Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-25
COM MENCEMENT.
Papers Delivered by Wilbur Ward
and Chas. PomainviIle.
RAFTING ON THE WISCONSIN.
fBy Wilbur Ward

very few railroads and where there
were railroads rates were so high that
the manufacturers found it more
profitable to float their lumber down
the river in large raftS than to ship it
by rail.
The first lumber to 60 over the rap
ids at this place was in 1910, from
Draper'S mill at BirOn, and the last
in 1888.
The reasons that no more lumber is
RATED are, first on account of the low
rates given by the large number of
railroads, which makes it just as
profitable to ship by rail and the
lumber will reach it's destination more
quickly; second, on account Of the
number of big dams constructed along
the river, over which it is impossible
to run a raft.
The construction of these raftS is
comparatively simple. The unit is
the crib, 1eX16 it. and from S to n
inches deep. which is constructed in
the following manner: They first take
three planks, called grub-planks, and
bore three holes in each, one about
ten inches from each end and one in
the middle. Through these holes
they place grubs, round stakes about
three feet long and two inches in
diameter with a head at one end the
grubS being placed head downward.
These plankS are then placed in the
water parallel to each other with the
grubS sticking upwards through them.
Over these grubS, boards with holes
bored in them so as to fit the grubS,
are placed at right angles to the grub
TO l,nI = In 1N1,, nh n
gether. After this has been done,
boards are laid in between the grubs,
and one tier of boards on the outside,
one course being laid one way and the
next at right angles to the first, and
so on until the required thickness is
obtained, the thickness varying
according to the stage of the water,
being all the way from eight to
twenty-fOur courses deep. After they
obtain the required thickness, they
place bored plankS over the grubS on
the top, and then tighten them down
with an instrument called a witch,
which consists of a lever about six
feet long with ring on the end
which fits over the grub. Then they
place the fulcrum on the crib and
press on the lever which pulls up the
grub and presses down the lumber at
the same time. When they have
made the lumber as compact as
possible, they split the grub on top
and wedge it SO as to prevent its
lOOSening.
After the cribs are made they fasten
them together by means of plankS,
bored to fit the grubs, which project
upwards, there being twenvy-one
cribs in raft, it being seven cribs
long and three cribs wide.
On each of the front and hind cribs
are large oars, or sweeps, which con-
sist of sixteen foot plank, Spliced
into pole about thirty feet long, and
so constructed as 20 swing on a pivot
placed on piece of timber, fastened
along the edge Of the crib, called the
head-blOck.
These sweeps are used to guide the
raft, especially in running dams and
rapids,
The rafts usually went in fleets of
about eight or ten, all of which be-
lOnged to the same man. There was
generally two men tOa raft, one man
on each sweep. When they ran a
rapids or dam the whole fleet would
stop above, and they would separate
each raft into three sections, letting
each section contain seven cribs,
being one crib wide and seven long,
this section being called q rapids
piece.
The reason for thus dividing them
was that being narrower they stood
less chance of striking rocks, and
could be more easily handled. After
they had divided the raft, they would
place from six to eight men on a
piece, three or four on a sweep, and
run them over, one at time, the
pilot. man we'll acquainted with the
place, standing at the front sweep
directing the movements. After the
dangerous place had been run, they
would tie the sections below, go up
again, and run another piece over
This process of running the rapids
with one piece, and then going back
to get the next section. would con-
tinue until the whole fleet was over.
There was always a carriage for the
pilot and sometimes for the men,
and from that they got the name of
"giggerS.
The dangers in running rapids and
dams were, first; The dipping of the
front sweep in an eddy, in which case
it would swing around quickly and
throw the men into the water, many
cases of drowning resulting from such
accidents; the second danger lay in
the raft striking rock. in which
case the grub plankS were sometimes
split, thus letting the raft go to
pieces. and causing loss of lumber and
sometimes life; the third danger was
in the front crib diving when it went
over a dam. in which case the raft
was broken apart. and the men
| washed off. This last difficulty was
sometimes prevented by what were
known as spring-poles.
! These poles were usually of hem
! lock and from twenty-five to thirty
feet in length. They were placed il
| holes bored in the head block. Slanting
| upwards, and then sprung down
wards, and fastened to the second
crib, thus raising the front end of the
first crib partly out of water anC
preventing it from diving.
The bad places to run in the river
were. Big Bull Falls at Wausau
Little Bull Falls at Mosinee, Stevens
Point Dam, Conant's Rapids at
Whiting, Grand Rapids at this place
Clint's Dam at Port Edwards
Whitney Rapids at NekoOsa, the
| Dalles. kilbOurn Dam and Lone ROcE
near Newport. Of all these place;
the most feared was KilbOurn Dam
and the loss of lumber there annually
is estimated at S150.000.
On April 18th, 1859, a meeting O
lumbermen was held at kilbOurI
City. ito take into consideration. The
obstruction to the navigation of tht
Wisconsin River caused by tht