The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-04-20
MONSTER REDWOOD TREES.

Ehey Compose "a Most Remarkable Timbe,
Belt.
One of the most remarkable timber
belts in the world stands in Humboldt
and Mendocino counties, California. II
embraces .rtP5 square miles, contain
ing 132, OOO, 900. o05 feet of timber. With
the aid of the microscope scientists have
found the age of some of these trees tc
be nearly 5000 years. Some of the
fallen trees have remained where they
fell for 800 to 1000 years, so it is esti'
mated, with scarcely any deterioration
of the wood.
Eastern tourists in California know
but little of these redyoods (Sequois
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 about, yet
N of its trees will yield 100. 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
have excellent Judgment as to the
lean" of the tree, and other peculiari-
ties which may affect the direction of
its fall. He drives a stake 100 or $50 feet
from the base of the tree, and prepares
a level bed in a direct line from base
to stake, and on that line the tree
must fall. An TX 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 y. On the other side of the
tree, opposite the AK kerr, a saw kerr is
started. This is done by boring two
holes horizontally and driving in wood
en- pins on which the II to 2O-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 pinching
it. At each end of this saw ears are
bolted N, 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the saw withdrawn in case of trouble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 kerr
from the axkerf isnarrowed to a width
where wedges can be made to force the
tree, with all its great weight. to lean
in the direction in which it is to fall.
The tree is toppled over, and so exact
is the choppers work and calculation
that almost invariably the falling
trunk drives the stake aimed at when
operations were begun. ANY error in
the fall of the tree is likely to 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 densely timbered that, if
cleared at once, there would not be
room enough on the ground for the
trunks. 'Peclers' follow the choppers.
With long steel bars. flattened at one
end, they pry off the thick bark and
burn il. Then ONE 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 to
market.
Redwood is SO free from r~esinOus
matter that it will not burn readily.
When fired it chars. The immunity
from fire of towns built of redwood
lumber is remarkable. Large confia-
grations are unknown. This lumber
shrinks so very little that it is used by
builders in a green state. The beauty
of the wood for finishing work is
marked, as it frequently has a curly
face and also a bird's-eye grain. This
redwood promises to be a popular wood
in the eastern states.-Boston Travel
10y