The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-25
DANGERS OF LoG-DRIvING.
How Many Adirondack Woodsmen
Risk Their Lives Each Spring.


| UTICA. N. Y. March 24.-Hundreds OF
| thousands of logs are piled along the
| lakes and streams in the Great North
Woods waiting for the spring food to
move them down to the mills The dan
gerous work of the log drivers Will seen
commence, and then for month these
| men will scarcely be allowed an oppor-
| tunity for rest. Il was pretty active at
| driving logs back in the '70s,' says d.
| Frank Sperry. OF Old Forge. "and in
| those days 1 grew to look upon Beaver
| River as being the hottest stream that
ran out of the woods. Norcross & San
ders began running logs on the river in
| 1911, and many have been drowned there.
Five men were drowned last year. 1t
| hasn't very great volume of water. but
there are some mighty bad holes. Take
Eagles Falls and Devils Hole, for ex-
ample. Only one or two men ever went
through them and lived. They lumber
this country further up now than we
used to. We would put logs in at Still
water or Sunday Lake camp, and some
times at Alder Creek. When the break
up would come in the spring we would
have between 100000 and 100000 feet of
lumber in logs ready to go down to the
big mills at Beaver River.
The first really bad hole we struck
was at Eagles Falls below No. T. 1t was
just below Beaver Lake. In the lake we
would get the logs Strengthened out for
a run through that hole In about 800
yards the stream falls eighty feet. and
man could never live to go through the
place with the logs. L have seen hundreds
of logs go end over end there, and 1t was
a great sight, too.
"A gang of us was working on jam
at the falls at one time when the logs
ct wit . ArOnnpd
everything and ran for our lives. Five of
the boys could not get away in time.
though, and they went down with the logs
pilinS and pitching over their heads.
There were so many logs that we say
only one of the men, and mis- head came
up just as the water carried him around
under the ledge. That accident took the
heart out of us for the rest of the winter.
for after you live with those fellows a
while they grow to be like brothers to
you.
to Devils Hole. and just above it was a
long stretch Of alders and still water
where the logs would ride as prettiy as
though they were canoes. Devils Hole was
as bad as its name; there were bad rapids,
whirlpoolS, and bad looking rocks. Often |
we used to let men down on long jams
here with ropes attached to their waists
and high up on the bank few men
would stand ready to pull the i:lan out
when the jam started. They put me =
this hole once with rope around me.
started | nearly lost my feet. There was
a squeaking and rumbling and a
mighty roar and the men pulled ME out
wet and bruised
''h'rom Devils Hole it was ten miles to
the mills, and we had to pass another bad
hole at Belle Fort Here the river whirls
ana winds around the rocks and the
channel is crooked.
The best log driver l ever knew was
Frank Cunningham. He came from Lew
iston, Me-, in 1871. Albert c. Eaton, who
numbered on the Otter Creek region,
brought him along with John McBeth,
John Walker Billy Harris. and several
stream and fun of rough water.
Cunningham and McBeth finally went
over on Moose River and remained FOR
some years. We used to start logs at the |
place where McKeeVer now is. and a gang |
Of about twenty-eight men would work /,
thirty days to get the logs down to the |
mills. In the rapids at Perkins Cunning |
ham had n very narrow escape.
THE logs were in an awful bad snarl, |
and Frank had been out to get them |
started. He tried to get back. and
reached rock that seemed fairly safe. |
The batteau he was depending on was |
smashed and he was obliged to let go |
his hold on the rock. When he let go of |
the rock ne became confused among the
logs Then we saw him go down the !
rapids. We could not see him half the
time and we gave him up for lost Sud
denly he appeared farther down than we |
expected and he came to the top for an
instant He was able to catch a root and
hang on until the men could get to him
and draw him out. 1t was considered a
feat. and all We're amazed
that he ever got out alive. That was in
'72 or "a and soon after he went West |
and was killed while running logs at
Chippewa Falls.