The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-08-21
Thrilling sll
Night
Ride Of
Lumberrnen
Down a
Mountain
Side
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Thirty
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Three California lumbermen had a
tide last month that they will not care
to repeat and the remembrance of
which will last their lifetime. They
work in a big logging camp in Butte
county up in the Sierra mountains, and
two of them brought the third, Edward
LAWYER, down the Sierra Lumber COM
pany's fiume in a box at night. That
they reached their destination was due
more to good luck than anything else.
LAWYER is the foreman of the camp,
and he was caught between the ends of
two heavy logs. His left leg was crush
ed and broken, and the mill doctor de-
cided that to save his life he must at
once be removed to Chico, the nearest
town.
Accordingly Lawler was brought
from the camp 70 the mill over the log
ging railroad, distance of four miles.
A box or boat was built to fit the
fume, a goodly supply of whisky was
given to the men, and they started on
their perlous ride at s p. m. Word was
telephoned to the different stations
along the line, and carriage was or
dered to be at the Chico end. They ar
rived after midnight. LAWYER is now in
San Francisco in hospital, but it will
be a year before he is able to go about.
"How did it feel to come down at
night?' repeated one of the men in re-
ply to a question.
That's something l can't tell you.
/ simply held to the box and listened
every second to hear the flume crack
and drop out from beneath us. 1t was
cold when we started, but l perspired
all the way, and when / got to Chico
l was completely exhausted. It's a
fearful strain on a man to ride down
The grade"
The Sierra Lumber company's f1ume
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. Orig
inally it was more than so miles from
mill to dump, and more than $1,000
900 was sunk in the scheme before it
became a working success. The upper
end was more than 1000 feet higher
than the lower.
The flume is 80 inches wide across
the top and 20 inches deep, is shaped
like V and is supported on trestles.
Along the side runs ten inch plank
walk, a telephone line is strung over
head, and stations are built every few
miles to accommodate the men who
keep the lumber running smoothly and
the flume in repair.
AS the timber was cut the mill was
gradually moved down the canyon I'M
til it has now reached its final rest
ing place, and the upper 20 miles Of
fume has rotted away. The remaining
80 miles Of the f1ume furnish one Of
the most exciting rides which can be
taken. Sometimes men take the ride
for pleasure, but not often. Once a
woman rode down. The fume men
ride on RATS. light dry. 16 foot planks
piled wedge shape, 20 inches wide
at the top and six at the bottom and
ten inches thick. Strangers usually
ride on a box or boat, a triangular box
ward end, but solid aft Against this
the water pushes and forces the box
along.
1t was on a box that the Lawler par
ty rode, and what astonished the flume
men was that the weight of three
heavy men, combined with the bump
ing and scraping Of the box along the
.
the tons and tons of water piled up be-
hind. did not cause the lightly con-
structed trestles to give way. Such
thing has happened before. A fall,
especially on thp-grade, is sure death.
Starting from the mill. the fume
passes over great sawdust piles-piles
as big in area as City Hall park in