Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-03-22
Running Lumber In Fluus,.

William Il Thurman, OF Borden,
Fresno county. has just patented o
method OF running lumber In fumes,
which will be Of interest to many OF our
readers In the mountains. The usual
method OF running lumber is 10 place
the separate pieces In the Aume and al.
low them 10 run down by the force Of
the current, but II Ia found in practice
that the lighter pieces and boards will
soon oyertake the heavier sticks and
partly override them. and in this way
several lengths will become jammed In
time so a. to form q more or less rigid
mass, which will become jammsd OF
turns or corners. and this necsositates
the employment OF q numerous force
at long fumes TO keep them clear. DO.
sides greatly decreasing the capacity Of
the fiume.
In the new method. Mr.. Thurman
takes any lumber which he may be ready
to send down. and piles II up together
in lengths, until he has accumulated o
bulk suitable to the carrying capacity Of
the flume. This pile Is then secured
together In any suitable manner; but
the inventor has found q very satisfac-
terry method to be used In the employ
ment Of . peculiar clamp. This clamp
Is made OF iron Of suitable strength,
having q body q little longer than the
thickness OF the pile Of lumber To be
bound together. The ends are bent 20
as 10 extend at right angles with the
body and enclose the pile. and these
ends have sharpened points bent down.
Tho pile OF lumber being made up, the
clamps are slipped over the ends. and
then the workman takes o piece Of wood
OF q suitable thickness to form q key,
and drives II between any Of tho pieces
Of the pile. This key forces hs pile
apart so that the points Of the clamps
will DO firnly securedi In the outer boards
OF the pile and the whole mass will DO
bound securely together. In order to
unite these piles into q gang. pieces Of
rope are taken aud knots made In each
end. These knots are placed between
tho boards Of any pile, and whom the
pile is keyed up the ropes form . loop
projecting from the ends Of the piles.
These loops from the consecutive piles
being connected will unite the whole
into q gang Of any desired length, and
these gangs will so all the flume that
they will run down In regular order and
never become jammed. II Is not neces-
sary In making up the piles to select
lumber Of any particular size and
lengths. Lengths may vary somewhat,
II being only necessary to have the out
side pieces Of the pile the longest.
Another advantage derived from this
method is that green, heavy lumber that
will not float may be moved by putting
1t into piles with a certain proportion OF
dry lumber. so that the whole will have
sufficient buoyancy to float. Other,
methods Of binding the piles together
may be employed. but this inventor has
found tho clamps aud keys best, M by
driving the keys out tho whole pile Is
loOsened.
These fumes for carrying lumber are
some OF them Of great length. and have
varying grades. 80 that the lumber may
run Eve miles In twelve oil fifteen min
utes, and tho next Ave miles In an hour
or more. The fumes are also made OF
different widths, as al O low incline they
must BE- wider to take all the water from
tho sleeper grades. The great advan-
tage Of uniting the lumber into gangs
will he readily appreciated. At Mr..
Thurman's flumo Of fity.one miles, the
lumber runs through In o little over
twelve hours. and 80 regularly that they
can always time its arrival within fifteen
minutes; and where they formerly need.
ed a man to each mile TO keep tho fume
clear. they now have but seven for tho
whole djsiance. II they desire to send
green lumber that will not float, they
simply put Il into tho gang between
enough dry lumber to tow 1t down.
The practical advantage OF this method
il very great. In the old way, Whenever
the lumber is choked in the fiumo II
throws out water. and feeders are neces-
sary at short intervals to keep up the
supply. Side fumes must DO made NO
that in n jam the lumber can be switched
into these side fumes. from which. after
the flumc IL cleared. II must DO thrown
bodily into the main flume again. All
this Is obyiated by this method.-S y.
.Miaing and Scientific Press, March H..