Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-04-29

THE Lock HAVEN JAM.-The big
some of our lumbermen. The Clinton Democrat
says:
"The biggest jam that ever occurred on the sus-
quehanna, say some Of our most experienced
lumbermen, occurred in front Of Lock Haven on
the night Of last Monday and Tuesday morning.
The beginning Of It seems to have been the stick
ing Of raft in the shute In the afternoon, which
kept back moro RATS In the dam than would have
been in |: they had been able to &c, through.
During the night some RATS got swung around,
the logs were running fast and began to jam, and
by between and o'clock next mxning the
pressure was so great on this side as 10 carry of
the pocket boom, which was full Of Lock Haven
logs. Shaw, Towns 4 Co., had about one million
feet carried down; Pardee A Cook, six or seven
hundred thousand, and Best, Hopkins 4 Wey-
mouth had half million or more. number Of
RATS went over the dam during the night, esti-
mated as high as fifty, which is probably little
high.
is estimated to have backed up fifty million (so
thinks WIN. Barrows), while some run Il as high
as one hundred million. These estimates are
very speculative and only serve to show that
there was an immense number Of logs stopped
here, which were piled up in every imaginable
shape AS there were many RATS on the Lock
port shore, the logs piled up on them, and some
are four or five deep with logs on them. The
bridge was hard pressed, but 1t passed through
without serious damage.
10 BREAK THE JAN
was the next question. If II was not done, the
town would ultimately get seriously flooded Ed
gar Munson, President Of the LumbermeSs g Ex-
change, In conference with l.. A. Mackey and n.
he. - lnt.~ n.l -. a 4 4
TO do II (Jim Colberth) was called to the work.
In an hour he had sixty men picking away at the
logs, and Ia short while hole was made, the
pressure increased, pocket boom pier gave way,
down came the sullen surly mass, and away went
the jam, scattering over the empty water space
below, with forest Of peeled logs rolling over the
bosom Of the smooth swift-running but turbid
Suequehanna Colberth and his crew worked
like brave fellows, and they are deserving Of
credit. The expense Of the work was borne by
the Lunibermcn's Exchange.
THE gosr DIFFICULT THING
Is yet to break the jam Of logs and RATS on tho
Lockport side, where about seventy -fyo RATS are
more or less covered with logs. 1t tisto be broken
by contract. There is also a jam on the side
boom or basin at Shaw, Towns 4 Co.'S mill, with
canal boat locked in by the logs and no doubt
more or less damaged. This jam on the other
side Is the hardest TO break but II Is not nterfcr-
ing with the run of logs and consequently Is not
dangerous, though It breaks up the running of
RATS so long as 1t is there. The losses cannot be
given. The logs carried away belonging to Lock
Haven will be saved at Williamsport, and this
place will lose the benefit of the amount of labor
II would take to saw them up, unless exchange Of
logs be made with Willamsport parties. The
damage Is triaing to what was threatened and
would likely have occurred IL the lam had not
been promptly broken. Tho contrnet for clear
ing the Lockport shore Of the Jam has been given
to the Messrs. Myers, and they are hard at work
at 1t.
HARBoRMAsrER Is WANTED
here TO control the running of rafts 60 that there
may be order and dispatch. The suggestion has
been several times made In these columns, but so
far nothing has been done. Now every man runs
on his own hook, and every season shows the in
furious effects Of not having the square timber
under proper control. As this s q ssrt of thing
that Is cverybody's business, and consequently
nobody's business, II does not get accomplished.
II the lnmbermen do not act on IL, let our City
Council make application, Us nm act Of protection
to the interests Of the city. This Is the square
timber market and II bchooyes the city to give
all the protection II to the important interests
involved. When these things occur there are
many long faces Of regret, and every one says
this ought to be done and that ought to be done,
and the result Is the danger is over with the in
jury, and nothing gets done. II Ifsomething is not
done by the next meeting Of Council, we hope
they will take some notice OF the matter, and II
there be not time to get the act through this year.
at least lay the groundwork for getting 1t through
next session Of the Legislature, which win be In
time for the spring foods Of 1875.