St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-19
THE JAM OF ALL JAMS.
One Hundred and Fifty Million Feet of
Logs Piled Together in Reckless
Profusion.
Like Matches Scattered From the Hand,
They Lie Upon the Waters of the
st. Oroix.
Two Hundred Men at Taylor's Falls
Pulling Them Apart by Slow
Degrees.
a Sight Seldom n--Visitors by
Hundreds Working Under the
Electric Light.
AGan,e of yaclsstrayys.
Special to the Globe.

A Game of Jackstravvs.
Special to the Globe.
TAYLoR's FALLS, June 1S.-The work of
the river men on the big log jam here to-
day reminds one who watches it of a game
of jackstraws on gigantic scale. All day
the men have been hard at with the pile
driver and twelve horses at the lower end.
pulling out the logs, sometimes
one at time and sometimes
a hundred for the men that adjust the
ropes and hitched the cant hooks have
been so fortunate in picking the key logs
that at times whole RATS have started out
and been sent sailing down between the
picturesque bluffs that makes the banks of
the st. CroiX, at this point. But although
thousands of logs have been pulled out
of the mass the effect is hardly perceptible,
for the terrible force of the water behind
grnds the mass down between the Lodges
where the jam first formed. and the work
goes on with little apparent result. At
the upper end of the jam, some two miles
from the Aalles, the logs have nearly
stopped running, for those not in the
jam are considerable distance up the river.
Even by looking at the mass one can get
but an inadequate idea of what it means
when 1t is said that 80, 600. 900 feet of logs
are in jam of some two miles in length.
The point where the jam first formed was
at the narrOWeSt part of the river, and the
water at once began backing. AS the pile of
logs increased it formed sort of dam
and, in time completely leveed the water
the whole length of the rapids. Then so
great was the pressure of this back water,
that the logs, as they came were rolled
high and dry on those already there, or
forced below them. The result is that for
the entire length of the jam the logs are
piled on each other at height, estimated
by the river men, from thirty to forty feet.
Occasionally a log comes down now, and is
either driven by the pressure over or under
the rest. or smashed to splinterS with
noise that can be heard above the gurgling
waters a long distance away like the report
the st. Croix at Taylors Falls, the appear
ance of the jam is by no means
picturesque. 1t is tiresome to the
eye. AS far as one can see
the course of the river, the picture is of
brown, bare, dry logs, sticking in all direc-
tions, with nothing to break the monotony,
except here and there one that projects
little further upward than those near it,
The appearance cannot be better described
than was done to a river man as he stood on
the bridge and remarked to visitor: 1t
looks like somebody had took couple o.
boxes O. matches and strewed 'em end
ways"
ADDITIONAL HELP.
A crew Of forty additional men arrived
at the jam last night with the steamer
Wannegan, which came as near as cOnven-
lent to the upper end Of the jam and lies at
anchor. This brings the number of men
at the falls to something over two hun
dred. They are typical river men and
their appearance has brought business
boom to the town of no small proportions.
A small village of tents has been
pitched on the Wisconsin side of
the river and two or three vacant
frame buildings on this side are being made
the temporary habitation of the ed-shirted,
husky visitors. Such men as keep hotels,
barber shops and saloons are having a har-t
vest that does their souls good and some of
them are praying that the jam may last
| until next year. There seems to be some
ground for their prayers, if the words of
some of the old time river men have any
weight. In conversation with dozens of
them yesterday. not one expressed the ex-
pectatiOn that the river could
! be cleared within six week S
or month at least. 1t will depend some
what, they say, on the stage of the water
All say that unless there is very percepta-
bic rise, the entire jam must be pulled out.
| They can not get haul" that will do
much good, for the break of the Jam is at
the narrowest point of the river and at
curve. Even if the logs be loosened so
great has their bulk become, and so great
the force behind them, that they will in
evitably clog as soon as the bend is reached
| Some fears are expressed that enough of a
start may be made to tear away the bridge
Some OF the logs that reached the highest
above the bridge have been cut off, but still
the strain on the piers is enormous. It is
pretty expensive business, pulling out
such a jam. The two hundred men
employed are paid $3.50 and So. rs per dav.
which is no small item. Besides this all
the expenses OF the steam pulling apparatus,
the boats, and the more considerable figure
caused by keeping the logs out of the booms
at Saltwater. The water was somewhat
lower, so 1t was reported, to-day than on
yesterday. which is not encouraging.
Opinions of the men differ somewhat as to
the best method Of procedure, whether to
try to clear the central part of the river and
give clear channel, or to work square
across the stream and ''clean up as thew
go along. The latter is held by the experts
to be not only the quickest but the surest
| method.
UNDER ELECTRIC LIGHTS
Heretofore work has been done onIv bv
daylight the men working in relays, from
$3.50 i'll the morning until about $50 or 9
at night. From this out, however, work
will be continuous night and day, as electric
lights Will be put in as early as the necessary
| machinery can be stationed to make this
possible. Every train to Taylor's Falls is
loaded with people of all ages and classes.
who come to see the big jam, and the resi-
dents of the town, to whom Jams
are an old story, spend all their leisure time
on the river bank. 1t is sight that one
can watch for hours and not tire of. The
end of the jam, where all the work is done.
is just between the bluffs that rise for 100
feet or more abruptly from the water.
From the summit of this bluff, where the
rocks have been worn smooth by picnic
parties which have come to admire the
grand scenes, the men look like pgmies.
They are out of proportion with every
thing else in sight. All around
are the rocks, black and rough,
and standing like the walls Of a fortress
above the water, which bolS iiercely as it
escapes from under the mass of logs Ii is
precisely in the spot which is noted for its
picturesque grandeur that the best view is
to be had, and as the engine puffs and the
men shout to each other hundred feet be-
low. the sounds reverberate back and forth
between the steep rock banks and come to
the ear of those on the crest with wldness
that but helps to hold the visitor to the
spot. No less interested than the strangers
are the rivera men who are not at work,
and some are ever to be seen stretched in
the shade, watching the worlsmen below,
for. as one said to-day, ''SomethiD' might
give way, an no old timer would miss
SEEM jam go, If she were goin, for his
| winters wages" The crowds increase
every day, and picnic parties to the bluffs
overhanging the workmen are numerous
to-day. Senator and Mrs. Castle of Still
water are among the number and there is a
party OF nearly fifty from White Bear.
OTHER JAMS.
1t is possible to collect large stock OF
! yarns about previous Jams. Mr. +. s. Tav.