Television on Misery Mountain

Hello, I'm Charles Herring - one of the hundreds of newscasters who keep this nation's television  viewers informed of world happenings. I must say that I find television just as  exciting and interesting from my side of the screen as it is from yours. As a matter of fact, some of the events in the development of this great  industry are fully as exciting as the stories you've seen depicted on your TV screens. Take, for example, the story of how television came to the people of Poland Spring, Maine. It's a fascinating story of nature challenging man, and how man's engineering skill combined with  modern building materials to meet this challenge. You may wonder where Poland Spring, Maine is  located, and just why television transmission to this area is newsworthy. Let me show you. Poland Spring, Maine is located in  this vast and somewhat remote area, including southern and central Maine,  and most of New Hampshire and Vermont. In theory, to achieve maximum coverage,  television transmission facilities should be situated on the highest point in the area. In this case, Mount Washington, 6,288 feet above sea level, was selected by Mount Washington TV,  Incorporated, as the site for their transmission. The big difficulty in locating a transmitting  site atop Mount Washington was the weather. Experts agree that the weather  here is more unpredictable and erratic than anywhere else in the world. The winter climate is considered subarctic, with temperatures ranging  down to 46 degrees below zero. Sixty-nine percent of the time, winds of  hurricane force sweep across Misery Mountain, as it's called. One day in ten, the wind exceeds 100 miles per hour. There was also the matter of transportation. A tortuous road twists up the mountain. Eight miles of steep trades and sharp  curves last four miles above tree line. All these factors had to be considered before  the building design could be worked out. Experts tested various designs and materials  for reaction to the weather extremes. They finally decided to prefabricate a building  framed with steel and covered with a plywood skin. Several factors determined  this unique construction. plywood had proved itself in prefabrication. It would give maximum rigidity against the stress of violent winds, and it would also provide  some insulation against the frigid temperatures. Some 200 panels were prefabricated  in Manchester, New Hampshire, later to be trucked to the mountaintop. This enabled the building to be completed in the short summer season and  simplified handling the materials. The prefabricated panels for this  mountaintop television transmitter building were loaded on special trucks  for the two-hour trip to the summit. The sturdy concrete foundation. which would anchor the building to the mountaintop was already in place,  ready to receive the plywood sections. Prefabricated wall panels  were raised into position, shored up by planking to withstand the  wind until they could be secured in place. Aluminum clad panels enclose the power  room to provide added fire protection. Bolts extend through the individual units. securing them to the foundation. All panels are exterior type fir plywood,  glued and nailed to lumber frames. They provide two-way rigidity with  virtual seamless construction. The inner core is filled  with fiberglass insulation. The danger of falling ice from this tower  required a special roof design for the building. The plywood roof panels are faced with  the cushioning coat of tar and gravel. Despite rugged weather during the erection,  including two giant-sized hurricanes, the transmitter building was  completed with no mishaps. It now stands as a remarkable  demonstration of how plywood can be used. Another building on Misery Mountain is  this one used by the Air Force for testing Arctic clothing, special lubricants,  and other cold weather equipment. The granddaddy of the mountain is  the Mount Washington Observatory. Here, experts keep track of the severe weather, studying the effect it has on the  climate of the surrounding areas. Weather readings must be taken  despite the wind and snow. To go outside and check the weather instruments,  these crampons strapped to boots provide sure footing on the icy terrain. With winds at near hurricane force, it's quite a job to change a container  in a precipitation measuring gauge. When you test for relative humidity, you lean  into the wind to keep from being blown away. To keep the weather instruments operating  properly, the ice must constantly be kept clear. This observatory wind gauge has  recorded speeds up to 231 miles an hour. That's one third the speed of sound. A catwalk connects the weather  building with the television building. It serves two purposes, keeps you from being  blown away, and shelters you from falling ice. Despite the ice, the wind, and the cold, this specially constructed building of plywood  panels is as comfortable inside as your own home. Under the weather extremes, a building of  ordinary construction would be difficult to heat, but the stressed skin panel design minimizes  seams and creates maximum dead air space. The building is sealed so tight that an  auxiliary heating system has never been used. The whole structure is more than  adequately heated by two generator engines which power this transmitter. From the transmitter, a television signal is beamed out to an area of 25,000 square miles. One hundred thousand gallons of fuel oil, enough to keep these generators going  for a full year, is also kept on hand. Its remote location requires that the TV station  maintain a large storehouse of spare parts. Enough replacement parts to keep the equipment  operating for six months should transportation to the mountaintop be snarled. To while away the many spare moments, the television technicians make good use of the  workshop, developing new and interesting hobbies. Of course, one of their  favorite hobbies is eating. That's taken care of with this  vast supply of frozen foods. And for a bit of variety,  this stock of canned goods. It all adds up to a wonderful menu. For example, how about some fried chicken and all the trimmings for dinner? Just like mother used to fix. Look delicious? It is too, as these fellows will tell you. Of course up here you can  really work up an appetite. Didn't we tell you it was good? Have a drumstick. And some potatoes. But save some room for dessert  'cause it's extra special. There you are, a tempting strawberry shortcake. Kind of rare in these wintry parts. You don't want to miss your favorite programs,  so you settle down in a nice cozy spot to watch television, knowing that the crew on duty  is keeping a watchful eye on the equipment. There certainly are all the comforts of  home here high atop Mount Washington. Outside, a hurricane-forced  blizzard can be raging. But inside this fir plywood structure, everything is comfortable and cozy. Including a good night's sleep. With electric blankets, no less. From all inward appearances,  this could be almost anywhere. But one look outside reminds you that  this is Mount Washington, where men and equipment are safe and comfortable, thanks to a  combination of engineering skill and fir plywood.