The Opelousas courier., 1901-12-07
DOWN THE LOG FLUME.
SERlLoUS RIDE OF AN INJURED CAL
lFo7NIA ZIMMERMAN.

Three Butte county california;
will never forget. They work In a
big logging camp in the Sierras, and
two Of them brought the third, Ed
ward Lawler, down the Sierra Lum-
Der company's flume in a box at night.
That they ever reached their destina-
ton was due to good luck than
anything else.
Lawler is the foreman of the camp
and he was caught between the ends
of two heavy logs. His left. leg was
crushed and broken. and the mill doc
tor decided that to save his life ne
must at once be removed to Chico, the
nearest town.
The accident happened shortly be-
fore 6 p. m. Chico was % miles away.
To get to the stage road would neces-
state a two mile climb up a hill 1000
feet high to get out of the canyon.
After that would come a hard, dusty
ride along the mountain ridge over
rough lava beds. 1t is q long, tedious
l kLuC III AN oOy LII az ASh "A$A
\ badly wounded man in the wagon it
was impossible. There was only n
thing to do, to take Lawler down the
fume, although it was a dangerous
undertaking.
Accordingly, Lawler was brought
from the camp to the mill over the
logging railroad, a distance of four
miles. A box, or boat, was built to
fit the fiume, a goodly supply of whis.
key was gi:en the men, and they
started on their perilous ride at s p.
m. Word was telephoned to the diff
ferent stations along the line and a
carriage was ordered to be at the Chi
co end. They arrived after midnight
and LAWYER is now in San Francisco
in a hospital, but it will be a year be-
fore he is able to go about.
How did it feel to come down at
night?" repeated one of the men in
reply to a question. That's some
ing l can't tell you. I simply held to
the box and listened every second to
hear the fume crack and drop out
from beneath us. 1t was cold when
we started, but I ~perspired all the
way, and when / got to Chico I was
completely exhausted. It's a fearful
strain on a man to ride down the
grade"
Tn Sierra Lumber company's lume
was built more than 20 years ago for
the purpose of floating lumber from
the mill to town. 1t was the first in
the state and for years the longest.
Originally it was more than 50 miles
from mill to dump, and more than a
million dollars was sunk in the scheme
before 1t became a working success.
The upper end was more than 1000
feet higher than the lower.
The fume is 30 inches wide across
the top and 20 inches deep, is shaped
Hike q V and Is supported on trestles.
Along the side runs a ten-inch plank
walk; a telephone line is strung over
head; stations are built every few
miles to accommodate the men who
keep the lumber running smoothly and
the fume In repair. From $4,000 to
100, 900 feet of lumber q day, for eight
months in the year, now pass down, at
an average cost Of only 80 cents for
each 1000 feet.
As the timber was cut the mill was
gradually moved down the canyon un-
til 1t has now reached its final resting
place, and the upper 20 miles of fume
has rotted away. The remaining 80
miles of the fiume furnishes one of
the most exciting rides which a
be taken. Sometimes men take the
ride for pleasure, but not often. Once
a woman RODE down. The flume men
ride on RATS, light, dry, 16-foot planks
piled wedge shaded, 20 inches wide at
the top and 6 at the bottom and 10
inches thick. Strangers usually ride
on a box, or boat, a triangular box
built to at the hume, open at the for
wad end, but solid aft. Against this
the water pushes and forces the box
It Was On . hnx that the Lawler |
party rode, and what astonished the
6ume men was that the weight of three
heavy men, combined with the bump
ing and scraping OF the box along the
sides OF the dume, to say nothing of
the tons and tons Of water piled I'D
did not cause the lightly con-
trestles to give way. Such
q thing has happened before. A. fall,
especially on the grade, is sure death.
IL takes three and a half hours to
make the trip OF a raft, and save on
the five miles of so-called grade, the
fume men ride standing. It Is a more
difficult trick than driving logs down
the Connecticut river. this balancing
one's self on q narrow raft and fully
Is dangerous.
Starting frem the mill, the flume
passes owe great sawdust piles; piles
big IL area as City Hall park In
New York and is feet deep. So solidly
Is the sawdust piled that the trees
all been killed and turned black
rs IL q forest fire had once ragged there.
Then for i've miles it runs along the
.ide OF the canyon close to the creek,
dense woods which form q
green arch above. At the
md Of this first section is a station.
here 1t is that the real ride be-
1t is called the grade, and for n
five miles you ride with your
leart In your mouth. 1t is as il o
we're coasting down the chutes at
Joney Island, only it seems as il you
never to reach the end. Two hun
lred feet below the creek plunges