Discussion on “recent results obtained from the preservative treatment of telephone poles” (Rhodes and Hosford), St. Louis, Mo., October 19, 1915. (see proceedings for October 1915)

Herman von Schrenk: Mr. Hosford brought out the important factor about the changes which take place in poles after service and I note throughout the discussion, in the report and in the tables that the word decay is used. I judge from the description which Mr. Hosford gave us just now that the word decay as he used it, refers not so much to the impregnated portions of the pole as to the parts which lie beneath those portions. The experience which we have had in other structures, notably in railroad trestles, with piling, etc., has been entirely in accord with the observations he gives here. I only recently had occasion to condemn a railroad structure of creosoted piling, 180 feet long, after only four years of service, which showed marked decay, when, as a matter of fact those parts of the wood impregnated with the creosoted oil were perfectly sound; but, just as in the case of the poles described as being subjected to brush treatment, the fungus spores had penetrated through the season checks and brought about decay underneath. What I want to know is, did Mr. Hosford in an examination of these poles find any of that decay in the impregnated sections of the wood — this question refers particularly to the butt or full cell process — in which the creosote had penetrated?