Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-01-14
LOGGING IN THE NORTHWEST.

AS the forests OF oregon anu w ASH
ington are being more thoroughly
explored by lumbermen and prospec-
tors, the size and extent of the tracts
of timber are becoming more appre-
| ciated. For many years California
has enjoyed the principal reputation
| for being the location of groves Of the
! great redwoods. The species Of fir
| found in the valleys of Oregon and
Washington on the western side of
the mountains are believed to be the
largest of their kind i'll the world, and
really rival the redwoods in girth and
height.
OF recent years numbering has been
carried on extensively in the forests
referred to, as the size Of the timber
and the many purposes for which this
kind can be used have been strong
Incentives to the organization Of COM
panies and the building Of saw mills.
AS yet, however, the operations of
the timbermen have been confined to
a comparatively small area, owing
partly to the lack Of transportation
facilities and partly to the difficulty
attending the work Of getting the logs
conveyed to market. The ordinary
portable saWmills SO commonly used
in the Southern States, Maine and
Canada are not large enough to utilize
in the larger growths Of Oregon frs,
as they are frequently found of di-
ameter ranging from II to Is feet near
the ground, and with trunks which
are available for cutting into logs to
an extent of $50 to375 feet. The meas
urements taken of some Of the largest
specimens show that they actually
grow to Il height Of over 400 feet, in
Guiding the topmosC branches. This
is over two thirds O the height of the
famous Washington Monument. Like
the redwoods, the branches are not
reached until one has scaled the trunk
to a distance of sometimes so and SO
feet above the roots. As to the latter,
they necessarily extend into the earth
a great distance, and some of the
stumps which have been removed
have had roots which were 2 feet in
diameter, reaching a distance Of 40
feet from the tree proper.
numbering amid these forests differs
in many respects from the industry as
carried on in other portions of the
country. The task of telling a tree OF
the size mentioned is attended with
much difficulty, and great care must
be used not only to prevent accidents,
but to avoid the splitting or injury of
the trunk in other ways. The direc-
ton in which it is to be cut down is Of
course, first selected, and advantage
taken Of the character of the surface.
If the ground is soft by reason of
being marsh land, Or is oVergrown
with saplings or heavy underbrusb,
this favors the lumberman, who is not
to pare an artificial bed of
piles of branches and leaves. In case
the tree grows from slope, it is gen
orally cut with the crown pointing up
so as to fall against the slope, thus
lessening the distance Of its descent.
>
in such direction as to strike against
a smaller tree of no value, which will
break the force of the fall and allow
the trunk to be lowered slowly to the
ground. In cutting tree 800 feet in
length, calculations must be made of
its great weight and it's length. There
is little comparison between this work |
and that Of telling pine 100 feet high |
and but or 4 feet in diameter at the |
base.
With the bed prepared, the axmen
begin work, usually four in number,
two on each side. In cutting they !
follow lines marked on the bark, |
which indicate the width and depth |
Of the fissure to be made. When
tree is 10 feet in diameter, about 8
feet will be cut away on the side on
which it is to fall and two feet on the |
opposite side, leaving the balance for
the sawyers. These figures, however,
may vary foot or two according to
the size of the tree. The axes used
are about the size of the ordinary
telling ak common to Southern lum-
oermen. The metal part weighs from
to pounds, and is sharpened on
both sides to the finest cutting edge.
axmen will make a cut
INTO the trunk which is almost as clean
Is if 1t had been sawed. That part of
he work done, a cross cut saw is in
serted in the side on which the tree is
20 be felled. This is considerably
arger than the average used in the
oineries. 1t has the M-shaped tooth