The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-02-15
Thrilling Boat Ride in Fresno Coun-
ty, California.
SWIFT SPEED ATTAINED
Valley Made In Six Hours In All
Sorts of Climate.

| = 3,
slides on the continent. Think of the
exhilirating joy of an uninterrupted
slide of fifty miles, through great for
ests, along the Drinks of precipices and
down rugged canons, amid the widest
and most picturesque scenery to be
found in the country-ffty miles with
out break
Such thrilling experience has been
made possible by the recent compile
tion Of the great Pine Ridge lumber
hume. No other fume surpasses it, and
the San Francisco Chronicle thinks it is
doubtful If any other is equal to it in
length and grandeur of the scenery
passed through In a journey from the
summit of one of the high spurs of the
Sierra Nevada to the plains beneath,
fifty miles distant. The fume has lust
been completed to the little town of
Clovis, twelve miles north of Fresno,
ffty-two miles in length. Fumes for
floating lumber are so numerous tibet
description Is superf uous, except to say
that this In general like all others, con-
sisting of boxes shaped like the letter
V and on trestles varying In height from
few feet to hundred, depending on
the character of the country traversed.
The 1ume starts at Stephenson creek,
one of the tributaries of the San Joa-
quin river, at an elevation of nearly
| aat n
winding course of ffty-two miles 1t
terminates In vineyard twelve miles
out on the plains beyond the foot of the
mountain. The trough carries the
water which floats the lumber.
The fiume boats In which the rapid
journeys are made down the fumes, are
simple. They are made the same shape
as the V-boxes of the fumes. The up
per end of the boat is closed by a board
nailed across, but the lower end, which
POINTS down stream, Is left open to let
out the water which splashes over the
sides of the boats from time to time
One, two or three short boards are laid
across for seats, depending upon how
many are to make the journey. car
penter can manufacture one of these
boats in less than half an hour. The
boat is meant only for one journey, for
none is ever hauled back for another
voyage. Only little preparation is
necessary for trip of this kind, and
half dollar will buy enough lumber
for the boat, and man is a poor car
penter indeed who cannot make his own
vessel. The trip Is made with but little
danger. The principal trouble is when
once started there are comparatively
few places where one can stop. The
current is generally so rapid that 1t
makes landing impossible, and the voy-
ager can only sit still and let the boat
run.
The first ride down the Pine Ridge
fume from start to finish was made a
few days ago. Many persons had pas
sed over different parts of the distance
as the fume was being built, but none
had made the whole distance without
stopping The boat was made the eve
ming before at the reservoir on Steph-
enson creek, the eastern terminus of
the fiume, and everything was prepared
for an early start, ample provision be-
ing made for emergencies, even to TAX
ing along shotgun and rife, the for
mer for killing quail and birds, the
latter for bear or any large game that
might be seen, for the flame during more
than thirty miles of its course passes
through wild region of mountains.
hills and forests, aboundlng in game
from the smallest bird to the largest
animal. The person who has not had
the experience Of ride of that sort is
apt to imagine many vain things, among
them being the false theory that he can
shoot things while he is being shot down
the narrow trough at the rate of from
four to twenty miles an hour. But it
only requires one trip to relieve him of
all these notions, and he will appreciate
the fact that birds and bears have little
fear from passengers In a fiume boat.
After cold January night was passed
on the bank of the reservoir, with a
pile of shaviugs for a bed and an over
coat or two for blankets, the start was
made. The mountains in that high alti.
tude were frosty, the ground frozen
hard, and the ice nearly thick enough
to bear mans weight. For some DAYS
the weather had been cloudy, but on
this particular morning the sky was
clear and beautiful, and the tops of the
giant pines were touched with the gold
of the rising sun almost before one on
the ground knew day had come
The guns, traps and equipage were
placed in the boat, and when all things
were ready the boat was lifted into the
hume, and was held there until the two
passengers could get aboard. The
sides of the fume were covered with
ice, caused by the cold night and the
splashing water. Scarcely had the boat
touched the current before its edges
also were slippery with ice. That was
no matter, and in a second or so the
boat, with Its passengers, was sweeping
down the trough of water, and trees
were spinning past so rapidly that they
seemed like the spokes of swift wheel.
The passenger does not realize lust
h. 0Afu In he kA. L