The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-03-30
MONSTER REDWOOD TREES.


They Compose q Most Remarkable Timber
Belt
One of the most remarkable timber
belts in the world stands in Humboldt
and Mendocino counties, California 1t
embraces .,te5 square miles. contain
ing 1872, OOU, OOO. OOt 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 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 redwoods tSequois
s~empervirens). They usually e the
few mammoth redwoods of Calaveras
(Sequoia giganteal and go home and tell
their friends about this disappearing
tribe of giants. The lumber redwoods
of Humboldt are less talked about. yet
one of its trees will yield 1901 200 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
clean" 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 AK 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 ok kerr, 4 saw kerr is
started. This is done by boring two
holes horizontally and driving in wood,
en- pins on which the 12 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 pinching
il. At each end of this saw ears" are
bolted on, which can be removed ano
the saw withdrawn in case of trouble
Wedges are made to follow the saw
until the wood dividing the saw kerr
from the AK kerr is narrowed toa width
where wedges can be made to force the
tree. with all its great weight, to lean
in the direction in which 1t is to fall.
The tree is toppled over and socXact
is the choppers work and calculation
that almost invariably the falling
trunk drives the stake aimed at whei
operations were begun. ANY error IL
the fall of the tree is likely to caus'
the tree to break and cost the lumber
man more than the choppers wage.
for the month-el25. These virgin for
ests are 50 densely timbcred that, /
cleared at once, there would not b,
room enough on the ground for TIN
trunks. ''Peclcrs'' follow the choppers
With long steel bars, flattencd at ont
end, they pry off the thick bark an
burn it. Then ONE the crosS-cut say
man. who cuts the tree into logs
These are transported to the saw mill
by rail. cut into boards and shipped Il
market.
Redwood Is so free from ~rcSinou
matter that it viii not burn readily
When fired it chars. The immunit
from fire of towns built of redwood
lumber is remarkable. Large confia
grations are unknown. This lumbe
shrinks SO very little that it is used b
builders in a green state. The bcaut
of the wood for finishing work |
marked, as it frequently has Il curl
face and also 4 bird's-cye grain. Thi
redwood promises to be a popular WOO
in the eastern states.-BoSton Trave