The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-21
Experiment, If Successful, Means
a Revolution.
ONE RAFT OF 5000, 900 FEET.
Inman. POulsen T. Co. VIII Send IL Ont
VIII Watch the shipment With
Bated Breath-it VIII Eject a
saving of x3 Per Thousand ON
C0astwfse Lumber From Here.

A quiet, business-like man stood at the
steps of the pullman car the Portland
train pulled OF. yesterday afternoon. shak-
Ing hands with a group Of prominent Se-
attic iunbermen and merchants Ii was
Robert d InmaD. senior member OF the
firm Of Inman, Pouisen 4 Co.. Of Portland,
generally conceded 10 be the largest lum-
Der dealers Of that city.
Mr. Innan is at all times a man of suf-
ficlent commercial Importance 10 make
even a casual Journey Of his worth noting.
but just now ne is at the head of an enter
prise which bids fair to mark an epoch in
the lumber industry of the Pacific North
west, and particularly TO revoIutionize the
methods of iumber shipments eoastwise.
The novel plan upon which Mr. Inman
has decided. and which viii in al prob
ability go into effect today. is the ship
nlent Of cut lumber to San Francisco by
means OF a raft. Raft of logs have been
sent down the coast before. with greater
or less success, but this Is the first instance
in which a shipment OF cut lumber has
been attempted In that shape, and the OUT
come OF the experiment viii be watched
with great interest by lumberMen all over
the country. II II Is successful IL means a
net saving in freight rates Of 81 per 1000
feet or lumber from the Pacific Northwest
consigned TO the San Francisco market.
As the present rate In force Is 81 per 1850
feet. the proportionate saving viii be very
great.
Mr.. Inman. who is Familiarity known as
Bob" by a very large circle of acquaint-
ances In Seattle and throughout the state.
gave Pcst-Intetiigencer reporter the fol-
lowing particulars concerning the big raft:
For some time said Mr.. Inrnan. we
have been slowly and carefully maturing
our pians for the shipment OF cut lumber
10 San Francisco on scale and by
method which would materially diminish
the present shinrSng rates. AS result OF
our Investigations We have constructed
raft 334 feet long by 80 feet wide, with
a total height OF 2sla actual feet of lumber.
The raft contains 5UH GO feet OF lumber.
1t draws nineteen feet of water. and in Its
compact and symmetrical shape IL IS far
more navigabe than the RATS Of logs that
have hitherto been sent down the coast.
Most OF the lumber is common lumber,
though in the bottom Of the raft. safely
slowed away, are ooa feet OF dressed
lumber
AS an incidental advantage we expect
TO dispose of all the rough material which
IL has been found necessary to employ in
the construction of the raft. There is only
about 1900 feet OF this stuff. but every
foot of IL viii be cut up and sod for fire
wood In San Francisco. The price there j.
81 per cord. In Portland the price Is 60
cents.
The raft Will leave Portland today pro-
rded tho two tugs which have char
tered arrive in time from San Francisco.
one OF these is the Monarch. | don't know
the name OF the other. They will tow the
raft 10 the mouth Of the Willamette today
Once there, 1t will catch the present strong
current In the Columbia. and the tow TO
Astoria VIII Ire easy Out on the sea- Of
course the success OF our undertaking VIII
b. more or less dependent on the weather;
but Just AT this season we feel safe IN
counting on far winds and n calm sea
Still, the tugs. with the rigging We have
provided. would he abe 10 take care Of
the raft even in a pretty rough sea.
NO. have nothing further to say about
the significance Of the shipment than this
II !; succeeds i means & revolution In the
eoastwiSr shipments ~ lumber from the
Pacific Northwest. II Il succeeds ii means
that the lumber mills ~ the Pacific North
west can snip even slabs To san Francisco
az a profit