Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-06-28
NEW SERIES--VOL. II, NO. 26

n ing each other at the ends, and secur,
s ly spiked or fastened together wit
large oak pins. AT the bottom heav
d timbers laid side by side, run throug
b the entire length, thus forming a foo
Z They are then filed with stone-th
I weight Of the stone anchoring ther
1 securely to the bottom or bed Of th
river. An inch and quarter cable
now used to secure the floating boon
1 instead Of the buoys described above.
In the month Of September, 1861
r there occurred another Of those disas
trous floods, which, in many respects
was almost as damaging as the one il
: 1860 There had been but light flood
: during the early part of the season, s.
that the larger part of the logs wer'
still back
During the height of this food tn,
Lock Haven boom broke. The log
previously secured therein We're, con
sequontly, carried by the violent cur
rent down the river, crushing every
thing in their way, and tearing timber
and board RATS from their fastenings
hurled the whole mass upon our boom
with such sudden and irresistible force
as to tear out the entire sheer boom
together with one of the large cribs
This flood occasioned another large loss
Of logs.
Such a misfortune, following so close.
ly that of the preceding season, pro
duced depressing influence through
out the community. As the winter
approached, many doubts were indulged
and expressed as TO the propriety of
putting in new stock Of logs that
season.
AT this time the country was greatly
agitated, owing to this being the first
year Of the war. Business of all kinds
had become depressed, while the finan-
cial outlook was anything but encour-
aging In addition to the loss of logs
and the damage done to the boom, the
flood had filled the harbor with n mass
Of debris, which must necessarily be
removed before the boom could be put
into proper condition for the recep-
ton of another stock of logs. Under
all these circumstances, the board of
managers, at a meeting held on the
18th of November, adopted the follow.
ing preamble and resolution, to wit !;
WHEREAS, In view Of the unsettled condition
Of business throughout the country, the impera.
tive necessity for clearing out the boom harbor,
which cannot be done at this season Of the year,
and the want Of the necessary means, IL is deemed
inexpedient to have the boom hung the ensuing
season therefore,
ResOired, That the President give notice there.
Of by publication in one or more newspapers Of
Lycoming and adjoining counties,
The publication of this notice pro
vokcd a spirit of opposition among
some OF the lumbermen who had per-
fected arrangements for getting in a
winters stock, and an effort was now
made TO induce them 10 rescind their
resolution, and allow the hanging of
the boom during the following season.
As q result OF this opposition, A. 4.
Nichols, l.. A. Farnsworth and Herdic,
and Lentz q Whites entered into a.
contract with the boom company, on
the l4th day Of January, 1862, by
which they agreed TO rebuild the crib
removed the previous fall, TO replace
and extend the sheer boom, and to have
the boom hung and in good condition
for catching and securing the logs on
the first floods during the following
spring.
The boom was accordingly repaired,
and hung in time TO secure the first
run of logs.
The experience gained by the COM
pany during the few preceding years
convinced them that the boom could
be very much strengthened and rem
dered more secure and reliable by re-
ducing the space or distance between
the old cribs. To accomplish this they |
proposed to put in a new crib between
each of the old ones, thus making the
space 100 feet from crib TO crib, instead |
OF 200 as formerly. This work was
given TO John |. Berry, who, on the |
14th day of June, 1864, entered into \
contract to build Al new cribs, com
mencing at the upper end Of the boom
and extending down the river, locating
new crib midway between each two
of the old ones.
This was the last contract made by |
the boom company for either the ex-
tending or repairing of their booms.
From that time until the present the
entire work of building and repairing
has been entrusted totheir Superintend- |
ent, Mr.. Thomas Turley, whose eff
cheney and skill, as well as his acknowl- |
edged ability, are admitted by ALL
In the following spring, 1865, occur
red the great "St. Patrick's flood, )"
when the river attained the almost
unprecedented height of twenty-six
feet above low water mark. Though
the entire boom was under water yet,
strange TO say, the damage was incon-
siderate A few of the boom timbers
and platforms were broken, and some
few lost. There was no damage done
TO the cribs. 1t served, however, TO
alarm the company and, upon the sub
siding of the water, they added from
four to six feet to the height OF all
their cribs, in order TO guard against
a similar food This work was com.
pleted during the season of 1865.
During the season OF 1866, the com.
pany erected their boom at Linden, by
connecting the two islands at that
place. One of their managers, Mr..
John White, was appointed commit
tee to suporintend the work of con.
struction, with power to purchase tim
Der and other necessary materials, and
supply the necessary labor. This work
was completed during the following
winter and spring. 'Nr
We have already mentioned the fact
that there was a dam across the river
as early as 1850, which furnished power
to the water mill Of Sampson 4 Ballard, |
and later to the saw and grist mill sub
sequcntly erected by Peter Herdic and
B. II. Taylor. This dam was going
rapidly into decay. The frequent
damage done to il by floods and ice
occasioned q largo annual ex-
pense In addition to its supplying
power to these mills tho back water
harbor for the boom com.
pany, without which the operation of
rafting could not have been successfully |
carried on. ..HI r.