St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-24
THE GREAT LOG JAM
Which Ornaments the st.
Croix River Below Tay-
lor's Falls. "a; 40
49, :
& j In
Many Million Feet Locked
Up in the Tight EN- q q
brace. ana
sosG
Thursdays Excitement When
the Jam Was Reported g g
Broken. IL ~, I.
JG.;E
NsF
A Stampede of Logs That
Carried the Great Mass ,
q Mile.


still jamming, there Saving been but
little perceptible change in the condition
of things at that point since Tuesday
last, when the jam moved down the St
Croix river about mile. the lower end
becoming again stuck opposite the
above-named village,th upper end stop
ping at exactly the same point which
marked the lower end before the move
occurred. A telegram from there says
the immense mass of logs extends up
the river for mile and half and is
tightly hedged in between the banks in
apparently ineXtricable confusion with
the space occupied by the logs. The
river ranges from $50 to 600 feet in
width, and in some places the depth is
100 feet. The logs are piled solidly from
the river bed to height of twenty or
thirty feet above the surface OF the
water for nearly the whole length OF the
jam.
Estimates of the amount of lumber
locked up vary, and are placed any
where from $4,000, 600 feet to l50, 000, 900.
The latter figure is undoubtedly eX-
cessive, and the most experienced lum-
bermen agree that the real amount is
not far from 60,0O0,000. There is con-
slant increase in the extent of the jam,
as logs from above are brought down
by the high water. Some OF the heaV-
ier logs lodge at the head of the jam.
but most of them are sucked under and
carried to the bottom, where the cur
rent forces them under those already on
the river bed and gradually raises the
topmost logs to greater height, ~.
Above the level of the stream, looking
up the river from the bridge at the vii
lage as far as the eye can see, there is
nhthing visible between the banks but
logs, there being
NO WATER WHATEVER IN SIGHT.
A strong effort of the Imagination is
required to comprehend the fact that a
river swollen to flood RACES through
this seemingly impervious mass. AT
Angle Rock force of It's river drivers
is at work breaking away the foot of
the dam to aid in the work. A portable
steam engine was placed on Wanegan,
which is a sort Of tiatboat, and the serv-
ices of a large steam piledriver, COM
bination of piledriver and steamboat, 4
was called into use. These boats are
stationed about 100 feet below the jams
Gables extend from them to the jam,
and the work is accomplished by tying
the cable into hook driven into a log
)
a manner to move considerable section
of the jam when the strain of the ea--,
gineS in the boats comes Oh the cables.
At1:15 p. m. Thursday the cry went
through the village that the logs were
going out. The news spread rapidly,
and within few minutes the entire
population was headed for the river
bank. Sure, enough the logs were moy-
ing. They started slowly, but quickly
gained Roadway, and the men at work
on the jam had to travel for shore at "a.
lively gait to escape being crushed to
DEATH. Down came the whole mile and
a half of heavy timber. : -'5'433 - . ;,
Rearing, plunging, rumbling and
cracking, but withal majestic, like ~,
A STAMPEDE OF WILD HORSES,
the great pile rushed On, while the log
drivers and inhaitants looked on and
cheered in great excitement. Every ac-
cessible rock and bluff on the rivers
edge was crowded with spectators, who
waved their hats, handkerchiefS, and
shouted as the logs went by.
Swept on by the mighty force of the
flooded stream, the jam twisted and
surged and groaned like monster in
agony. Logs leaped into the air. turned
SOmersaults or were snapped in twain
like matches. In the immense crush
logs eighteen and twenty inches in
diameter were broken in two as though
they had been lead pencils, and with a
report as of a cannon. AS soon as the
logs started the suspension bridge
which spans the st. Croix was closed to
traffic, as it was feared il would be car
ried away, and the ArcOla, the steam
pile driver. was dropped down stream
behind bend in the Wisconsin side.
The wanegan could not ave been got
out of the way. and was crushed up on
the bank, but not otherwise damaged.
Every one thought the jam was going,
out, but it did not. For ten minutes,
the logs moved down with force that
seemed irresistible. Then they began
? to choke at Angle lock. where the river
narrowS and takes a.Sharp turn, giving
the rock it's name. Slowly but surely
the movement Iessened, and soon the
logs were TANNED again at the same, 4
point whence they had started. 'Fhe
haul" as the movement of jam is
technically called, lasted less than ff7
teen minutes and let out about 2,O0e.000
feet of logs. t;9.;
When the jam reformed the situation
was practically what it had been beferef
and the jam seemed, if possible. tighter
than ever. tits now thought there may
be a bigger .'hauI' tomorrow, and that
possibly the entire jam will go. II Ii.
should do so there is danger OF another
Jam at Rock island, narrow point; Ill
the river about three miles below here..
Sweet Music at the Lake.
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