Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-03-15
WO0DSMEN'S PERILS.
Difficulties IN The Way Of Caring lor
Sick or Injured.
A Side of Backw0ods Life Not so Very
Pleasant.

BANGOR, March IA "A special to the
New York Times Gays: People who live
in the large cities and towns Of the East
and Who are not familiar with the habits Of
woodsmen can scarcely credit the stories
told of the hard.hips and dangers encount
cred in getting out logs.
There are greater dangers and har lships
encountered in the woods Of Northern
Maine and Canada than upon the ocean,
even in the winter. The laws make pro-
vision for the care Of victims Of sickness
and accident on shipboard, but nothirg Of
the sort is known in the avarage lumber
camps, where men often die for the want
of ordinary care after accidents.
Moreover, not one man in hundred who
"goes in" has fore thought enough to pro
vide himself with even material for band
age.
Most lumber camps are from forty to one
hundred miles from . settlement. IL fol-
lows, therefore, thxt q man seriously Cut
with an axe, kicked by . horse, hurt by
falling tree, il iured by slipping, or stricken
with disease, must, sfer his compaI ions
realize that he needs medical attendance,
be taken q long distance over rough roads
and frozen ponds to doctor, or the doctor
must be brought to him.
But ply siciAps cannot always leave their
patients for weeks trip into the wo( de,
SDd, therefore, the man at camp may lie Ill
ten days before such aid can be obtained.
But this is not the worst feature, for men
and animals are often isolated in the fores.
by the freaks of nature as completely a.
though floating on . wreck in mic-ocean or
lost On prairie.
The writer has . personal knowledge OF
being tix weeks doing thirty five mile
journey. This delay was wholly due to the
fact that neither forest nor ice could be
uxversed, for the one was bit too hard,
the other not hard enough.
The natural forest of Maire and Canada,
save on the uplands, is made up SIS a rule
Of spruce, hs mlock, ard pine, growing as
thick as poles are plsced in a hop field.
The ground is covered with duff"
often two feet thics, the remnant of the
decay cf other generations of trees. This
duff" will hold water like sponge. Sur
light destroys it, ard this explains why,
when forests are cut away, streams and
even email rivers disappear except during
spring freshets.
this .dt # lies upon the ground, filed with
water from fall rains that turn to ice with
the advent Of coId weather.
Upon this in the forest will lie decsyiDg
trees of all sizes-some 'blov downs with
now ard then ledges and rocks. The earth
is full OF spring holes which freeze only
with zero weather.
To travel here, except along a lumber
to n4t tnrx
break through the "duff" to the knee at each
step, and sink into the sprir < holes to the
hips.
One hundred feet an hour is good pro-
gress, and men do not attempt such jour
ney until cold weather has arrived and =
covering Of snow has come.
When camps are along the shores Of
lakes The situation is often as bad. Moose
bead Like 10 80 miles long, with settle
ment sbd ph, slcians at the foot yet man
standing at the head of The lake could not
TIE first day Of this year. have made the
.urney to the foot, either by land or
water, in,ide of three or four days.
The centre Of the lake was open, but
along the shore Was ice. This would not
support . man, and therefore = canoe could
not be launched. The forests were as de.
lcrihed. practically shutting the man out Of
the world.
Yet at this time there must have been
5000 isolated men in the lumber regions
hundgeds Of whom needed medical aid
II ere 10 . practical illustration Of the stu
alton.
A doctor was called to the settlemen, at
the foot Of Moosehead lake, and road there
by rail, . distance Of 10 miles. He was
then taken on hand car and pumped"
along the Canadian Pacific road ten miles.
Here he met two men on skates, who had
an extra pair for the doctor. It-as dark
night and Geld. A trip Of eight miles was
to be made along the treao herous shore ice.
One man went ahead with feeble lantern
while the other drew moore sled, having
thereon camp equipage.
After few minutes Of skating 3 halt
would be made. aud one man would 90
ahead with the lantern to look Tor
"vrinkles. A vrir kie isa ridge where
the ice has been forced upward by die
tant pressure CT other ice and current.
III man steps upon one Of these tresct-
erous ridges he at once drops down into the
lake and 10 lost.
Finally, after many frights and 'nervous
SPELLS" caused by the cracking and moan
ing Of the uneasy ice foe, the man Of medi-
cine reached . camp, where be found nine
people-all there were there-ill with grip
and pne umonia.
The next day he found, six miles away.
Q craw Of forty men in lumber camp, II
Of whom we're i'll With infiueDzx.
There was not q spoonful Of medicine
within twent, four miles. The other men
had ceased work through fright.
Very many men die each winter in the
Maine and Canada woods for lack Of care
when i'll. This season is the worst for sick.