The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-10-11
MISCELLANY.
HOW A RAFT is MADE.
Pcrils and Excitements Of Raf.man,s III,

Feriis ana hxcifememfs OF a Raftnlan,a Life.
1t requires some men of experience to plan
the RATS and give instructions to the ordi-
nary workers, and a person unaequainted
with the business will find the work very
interesting. A raft is built by platforms and
each platform is made independent Of the
| others and so that in case the coupling
breaks it will stand by itself At the bot
tom of the platform is frame, composed of
two heavy timbers, called runners, with
three smaller ones fastened on them cross
wise. Through these timbers pass the oak
"grubs" about four feet long that hold the
lumber piled on these frames in place,
After this foundation is made the lumber is
isis4 ehiss1fsisu B. a.vys1ic
proper number of courses is on. Then holes
are bored in the binders and they are fitted
on the grubs and pressed down tight on the
last course of boards and wedged 50 that it
is impossible for board to come out unless
the binders break This finishes the plat
form with the exception of coupling unless
it be one requiring head-blocks or stiffeners.
A raft when first started usually has eight
platforms, which are fastened together with
planks passing through about the middle of
the platform; and besides the lumber in it
there is generally top load of shingles, or
something of that kind. The first platform
has, besides its head-block and oar, stiffen-
or that slightly raises the front end of the
platform and prevents it from diving in
going over dams and through rapids. 1t is
ON such craft, put together in this way
that hundreds of enthusiastic men do more
hard work in week than they could be in.
duced to do in twice the time at anything
else
After the raft is done, it is tied up with
rafting rope" usually two inches through
and left till the flood which generally comes
in April. Going down the river is an event
in the lives of the backwoodsmen like attend
ing general training years ago, and they
answer call to go on a raft as gladly as a
school boy responds to holiday. 1t is
amusing to see the men coming to the raft
ing place with coats off, hurrying along as if
they had not q minute to spare and frequent
ly with two or three boys with them to see
the start. Every one looks hurried and ex-
cited except the cooler pilots. 1t usually
to get ready to start, as there is top loading
to carry on, provisions to store, and many
little matters to attend to that require time.
When all is ready the pilot and steersman
step on the raft and select their crews, three
men apiece, and then the raftsman's work
commences. They unite the raft, coil up
the rope on one of the middle platforms and
pull out into the stream. At first the raft
moves slowly. but the swift current of the
rivor N, among tho mountains soon nurries
it rapidly away from the cheering crowd
watching its departure, and the men stop
waving their hats to the watchers and turn
to work. The work is hard, too for the
streams are full of sharp bends where the
strongest effort will not prevent some bruis-
ing of the raft 4uH
A pilot must thoroughly understand his
business or raft is not worth much when
he lands it up in the river, even il he should
happen to get through, for there are so
many rocks, dams, bars and rapids that the
greatest care aud skill are necessary to go
through safely. Then besides the other
dangers there are log piles that gather direct.
ly in the course, leaving the pilot no alter
native but running into the logs or going far
out Of the usual channel into dangerous places.
sometimes ran will run on logs floating
down stream, as the raft goes much faster
than the logs, and this frequently breaks q
coupling, leaving the raft to run in two parts
till it can be got together again. In fact,
there is no time until the large river is reach
ed that there is any certainly of keeping
together for more than five minutes at a
time. Terrible accidents sometimes occur
in running old RATS that have laid in the
streams through the winter l. Philadelphia
Times.