The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-05-01
THROUGH THE FLOME
PULLED ALONG ny AN EIGHTEEN-
TON LOCOMOTIVE.
No Cars Needed ON a Road Operated
ON One of the Highest EIevR-
TONS in the Cascades.

There is a line of railroad in the
state of Oregon over which passes an
enormous traffic although the line does
not possess a single car. 1t is located up
on one of the highest elevations of the
west slope of the Cascade mountains in
the heart of what has been until COM
paratiVely recent date, an almost inacces-
sible region. Its length is five miles, and
Is circles and twists in that distance until
it resembles the trail of a mammoth ser
pent. 1t represents the most difficult
achievement of the lumbermen of Oregon.
The only feature of the road except the
line itself that resembles the ordinary
narrow gauge railroad, is the IS ton Bald
win locomotive which forms the power
that pulls the freight This freight con-
slsts of logs which will average of a size
equal to that of the engine boiler. These
logs are formed from the trees which are
felled by the red shirted lumbermen in
the employ of the Bridal Veil Lumber
Company. After being cut, the logs are
rolled to the nearest point on the rail-
road. They are then arranged in a line,
huge staples driven in each end, sections
of heavy chain attached to the staples,
forming a train of logs. The foremost
of these logs in then chained to the en-
CINE which hauls it and its companions
upon the roadbed of the line.
The railroad Is narrow gauge, three
feet 1t is constructed on the same prin-
ciple adopted by the regulation roads
oyer which cars pass, with one excep-
ton. Stout plank is nailed to the ties and
1t Is upon this foundation that the logs
rest as the engine pulls them along. The
rails act as guards to prevent the logs
leaving the track. In this manner, the
timber is conveyed from the point at
which the engine takes it In charge to
leads from the end of the first section
of the road to what is called the chute
pond, a small body of water located about
a half mile from the mill where the logs
are turned into lumber.
In order that the logs may slip easily
along the roadbed, the plank nailed to
the ties is kept thoroughly creased except
at sharp grades, where the momentum
of the logs is sufficient to cause them to
slide easily. AS the road is located on a
mountain side, where the declivities are
often so great as to make straight de-
scent of the line impossible for the rea-
son that If that were tried, the logs would
slide forward upon the engine, the road
has been constructed largely on the plan
of that by which the tourist ascends
Pixies Peak in Colorado. The curves are
in many instances so abrupt that to the
uninitiated 1t seems as if the logs must
slide over the rails to the ground, but dis
aster of this sort is avoided by the logs
being chained together as previously de-
scribed. Fastening them in this style
gives the timber train that same general
solidity which the vestibule imparts to
the modern train of passenger cars.
The rOadbed, or rather its foundation,
is rot Of course axe that of = great
lines over which passenger and freight
cars oil, but although roughly construct
ed it has surprising strength. While as
stated, the logs are rolled from the point
out IN ha
venient place on the railroad in many in
stances, the chute is called into play at
what is known as the upper pond. This
pond Is to be found near the starting
point of the line, and to it, 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 reach
ing distance" of the locomotive. are plac-
ed in the chute and down they go to the
bottom of the pond.
Once in the water, detail of men fas-
tens the logs together just as described
in outlining the makeup of a train.
stout incline runs from the water up to
the railroad track. The train Of logs is
poled along until the foremost lies at the
foot of this incline. A chain is then fas-
tened to the logs, the other end thereof
being attached to the engine. The loco
motive pulls and the logs, confined within
a high curved channel, are brought up
onto the track and start on their jour
ney to the mill This Is the process
adopted at the upper pond The accom-
panying Illustration denotes the method
in use at the pond which lies at the end
of the first section Of the railroad.
The journey of the logs to the two-mile
fume is uneventful. When the flume is
reached, the engine is detached from the
log train and the logs from. which all
chains are removed are diverted into the
mouth of the flume. Once started, 1t
takes a log but a small fraction of time
TO make It's way to the lower pond. Here
the process of forming the big tree trunks
into trains Is repeated in the same fash
lon as at the upper pond. The process of
getting them on the track, however, is
much easier. At this point the track runs
in such a way that logs and road are al
most side by side, so the engine has but
little difficulty in transferring the freight
from the water to the roadbed. Now the
logs are beginning the conclusion of their
journey. for from the lower pond the line
of the road runs without break to the
mill, where the logs are turned over to
the sawyers.
After the process of turning the felled
trees into boards is complete, the lumber
Is shot into a fiume much like the one
previously referred to, which leads from
| the sawmill to the planning mill two miles
| below, 1t is claimed by the lumber COM
pany that nowhere else is a log felled,
transferred and converted into lumber in
so short a space of time, considering the
distance from the point where the tree
grew to the planning mill where the log
| reappears in the guise of finished lumber.
HOW THE GREEKS SLEEP.