Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1881-09-18

the Invention Of the V-Flume.
; John S. Hittell, VINO is preparing
!, book on "The Commerce and Industrie
of the Pacific Coast" desires informa
ton as to who was the first inventor O
the V-flume used in sending wood
timbers and lumber down from noun.
tainS and elevated timber tracts. Mr.
Hittell says he heard of a V-hume that
was built in California in 1870 by C. F.
Ellsworth, and supposed he had reached
the end of his search, but he soon
found reports of the V-fiume having
been used on this side of the Sierras at
an earlier date. William Thompson,
of FraIktown, informed him that w.
s. Chapman and n. E. Bunker built a
square f1ume to transport lumber in
Washoe county in 1866. He thinks
the first V-flume was built by - FL
liOt in Douglass county, and Elliot and
Haines brought suit afterward against
Yerington, Bliss & Co. for Infringement
of a patent for V-flume and were de-
feated on the grounds, Mr.. Thompson
has been informed, that the V-flume
had been previously used in Washing
ton Territory and in England. Mr.
Hittell goes on to say:
My next step was to apply to j. l..
Boone, patent solicitor, by whose help l
learned that Oh the Goth of September,
1870, a patent for a chute for delivering
timber was issued to James w. Haines,
of Genoa, Nevada. The specification
says the chute has v form, arranged
on an incline, in whole or in part, and
adapted to receive flow of water for
the conveyance of timber The idea of
V-f1ume is here distinctly expressed,
but whether the claim is stated in the
terms required to protect the invention
may be questioned.
From Mr.. Bunker l learn that the
fiume which he and Chapman built in
1866, to carry lumber, had a fiat bottom
% inches wide, and was three miles and
half long. 1t failed because of clog
ging, and after few months was aban-
doned.
II. NJ. HOLSTER, in response to my
inquiries, tells me that Church and |
Hawley built a -f1ume near Truckee |
in 1868 and 1869, getting their idea
from M. E. Spooner, now a resident of |
who had previously-in |
1867, he thinks-built small V-fumes |
to carry cordwood down small ravines
to the Carson river.
This is a brief summary of the main
results of my investigation; and at pres
ent Mr.. SpOOner seems presumptively
entitled to the honor of this important |
invention of using a current of water in
a V-shaped flume for the transportation
OF lumber and cOrdwood. A trough.
either V-shaped or square, used as a
slide, and current of water have been
used from remote times for conveyance,
but the merit of the invention lay in the
and on the proof of its
value for transportation on large scale.
am continuing my researches, but
would like the aid of the press and its
public spirited correspondents in getting
all possible light on this important
question of the origin of the V-fume.
In order to assist Mr.. Hittell in prop
erly preparing his work On "The Com
nerce and Industries of the Pacific
Coast" the APPEAL would solicit from
is numerous readers anything in re-
gard to the information desired by that
gentleman. Doubtless some of our old
'esidents, and there are many of them
Who are familiar with this line of bust
less, may be able to throw some light
IN the subject.