The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-11

| Can large rats or logs DE tOWeu
successfully from Puget Sound 10
San Francisco? is the question which
is agitating the minds of the lumber
men at present. If it can he done 1t
will greatly cheaper the cost Of trans
portation. A Press reporter assigned
to look up the facts lii the case has
made the following report.
The Pacific Pine Lumber company
of San Francisco has purchased the
right for the coast of Robertson ocean
timber RATS. The sum of $4,000
has already been subscribed, and it
has been resolved to incorporate and
begin the construction of Il raft us
soon as practicable. The advantages
which will accrue to this company
through this project are many. There
are hundreds of settlers owning fine
timber tracts on Puget Sound, who
will be enabled to market their mater
ial by simply floating their logs and
delivering them at mills which will
probably be selected by the company
at convenient points in the vicinity,
after which the timber will float down
the coast in one enormous raft to San
Francisco.
Speaking of the scheme outlined
above, Col. A. J. Hogan of Eureka,
Cal, who is an extensive dealer in tim
Der and has been interested in several
plans for rafting logs on the waters OF
the ocean from one port to another,
said: at is sheer impossibility to
float an ordinary raft of logs on the
surface of the ocean, for the choppy
waves will soon throw the raft into Il
chaotic mass. l tried it last year and
lost over $4,000 at the first attempt.
When it comes to building n gigantic
fagot of logs, making veritable yes
sci, the affair assumes more practlc-
able proportions. After a number OF
failures and consequent heavy losses,
it was accomplished on the Atlantic,
and can be here. In a short time
shall commence the construction of
one of these compact masses and
start it under tow for San Francisco.
1 find much difficulty in obtaining fl
nancial assistance in the enterprises
for the loss attending failure would
be enormous. Then, again, the dan
gers of the ocean are not all we have
to contend with. With the success
full Inauguration of the ocean hoatage
system the vessels in the lumber trade
will naturally be useless. Therefore
their owners and attaches will do al
most anything TO defeat our aims. Al
ready they have decided to ask con
gress to enact laws forbidding the use
of the system, on the ground that
navig alton in the track of the raft will
be dangerous"
The log raft or vessel does not meet
with especial favor here, being consid
cred impractical. Capt. Miller, who is
one of the pioneers in both numbering
and Sound boating, says:
at is nonsense to talk about such a
thing, for it can never be made tc
work. 1t might be possible to get one
raft through, but when it is attempted
: to make a regular business of towing
log RATS at sea it will prove Il failure
Let heavy sea strike a raft, and nc
matter how well it is secured it will
break up. The result is an immense
, loss. If 1 had logs enough to make
such a raft / would never attempt tt
get them down the coast in that man
ner, for they would be too valuable.
81 heard Capt. Cozzens talk abou
making such IL raft to tow from Coo,
! bay to San Francisco, about 80 year.
ago, but never heard that he or any
one else did so. 1t is all right to TOW
in the Sound, and | have lowed log
, RATS across the Straits, but that is
, different proposition. II the raj
broke in a choppy sea you would stant
a show of getting the logs. but let i
go to pieces out to sea and that is th
end of it. | have never heard of sucl
raft being towed on this coast. l
S has been tried on the Atlantic, bu
e has not proved IA startling success, ant
5 l don't believe ever will"
! The raft referred to by Capt. Miller
: was launched at Apple river, Nov,
Scotia, some three years ago, two tug
from New York running up to Nov
a Scotia and starting for the latter city
! After getting short distance out, tn
, raft, which had been piled high AM
fastened securely, as believed, witt
, chains, encountered a heavy sea an,
became unmanageable. The tugs raj
= out of fuel and supplies aud wer
, obliged to put into port. On return
| ing to the place where the raft ha,
t been left, it was found that it ha'
: gone to pieces. The gulf stream
: swept them from one end of tn
coast to the other, logs from that raj
being found in the caribbean sea, an
even on the coast of Ireland.
5 Another raft was built and taken t
i New York from the same place, abou
: II year ago, reaching there in goo
e condition, and some of the Easter
: lumbermen believe that it can be re
- e.ttd successfully.-Seattle Press.