Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-01-23
zippNo DOWN rnE ELuMy.
a Thrilling and Remarkable Voyage from
the Snow LIns OF tho sIsrras.


and as il began to grow dusk. our
team. tired npd dusty, drove into Camp
Sequoia. Tie fume extends from the
high suoY line in the Sierras to the
plains iifty-two miles distant. 1t is
built Of inch and a quarter planks. and
at the start where the grade is the steep
est. is foriy-thrce inches across. This
width is increased. however. when the
decrease in the grade necessitates II
| larger volume of water TO float the
lumber. and at the lower end reaches
/ oil extreme width of sixty-four inches.
At each increase in the size of the
nume more water must be added to the
stream. The first head of water comes
| from Lake Sequoia. and the supply is
augmented by small streams at four
! different places between the mill and
Kings River. To preserve fairly
! regular grade in constructing this
aume enormously high trcstles were
found necessary TO carry tho humes
across canons, chasms. and around
sharp spurs of mountains. The first
! twentv-seven miles built took over o.
000. 900 feet of lumber to construct. the
most of this lumber had TO he packed ON
the shoulders of men. 1t has taken about
| 1000, 600 feet Of lumber all told TO COM
plete the Hume.
But 10 return to the head of the
! fune. around which our little party
of four was clustered, our spirits drop
ping rs 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 ut the top and look
down. Stories of former trips that re-
suited most dislstrousy flashed through
our minds. If it had not been for the
crowd of onlookers that stood around
to cheer if we started. or jeer if we
didn't. we would have backed ont. one
| and all. There was no hel p for it. and
with 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 tlunie resembles nothing so much
as a hog trough with one end missing.
The tume being built V shape aud ut
right angle. the boat is constructed
likewise, but Mt what would be the bow
end of an ordinary boat there is no end
at all. it being left open in order to
provide means for the water that backs
up into the boat TO escape. On eXami-
nation we found our boat to be l6 feet
long with l4-inch plank running the
length of the boat. thus making false
bottom, TO raise us from Teach OF the
water. On this plank rested four
small wooden stools, one for each of
the party.
After taking seats, with many mis-
givinGs, aud balancing ourselves the
order 10 cast off was given; the spikes
holding our frail craft to the tlume
side were pulled out and our craft shot
on with the current on its journey to
the plains. The sensation was exactly
as il the bottom had dropped out of the
universe and we had dropped with it.
Watch outi" Yelled the man in
front, throwing himself back OH the
man behind him.
IL was just in time. The sudden
shock threw us all fiat on our backs
and the boat tipped" under project
ing beam that would have decapitated
the whole outfit. Cautiously regaining
an upright position we took look at
the scenery around us. As far ahead
as one could see stretched the fume.
looking thin, spidery thread stretched
down the mountain side. On either
side gloomy rocks and forest trees
flashed past in IN indistinguishable
blur when the fiume lay near tho
ground, but when il rose on treStles to
cross some canon or ravine we seemed
suspended like Mohanmed'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 anlazement
held firm grip to the seat. Our boat
had proceeded hut half mile when
Immediately before us could he seen
what we subsequently learned TO he
one of the steepest inclines of the
whole course of the hume-n drop OF
250 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 be
seen on the mountain side below, these
pieces having been hurled ont of the
Hume during their course. The sight
was not very assuring TO us, hut there
was no such thing as stopping or turn
ing back ut this stage of the journey.
Holding our respective breaths and
Offering mental prayers for our own
safety. we consigned ourselves to our
fate. The boat stopped for an instant
Mt the head of The chute pitched over
the curve, and shot out into what
seemed to us mere space.
A dim perception of fleeing forests.
dashing wildly past wall of rocks for
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 a
! slightly reduced rate of speed. we were
treated to II constant change of mount
ain scenery now closely hugging the
perpendicular wall of II rocky gorge.
again being swept around the sharp
point of n mountain on our way across
wide canons. up rs high as $50 feet.
! with only the knowledge of the frail
trpstleWOrk betwepn us ond-whnfp