SAN BENITO COUNTY
NORTH CHALONE PEAK
Pinnacles National Monument - California Department of Forestry
February 9, 1935: “Approval of the construction of a $2500 fire lookout station on North Chalone peak was received from Washington Wednesday by W.I. Hawkins, custodian of the Pinnacles.
Work will start at once, Hawkins said, so the station will be complete for the coming season. A telephone line will also be constructed to the station in the immediate future.
Anticipating the approval of the station, work has been taking place for several weeks on a horse trail, several miles in length, from the Pinnacles lodge to the high peak.
The Chalone station gives San Benito county three lookouts, the others being on Call mountain and Fremont peak. It is proposed to have two other stations in the near future, Hawkins said.” (Salinas Morning Post)
Work will start at once, Hawkins said, so the station will be complete for the coming season. A telephone line will also be constructed to the station in the immediate future.
Anticipating the approval of the station, work has been taking place for several weeks on a horse trail, several miles in length, from the Pinnacles lodge to the high peak.
The Chalone station gives San Benito county three lookouts, the others being on Call mountain and Fremont peak. It is proposed to have two other stations in the near future, Hawkins said.” (Salinas Morning Post)
November 28, 1942: “Charles Iffert, who is working at the Pinnacle lookout station, visited last week at his home in Pleyto.” (The Californian)
July 17, 1951: “Investigation into the two explosions and fire that wrecked the state forestry service lookout station in the Pinnacles and injured the lookout yesterday, is underway today.
Mace Pewther, investigator for the forestry division, is conducting the inquiry out of the Monterey office.
Meanwhile Edward Cunha, of Salinas, the lookout, was in the Park Lane hospital here suffering from cuts, bruises and shock.
State forestry officials said today that the lookout, constructed by the CCC, and a smaller building used by the aircraft warning service during World War II, were destroyed in the blast and fire. Approximately a quarter of an acre of brush surrounding the two buildings also burned before it was checked by the Gonzales forestry crew.
The two blasts that destroyed the building occurred shortly after noon yesterday, according to partial reports from state forestry officials. The first, from the downstairs portion of the building, may have occurred while Mr. Cunha was lighting the pilot flame on a butane refrigerator. While he was attempting to check the fire and rescue a battery from his automobile, the second occurred.
Deputy sheriffs in the Mission district, who saw the smoke and went to investigate found Mr. Cunha about two miles from the lookout station.
Within a few minutes after the smoke was sighted State Ranger W.C. Austin, King City, and Kenneth Harp, Salinas, and Walter Banchero, King City, assistant rangers, were on their way to the fire.
Forestry service officials believe that the blast may have been caused by butane gas leaking from a refrigerator downstairs or from a stove upstairs.
Mr. Cunha, an amateur radio operator, lost approximately $1,000 worth of transmitting and receiving equipment in the fire.
Temporary building to house a lookout will be erected at the site within three days, it was reported. The lookout is one of the most important in the state forest service chain.” (The Californian)
Mace Pewther, investigator for the forestry division, is conducting the inquiry out of the Monterey office.
Meanwhile Edward Cunha, of Salinas, the lookout, was in the Park Lane hospital here suffering from cuts, bruises and shock.
State forestry officials said today that the lookout, constructed by the CCC, and a smaller building used by the aircraft warning service during World War II, were destroyed in the blast and fire. Approximately a quarter of an acre of brush surrounding the two buildings also burned before it was checked by the Gonzales forestry crew.
The two blasts that destroyed the building occurred shortly after noon yesterday, according to partial reports from state forestry officials. The first, from the downstairs portion of the building, may have occurred while Mr. Cunha was lighting the pilot flame on a butane refrigerator. While he was attempting to check the fire and rescue a battery from his automobile, the second occurred.
Deputy sheriffs in the Mission district, who saw the smoke and went to investigate found Mr. Cunha about two miles from the lookout station.
Within a few minutes after the smoke was sighted State Ranger W.C. Austin, King City, and Kenneth Harp, Salinas, and Walter Banchero, King City, assistant rangers, were on their way to the fire.
Forestry service officials believe that the blast may have been caused by butane gas leaking from a refrigerator downstairs or from a stove upstairs.
Mr. Cunha, an amateur radio operator, lost approximately $1,000 worth of transmitting and receiving equipment in the fire.
Temporary building to house a lookout will be erected at the site within three days, it was reported. The lookout is one of the most important in the state forest service chain.” (The Californian)
April 29, 1952: “Construction work on a new fire lookout to replace the one which burned down on Chalone Peak last summer is scheduled to start May 5, according to Willard C. Austin, supervising state forest ranger in Monterey county. The lookout site is located in the Pinnacles National park area.
Mr. Austin says all needed materials are available, and that the work will be done under supervision of the state. The tower will cost an estimated $17,000.
The fire last summer apparently started from an explosion which occurred when gas from a flamo tank was ignited from the pilot light of a refrigerator.” (The Californian)
May 27, 1955: “State division of forestry fire lookout on Chalone peak, about 15 miles east of Soledad in the Gabilan range, was found dead in his bed yesterday afternoon, according to Coroner Elmer L. Machado.
The lookout was Paul M. Beggs, 47, a state employe at the lookout tower since 1949. An autopsy performed this morning revealed death was caused by a heart attack, Coroner Machado said.
Mr. Beggs was found by Ranger Kenneth Harp of Salinas. Forestry officials had not heard from the tower since Tuesday night and two rangers were dispatched to investigate.
Coroner Machado said forestry officials notified him of the death yesterday afternoon while he was in Soledad conducting a coroner's inquest of a recent traffic fatality.
Mr. Beggs was found with an unlighted cigarette in his mouth, a match in one hand and a match box in the other, Coroner Machado said. The autopsy surgeon believes he had been dead about 48 hours, the coroner said.
The lookout tower was opened for the 1955 fire season three weeks ago. Forestry officials said Mr. Beggs had walked about four miles to the Pinnacles on Tuesday.
Mr. Beggs would have been 48 years old on July 10.” (The Californian)
March 16, 1963: “Vandals broke into the Chalone lookout of the state division of forestry in the Pinnacles national park, lighted a fire on the floor and scattered papers, forestry officials said. A door in the living quarters was broken to make entry.” (The Californian)