Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-13
THE JOGGINS LOG RAFT
VISITED bBY MANY PEOPLE AT
 ITS MOORING.
Story of the Voyage from Nova Scotia. The Originator of the Scheme and
 What 1t is Worth.

What 1t is Worth.
 NEW YORK, Aug. l3.-Hundreds of people have visited the big log ship the Joggins raft, now laying safely at it's des- tination in the Erie Basin, Brooklyn.
 Some trouble was experienced in getting the big mast through He'll Gate, and addi- tional tugs were employed.
 In anticipation of it's coming the shores on either side of the river were crowded with people, and the East River bridge was one mass of surging humanity. It was taken direct to the Erie Basin, and after remaining on exhibition q day or two, it will be photographed and then broken up, and the logs composing it will be sold. The scheme of towing rafts at sea in the manner attempted for the first time last summer and attended with such disastrous results, and more recently in the now fa- nous Jogglns-Leary raft, was originated by Hugh R. Robertson, an old-time lum- herman. MT Robertson not only thought out the idea, but he has taken out letters patent on the raft structure, and can, in consequence, count himself to-day 8 com paratively wealthy man. The plan is one conceived years ago. Its development was slow, but the investing of capital in the scheme was slower. MT. Robertson, it Is said, has made overtures time and time again to some of the largest and most wealthy lumberman in the country to the end of attempting the plan which has now been suc- cessfully carried out in the Joggns-Leary log ship, but mono of them had sufficient confidence in it or its promulgation to risk the venture. To-day they are regreting their timidity. When Robertson proposed his scheme to MT. James T. Leary, nearly two years ago, MT. Leary saw at once it's possibilities and entered into 8 contract right away for the building of the colossal raft which was subsequently, abandoned and went to pieces at sea. The fate of the first log ship, however, did not dishearten MT. Leary, nor break Mr. Robertson's faith in the plan. The weak points of the structures design had been disc overed, and Mir. Leary very willingly undertook 8 similar enterprise to get even, as he ex- pressed it-'for the loss incurred by he failure of his first venture" /" This could only be done by increasing the size of the big ship and accordingly three hundred men were set to work under MT. Robertson's super vision to fashion the immense cigar-shaped structure that is now safely tied up in port an existing evidence of the practlcability of the inventors idea and Mir. Leary's pluck and perseverance.
 The work of building the great raft was begun in March and was completed about
 
 together on an immense cradle of stocks, nearly hundred feet larger than that re- quired for the building of that immeu SC steamship the City of New York, by which James G. Blaine arrived from Europe. AL though ready to be launched nearly a month before it was released from the ways, their was a method in Mr. Laary s delay.
 The voyage of the raft was in charge of Capt +. J. Riley, who has had most in- teresting experience with his novel craft and Is as pleased with his success in bring Ing her safely down the coast and through Long Island Sound, as schoolboy twirling his first hoop. The start was made from Nova Scotia in thick, fogay weather, ac companled by ram, thunder and lightning, and after going about ten miles Capt. Riley decided to wait while. The big 440-pound raft anchor was dropped and the fleet " laid to until Wednesday morning. The sea was very rough during the night, but the raft rode the storm splendidly, and with the coming of the storm the sea went down Another start was made, but the fouling of the anchor caused q delay until night. In spite of this Thursday saw the raft about 100 miles from Joggins-off Point Lepreaux It moved at the rate Of about four miles an hour. Mount Desert was sighted the day following, but no land was seen again until the raft was eff High. land light. The only trouble experienced with the big ship was it's occasional log ging to broadside, but by putting one of the tngs behind it the raft was lined so as t( keep her going right along. Several yes sels were spoken on tue way down. Or Sunday last the schooner Sarah W. Free man supplied the men on the raft with fresh mackerel. The day before the ship did not get over more than mlle an hour,
 On Sunday night the weather cleared up and the speed was increasing to foul miles an hour. Rough weather was ex- perienced off Cape Cod, and the {" fleet " had to slow down. Similar precautions were necessary in Vineyard Haven because of the numerous shoals The only damage sustained by the raft was the washing away of the forward coverings of the for ward end, which occurred off Cape Cad The raft came to an anchor Thursday night in Vineyard Haven, where the tugs renewed their supply of fuel and water Thence 1t proceeded through Long Island sound to this c y.
 It has been said that Messrs. Leary and Robertson, owners of the raft, will make from $76,0O0 to $100,000 from the ven ture. This is not SO. The total value ot the raft is not moro than $45000. There are 9, % logs in the structure These logs are worth about five cents a foot, or twt dollars each. There actual cost was about $13,000,, and the cost of the raft being les: than $10,OOO the profit made by the plucky builders will be something like $2l, ,OO0 Just how severe a blow is dealt to the lun Der coasting trade by the successful nav gation of this great raft can be seen b, comparing the following figures with those given above: To freight log to New Yorl by schooner cost about one dolla stick. A schooner can carry about 800 sticks. To transport tn, logs composing the Johgins-Leary rar, would have required forty-four schooners The freight bill would have been abou '$22, 900. This added to the $13,OO0 the frs cost of tt.e logs would make $32, 900, leaving about S9, 900 profit. The balance in favo of the raft scheme is therefore about SIP, GOO. The raft will at once be broken u] and the logs composing it sold, but beside making profit more than as much again a they would have done by the old mode o shipping logs, MT. Aeary has demonstrated that it is far more preferable to ship then in raft form than by vessels.
 | Although the Joggin's raft is the ii rst o Its kind to safely ride the waves and trave any distance, 1t will not be tho lnst. MT ,Luckenback said that tho ideas and paten of MT. Robertson will work such a detri