Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-10
A VETERAN ZIMMERMAN.
Capt. TObey's Method of TeIegraphing
Lumber and Getting 1t to Market.

Capt. c. W. Tobey, formerly of Baltimore,
now of Norfolk, a well known lumberman.
says the Baltimore San, arrived in Baltimore
from Annapolis yesterday to procure the SER
vices of a tug to convey a floating saw mill
from that place to Norfolk. He had the mill
built IN New York at a cost of ST., 600, and left
Chesapeake City on Thursday in tow of the
steamer Free Canal. The steamer being
Slow and fearing the weather and ice, he put
into Annapolis and procured the tugbOat
Alexander Jones, Capt. COttrell, to tow the
mill to Norfolk Capt. Tobey is the inventor
of lumber cribs, which were noticed at the
time of their introduction.
Il am bound to the Alligator and ChOwan
rivers to run my mill, said the veteran lum-
herman; Its capacity is equal to $4,000 feet
OF boards per day. Will go along the banks
of the rivers and buy timber which is not
situated over 1000 feet from the shore. The
reason tor not desiring that at a greater dis
tance away IS because of the impOssibility of
telegraphlng il to the mill at the shore"
''Telegraphing timber?'' queried the re-
porter. "HOw Is that dOne?"
"We1, Ill explain: l have a steel cable
1000 feet long, which is rove round drum on
board the mill. l run it ashore, fasten it at
an altitude of 90 feet on some strong tree and
allow 1t TO lay slack on the ground. | then
saw my logs whatever length desired. pair
of lumber hooks fastened to a pulley which
Is on the cable, is then made fast to a log.
The steam drum is then started, taking in the
slack of the cable, and as it is taken in the
log is holsted and an incline made by which
the weight OF the log carries it to the mill.
By suddenly Stacking the log falls on shore
near the mill. This is telegraphing logs"
Proceeding, he said: by my floating saw
mill Will put lumber into New York at a
cost OF about IS per 1000 feet. Let me give
you the figures and show YOU what makes up
the cost. pay 30 cents per 1000 feet for the
timber on the stump; cutting up saw-logs. 40
cents; telegraphing to the shore, 40 cents;
saving at mill, 81 25; construction of rafting
cribs, 10 cents; slowing in cribs, Is cents; tow
age from the tributaries of Albemarle sound
to Norfolk, 60 cents; tolls Chesapeake and AL
Demarle canal, 80 cents; tOWage from Norfolk
to Chesapeake City, IS cents; tolls Chesapeake
and Delaware canal, 10 cents, and steam tow
age, cents; toWage from Delaware City to
% cents; to BOrdentOWn Is
cents; tolls Delaware and Raritan canal, 50
cents; mule towing, 25 cents; steam towage
from New Brunswick to New York, Is cents;
working and discharging, 50 cents. Then ada
insurance and extra labor.
There are now 5000, 900 feet of Gunken tim
Der In the logging bOoms of North Carolina
| intend to work my mill among them also.
l ca can buy re sunken tim Der for 81 per thous-
my fleet the steam barge Sheriff, of Henry
county, which Will be used to raise the sunk
EN- logs and move the mill from point to point
The upper cut of the tree, which is full of sap,
VIII SINK 10 days after being put in the water.
The butt cub which is much heavier, by
reason OF the great weight of resin IN it,
sinks almost as soon as thrown overheard. |
ti'N Z IlOCu tndV oO per cent. OF NOiIn caro-
ina timber sinks before 1t is in the water two
months.
There are many advantages in the crib
system of rafting lumber. The largest crib l
ever sent away contained 5000 feet Of
manufactured lumber. 1t was 2l2 feet long,
y feet beam, and drew feet of water. 1t
passed safely through all the inland canals
10 construct crib for such an amount of
lumber 1t requires about y feet of timber
and costs very little. BY this method the
lumber Is Water-cured. In its passage
through fresh and salt water, to which the
crib gives easy entrance, the lumber is de-
prlved of all its sappy substance, which in
reality is uniformed fibre, and when removed
prevents the lumber from mildewing or
1t will not swell or shrink when
lsed IN flooring or in ship building. Water
;ured lumber brings me from 81 to 81 more
Der thousand feet than lumber sawed and |
piled on shore. The CRIBS perform the double |
iuty OF transporting the lumber and curing
I by the action of water passing through il =