Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-01-23
TIPPING DOWN THE FLUME.
A Thrilling and Remarkable yoysge from
the Snow Line OF the sisrras.

and rs il began TO grow dusk. our
team, tired and dusty, drove into Camp
Sequoia. The fiume extends from the
high suoy line in the Sierras to the
plains, tiity-two miles distant. 1t is
built Of inch and n quarter planks. and
at the start where the grade is she steep
est. is forty-thrce inches across. This
width is increased. however, when the
decrease in the grade necessitates n
larger volume of water To float the
lumb and at the lower end reaches
an extreme width of siXty-four inches.
At each increase in the size of the
lume more water must be added TO the
stream. The first head of water comes
from Lake SequUia. and the supply is
augmented bv small streams at four
different places between the mill and
Kings River. To preserve fairly
regular grade in constructing this
flume enormously high trestles were
found necessary TO carry the fumes
across canons, chasms. and around
sharp spurs of msuntains. The first
twcnty-scven miles built took over 81
600, 900 feet of lumber to construct. the
most of this lumber had TO be packed on
the shoulders of men. II has taken about
pletc the flume.
But TO return TO the head of the
! hume, around which our little party
of four was clustered, our spirits drop
ping as rapidly as the mercury during
cold snap. and our hearts seeking
the seclusion Of our boots. Coming
down the ilume when you are ut the
bottom and look up is very different
proposition TO going down n hume
when you are 1T the top and look
down. Stories of former trips that re-
suited most disastrously flashed through
our minds. Ii it had not been for the
crowd of onlookers that stood around
to cheer if we started. or jecr if we
didn't. we would have backed out one
and all. There was no help for it. and
with n last despairing look at the
beautiful bright world around us that
we were leaving-perhaps forever-we
solemnly climbed into the Hume boat
and shook hands sadly with those that
were not going.
The boat that was to carry us down
the Aume resembles nothing so much
as a hog trough with one end missing.
The Dune being built V shape and at n
right angle. the boat is constructed
likewise, but ut what would be the bow
end of an ordinary boat there is no end
at all, it being lett open in order TO
provide means for the water that backs
up into the boat to escape. On eXami-
4 nation we found our boat to be l6 feet
long with l4-inch plank running the
length of the boat. thus making Il false
bottom. to raise us from reach OF the
water. On this plank rested four
small wooden stools, one for each of
the party.
After taking seats, with many mis-
givingS, and balancing ourselves the
order TO cast off was given; the spikes
holding our frail craft to the fume
side were pulled out and our craft shot
on with the current on its journey to
the plains The sensation was exactly
as if the bottom had dropped out of the
universe and we had dropped with it.
Watch out!' yelled the man in
front throwing himself back on the
man behind him.
1t was just in time. The sudden
shock threw us all fat on our backs.
and the boat dipped" under project
ing beam that would have decapitated
the whole outfit. Cautiously reganing
u
the scenery around us. As far ahead
as one could see stretched the flume.
looking thin, spidery thread stretched
down the mountain side. On either
side gloomy rocks and forest trees
flashed past in an indistinguishable
blur when the hume lay near the
! ground, but when ii rose on trestles to
cross some canon or ravine we seemed
suspended. like Mohammcd's coffin,
"twixt heaven and earth"
In the mean time our speed had been
increasing. Not member of the party
spoke word. but in dumb Amusement
held firm grip to the seat. Orr boat
! had proceeded but half mile when
immediately before US could be seen
what we subsequently learned to be
one of the steepest inclines of the
whole course of the hume-a drop of
25O yards, with grade of l, 200 feet TO
the mile. 1t was but n few moments
when our boat was ut the head OF this
! incline. Pieces Of timber could he
/ seen on the mountain side below. these
pieces having been hurled ont of the
ilume during their couI-e. The sight
was not very assuring to us. but there
was no such thing rs stopping or turn
ing back ut this stage of the journey.
Holding our respective breaths and
Z Offering mental prayers for our own
safety, we consigned ourselves to our
fate. The boat stopped for an instant
at the head of The chute pitched over
the curve, aud shot out into what
seemed to us mere space.
a dim perception of fleeing forests.
dashing wildly past wall OF rocks for
a few seconds. the noisy wash of the
waters behind Us, after all of which
we found ourselves Mt the bottom of
the incline trying TO regain our breath.
1t was short. and lucki v. too. Human
nerves could hardly have stood the
strain much longer. Going on at
slightly reduced rate of speed. we were
treated to constant change Of mount
ain scenery, now closely hugging the
perpendicular wall of rocky gorge.
again being swept around the sharp
point of a mountain ON our way across