The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-18
MONSTER REDWOOD TREES.


One of the most remarkable timber
belts in the world stands in Humboldt
and Mendocino counties. California. 1t
embraces Alps square miles, contain
ing 1872, 600. 600. 600 feet OF timber. With
the aid OF the microscope scientists have
found the age of some of these trees TO
be nearly 5000 years. Some of the
fallen trees have remained where they
fell for 500 to 1 200 years, so it is esti-
mated, with scarcely any deterioration
of the wood.
Eastern tourists in California know
but little OF these redwoods (Sequoia
sempervirens). They usually see the
few mammoth redwoods of Calaveras
(Sequoia gigantea) and go home and tell
their friends about this disappearing
tribe of giants. The lumber redwoods
of Humboldt are less talked bout, yet
one of its trees will yield loo. 900 feet Of
boards, and fill a freight train with
logs.
Telling these trees, which are $50 to
$50 feet high, is a fine art acquired only
by the most expert chopper. He must
"lean" of the tree, and other peculiari-
ties which may affect the direction Of
Its fall. He drives stake 100 or $50 feet
from the base of the tree. and prepares
level bed in a direct line from base
TO stake, and on that line the tree
must fall. An Az kerr is then made on
the side where the tree is to fall. The
apex OF the obtuse triangle made by
this kerr points exactly to the distant
stake.
The tree is cut one-third through
with the ak. On the other side of the
tree, opposite the AK kerr, saw kerr is
started. This is done by boring tTo
holes horizontally and driving in wood
en- pins on which the ~ to 20-foot saw
rests until the kerr is sufficiently deep
TO steady the saw. Broad, thin iron
wedges are driven in after the saw TO
prevent the doomed tree from piuching
1t. At each end of this saw ears" are
bolted on, which can be removed and
the saw withdrawn in case OF trouble.
Wedges are made to follow the saw
until the wood dividing the saw kert
from the X kerf is narrowed to a width
where wedges can be made to force the
tree, with all its great weight, to lean
IA the direction in which it Is TO fall
The tree IS toppled over, and so exact
is the choppers work ard calculation
that almost invariably the falling
trunk drives the stake aimed at when
operations were begun. ANY error I'm
the fall OF the tree is likely 20 cause
the tree TO break and cost the lumber
man more than the choppers wages
for the month-S125. These virgin for
ests are so denselv timbered that. IL
cleared at once, there would not be
room enough on the ground for the
trunks. "Peelers" follow the choppers
With long steel bars, fattened az one.
end. they pry of the thick bark and
burn IL. Then comes the cross-cut saw
man, who cuts the tree into logs
These are transported TO the saw mills
by rail. cut into boards and shipped 70
market.
Redwood Is so free from resinous
matter that it viii not burn readily.
When fred IL chars. The immunity
from fire OF towns built ct redwood
lumber i remarkable Large oonfis-
grations are unknown. This lumb Der
shrinAs 50 very little that II IS used h.
builders in q green state The beauty
Of the wood for finishing work -
marked. as i frequently has . curly
face and also bird's-eye grain This
redwood promises 20 Dc a DoQl.sE gGS3
IN the eastern stafe.