The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-12-28
saOnsrea REDWOOD TREES.
aAsy Compose a Most Remarkable TImbes
ReIk

WV 1oD4po80 y hO8G nGn7fk9Dl9 uD
Belt.
one of the most remarkable timber
belts in the world stands in Humboldt
and MeuGocino counties, California. Il
embraces S,l25 square miles, Contain.
ing Ise, O00, 900, OC0 feet Of timber. With
sheaido Of the microscope scientists have
found the age of some of these treest to
DO nearly 1900 years. Some of tbs
Sa1len trees have remained where they
Eel for 800 to 1000 years, Sc it is csti-
mated, with scarcely any deterioration
% tie wood.
Eastern tourists in California know
bu1 little of these redwoods (Sequoia
sempervirens). They usually see the
lew mammoth redwoods of Calaveras
'Seguo:a gigantea) and go home and tell
their friends about this disappearing
s1be Of giants The lumber redwoods
Of humboldt are less talked about, yet
u OF its trees will yield 100. 600 feet of
boards, and nil Z freight train with
logs.
Telling these trees. which are 80 TO
so feet high. IS a fine art acquired only
ES the most expert chopper He must
have excellent judgment as to tho
lean" of the tree. and other peculiari-
Ties which may affect the direction Of
EsfalL- He drives a stake 100 Or $50 feet
rom the base of the tree, and prepares
L level bed in a direct line from base
: stake, and on that line the tire.
must iall. An az kerr is then made Or.
tie side where the tree is to fall. Ths
.pex of the obtuse triangle made by
+5is kerr points exactly to the distant
cake.
The tree is cut one-third through
nth the az. On the other side of the
zee. opposite the ak kerr. a saw kerr is
5tarted. This is done by boring two
roles horizontally and driving in wood
N pins on WHICH the Il to 2O-fOot saw
.ests until the kerr is sufficiently deep
o steady the saw. Broad. thin iroa
wedges are driven in after the saw to
prevent the doomed tree from pinching
t.. At each end of this saw ears" are
6olted on. which can be removed and
he saw withdrawn in case of trouble
Wedges are made to follow the saws
Until the wood dividing the saw kerr
ron the Ak kerr is narrowed tOa width
where wedge can be made to force tia
&ree. with all IFS great weight. 70 lear
'r the direction in which it IS to fall
The tree i TOPPED over. and soexaot
= the choppers work and calculation
that almost invariably the falling
funk drives the stake aimed At when
operations were begun. Anv error II
the fall of the tree is likely TO canse
he tree tC break and cost the lumber
lan more than the choppers wages
1or the mcnth-Sl2J. These virgin for
csts are so densely timbcred that, if
feared at once. there would not be
enough on the ground for the
trunks. -'Pcclers' follow the choppers.
With long steel bars. fiattened at one
nd. they pry off the thick bark and
burn il. Then comes the crOsS-cnt saw
Ian. who cuts the tree into logs
These are transported to the saw mills
by rail, cut into boards and shiDped to
market.
Redwood is so free from rcsinouA
matter hat it will not burn readily.
When fred il chars. The immunity
from fire Of towns built Of redwood
lumber is rcmar kable. Large confia-
Zrations are UT known. This lumber
shrinks SC very little hat it is used by
builders in a green state. The beauty
Of the wood for finishing work il
marked, as it frequently has a curly
face and also a bird's-eye grain. This
redwood promises to be- popular wood
n the eastern states.-BOston TraV IL
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