Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-07-23
Down N Flume.

A Chicago newspaper man tells IN the
Herald of that city an experience he
once had riding in Nevada lumber
flume. "T4umber fumes in the Sierra
Nevadas," he said, "are all the way
from five to forty miles long. They
are built on regular engineers grade.
The bed of the flume is made Of two-inch
plank in the form of V, the sides Of
the V being from eighteen to twenty
six inches high. They ara built on a
grade of about sixteen feet drop to the
thousand. They carry eight inches of
water in the acute angle, and discharge
it at the rate of 400 miners inches
minute. In other words tuIn IN your
water at the head of the flume, and it will
carry log weighing 400 pounds with a
velocity greater than the fastest engine
that was ever made. The logs dis
placement just about lis the V, without
any more friction than necessary to keep
it in place.
"About nine years ago | was up at
Lake Tahoe with E. w. Smalley and w.
II. Patton of the Mackey & Fair lumber
Company. Patton was showing us the
sights. We had come up from Carson
City, sixteen miles, by stage, and it was
hot and tedious ride. About sundown
Patton said: Boys, We'll go home by
the flume, and we'll get there little
quicker, think
ale directed man to bring out the
yacht, as he called it. This was a v
shaped canoe about fourteen feet long,
very shallow, and made to fit the fun e
and just about fill it with the displace-
ment of 600 pounds. The Yacht had a
brake-two rubber pads OH either side,
worked witha lever, and so applied
against the sides of the V flume that on
pressure it would lift the yacht gradual :
ly and allow the lightning current to
pass under her. She also had two small
rubber wheels, one OH either bow, to
keep her nose from grinding the sides
of the flume as she went by curves.
"'Now boys, said Mr.. Patton, button
up your coats, tie down your hats, and
hold on. Don't get scared. Trust your
lives to me for the next half hour. I've
sailed in this yacht before, and | know
she's stanch.
"There were three seats. Patton took
the front one, to handle the brake.
Smalley took the next one, and l took
the rear and worked the tiller. That
was rugged like ships rudder, with a
rubber wheel to ease of her storm
against the side OF the flume if she got
10 waving. Patton told his men to put
OH two inches more Of water, and then,
with wave OF his hat, we weighed an
chor. Great Scott! how that thing
jumped! SmaHey got sea sick. jam
med my helm hard down, but Patton
yelled through the air. Let her 60; I've
got her. And with one hand on his
brake; his hat crushed down on his head,
and his teeth set, lie looked the incarna-
tion of courage. Weplunged down the
mountain with speed that no steam
could give. Trees flew by like spectres.
Looking ahead down the narrow thread
like fume it seemed like a plunge to
destruction. Several times the fume
carried US over high trestle. 1t seemed
like leaping over a precipice. Smalley
held his breath, but the little yacht
jumped it through the air apparently
with a swish. Curves would show
themselves ahead. The ruddcr wheel
would squeak on either side, and the
would round that curve like fash
Sometimes All unevenness in the fume
would occur, and then, as the craft sped
over it, the spray would rise fifty feet
i'm the air.
Keep on your hats = shouted Pat
ton; then, as we struck straight five
mile stretch, Now hold on to your
teeth.
al don't exactly know what the next
sensation was, but | tried to peep out
from under the rim of my hat, and, my
soul, it was all blur-trees, rocks,
landscape, were all mingled in an in
distinguishable mass. 1t was as if one
was blown through the air from cata-
pult.
"well, from the time We weighed an
chor up at Lake Tahoe until Patton put
ou his brakes just outside the lumber
field at Carson City it seemed like q
min ute or two. We all looked at our
watches. We had made jus. sixteen
miles in eight minutes and forty sec
onds. l never in all my life had suct.
an illustration of the force Of water"
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