He was very nice and friendly. Things quieted down and we starting discussing a wide range of subjects. First, I pointed out that even thought it was cloudy, It seemed that visibility was excellent. He quickly pointed out Philadelphia which he estimated to be around 40 to 45 miles as the crow flies. I had been there many times in years gone by, and that was the first time I was able to see Philly. Air pollution in my opinion has improved since the 70's. We were also able to see Bear Swamp Hill, the Hospital in Browns Mills, and many other places in the distance.
I asked him what he did when he was not manning the tower and he informed me he has many things to do. The state builds their own fire trucks and they must be reinforced to cut through the woods by knocking down trees. Maintenance is high on vehicles like this so he is involved in that. He also travels west when the fires you hear about on the news are happening.
Quickly the conversation stopped when he received a call informing him of a real reported fire. A few quick glances and he located it and pointed it out to us. The Lebanon tower had coordinance on it and needed another tower's input. He pulled down a map from the ceiling, and using Lebanon's info he tacked a string across the map. He then used the sexton like instrument that is in the center of the tower and forwarded in the info to headquarters. He then went to the map and ran a string on the map from his location to the fire. This triangulated it and they knew exactly where it was. It was in the Brown's Mills Pemberton area. We watched the fire as it spread, with the dark smoke growing larger. Within 5 minutes we heard reports of the trucks getting to the area. He told us to watch for the smoke to turn white. That meant that water was sealing the fire's fate. Sure enough the smoke tuned white and the fire was at it's end.
Remembering some of our posts, I asked him if he knew who owned the tracks especially in the Chatsworth area and he was unsure. So the mystery continues if the cranberry farmers own the track rights, and if they are free to walk in the Chatsworth area.
He seemed to enjoy our company as much as we did his, but there was a downside to it. There is not much room to walk around in there, forcing me to be next to the heater. By next to it I mean inches. It was hot and getting uncomfortable. I could see that it was also getting to my daughters, so I thanked him for the invite and regrettably left. Before I did I asked if I could take a picture inside, and then asked if he wanted to be in it, which he was uncomfortable with. So I don't think he would be interested in Rob Blanda's suggestion to videotape him. Hopefully I am wrong and someone will.
Here is a photo I took inside the tower.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/teegate/APH-Tower.jpg
Guy
This morning my kids and I walked a small section of the JCRR, but more on the rails in another post. We then traveled to Apple Pie Hill before noon and noticed it was manned. I had not been inside in 30 years, so I was hoping my kids could experience it also. Right on cue he opened the door and asked us up, which we gratefully accepted.
At one things started to happen. Phone calls and radio transmission were being exchanged rapidly, and he quickly told us there was a training fire in progress which he pointed out to us. The calls that were not important he quickly cut short telling them that he had visitors. He was very nice and friendly. Things quieted down and we starting discussing a wide range of subjects. First, I pointed out that even thought it was cloudy, It seemed that visibility was excellent. He quickly pointed out Philadelphia which he estimated to be around 40 to 45 miles as the crow flies. I had been there many times in years gone by, and that was the first time I was able to see Philly. Air pollution in my opinion has improved since the 70's. We were also able to see Bear Swamp Hill, the Hospital in Browns Mills, and many other places in the distance.
I asked him what he did when he was not manning the tower and he informed me he has many things to do. The state builds their own fire trucks and they must be reinforced to cut through the woods by knocking down trees. Maintenance is high on vehicles like this so he is involved in that. He also travels west when the fires you hear about on the news are happening.
Quickly the conversation stopped when he received a call informing him of a real reported fire. A few quick glances and he located it and pointed it out to us. The Lebanon tower had coordinance on it and needed another tower's input. He pulled down a map from the ceiling, and using Lebanon's info he tacked a string across the map. He then used the sexton like instrument that is in the center of the tower and forwarded in the info to headquarters. He then went to the map and ran a string on the map from his location to the fire. This triangulated it and they knew exactly where it was. It was in the Brown's Mills Pemberton area. We watched the fire as it spread, with the dark smoke growing larger. Within 5 minutes we heard reports of the trucks getting to the area. He told us to watch for the smoke to turn white. That meant that water was sealing the fire's fate. Sure enough the smoke tuned white and the fire was at it's end.
Remembering some of our posts, I asked him if he knew who owned the tracks especially in the Chatsworth area and he was unsure. So the mystery continues if the cranberry farmers own the track rights, and if they are free to walk in the Chatsworth area.
He seemed to enjoy our company as much as we did his, but there was a downside to it. There is not much room to walk around in there, forcing me to be next to the heater. By next to it I mean inches. It was hot and getting uncomfortable. I could see that it was also getting to my daughters, so I thanked him for the invite and regrettably left. Before I did I asked if I could take a picture inside, and then asked if he wanted to be in it, which he was uncomfortable with. So I don't think he would be interested in Rob Blanda's suggestion to videotape him. Hopefully I am wrong and someone will.
Here is a photo I took inside the tower.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/teegate/APH-Tower.jpg
Guy