The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-10
WITHOUT CARS.
A Railroad That Does an Enormous
Business.
Trees Brought Into Use From What
Was an Inaccessible Forest

| the highest elevations of the west slope Of
! the Cascade mountains Ia the heart cf
what has been until comparatively re-
cent date an almost inaccessible region.
Its length is five miles, aud 10 circles and
twists In that distance until IL resem hles
the trail ol mammoth serpent. IL repre-
sents the most difficult achievement OF
the lumbermen OF Or gon.
The only feature OF the road, except
the line itself, is tho eighteen ton Baldwin
locomotive which forms the power that
pulls the freight. 1hc freight consists OF
logs which will average OF "a size equal 10
that OF tie engine boiler. These logs are
formed from the trees which are felled by
the srcd shirted lum bcrmcn in the employ
of tie Bridal Veil Lumber company
AT tonR cut the logs nro rolled 60 the
nearest point on tho railroad. They are
then arranged In a line, huge staples
driven in each end. sections of heavy chain
attached 70 the staples. forming train OF
logs. The foremost az tlcso logs IS then
chained 20 the engine, which hauls 10 and
It's companions upou the roadbed OF the
line
lie railroad is narrow gauge-three
feet. IL Is constructed un the principle
adopted by tho regulation roads over
which cars pass. with one exception. Stout
plank Is rallied to the ties. ana 1t Is upon
this foundation that the logs rest ass che
engine pulls them along. Tho rails act
rs guards 20 prevent the logs leaving the
track. In this manner the timber is con-
veyed from tho point at which the engine
takes IL in charge TO tho beginning of the
two-mile flume that leads from tho end OF
the first section Of the road To what is
called the chute pond, small body OF
water about half mile from the mill,
whore the logs are turned into lumber.
Grease fic'ps Along.
In order that the logs may slip easily
along the roadbed, the plank nailed TO tho
ties is kept thoroughly creased, except at
sharp grades, where the momentum OF the
logs Is sufficient 10 cause them TO slide
easily. AS the road is on a mountain
SIDE. where the declivities are often so
great rs TO make straight descent of the
lineimpossible, for the reason that If IL
were triod the logs would slide forward
upon tho engine, the road has been con-
structed largely upon tho plan Of that by
which the tourist ascends Pixies Peak in
Colorado. The curves are In many in
stances SO abrupt that TO the initiated II
seems as IL the logs must slide over the
rails 60 the ground, but disaster of this
sort Is avoided by the logs being chained
together. as previously described. Fast
ening them in this style gives the tim Der
train that same general solid.ty which
the vestibule imparts 20 the modern train
of passenger cars
The roadbed, or rather its foundation, is
not, OF course, like that Of the great lines
over which passenger and freight cars
roll, but although roughly constructed.
it has surprising strength. While, as
stated, the logs are rolled from the
points at which they are cut TO the most
convenient place ON the railroad, in many
instances the chute is called into play at
what is known as the upper pond. This
pond is to DO found near the starting
point OF the line ard to 1t, from various
sections of the mountain side, where trees
are being felled, fumes or chutes are run.
The logs then instead of being moved
with difficulty to within reaching dis
tance" of the locomotive, nre placed In
the chute and down they go TO the bottom
into the pond.
Once I'm the water, a detail of men
fasten the logs together just as described
in outlining the makeup of a. train. A
stout incline runs from tho water up to
tho railroad track. The train Of logs is
pulled along until the foremost lies at
tno foot Of this incline. A chain is then
fastened TO the logs, the other end thereof
being attached to the engine. The loco.
motive pulls and tho logs, confined
within n high curved channel, are brought
up TO the track, and start on their jour
ney to tho mill.
Quick Transit.
Tho journey Of tho logs 20 tho two milo
flumc is unevertful. Whep the 1umc is
reached, the engine Is G6tachod from tho
log train and the logs, from which all
chains are removed, arc diverted into tho
mouth OF the flume. Onco started it takes
u log but q small fraction OF time TO make
its way to tho lower pond, Hero tic pro-
coss Of forming the big tree trunks into
trains is repeated I'm tee same fashion as
at the upper pond. The process OF gather
ing them on tho track, however, is much
easier At this point tho track runs in
such way that logs and road are almost
side by side SO the engine has but little
difficulty In transferring the freight from
the water TO tho roadted. Now the logs
arc beginning the conclusion of their
journey, Tor from the lower pond the line
Of the road runs without break to tho
! mill where tho logs arc turned over to the
sawyers.
After the process OF turning the felled
trees into boards Is complete, the lumber
Is shot into n fume much like the one
previously referred to, which leads from
the sawmill to the planning mill, two miles
! below. Ii is claimed by the lumb ber COM
pany that rowhcre else is n log ielled
transported and converted into lumber in
! so short space Of time, considering tho
distance from the point where the tree
grew TO the planning mill, where the log
re,ppears In the guise OF finished lumber
Everybody Says So.
| Cascarets Candy CuthartIc the most won.
| derlul medical discovery of the age, pleas
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