The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-08-29

The fuse was long and burned slo "
ly. VIII was at the head of the jam
long before the explosion came lie
waited with the pille-pole balancing
The onlookers stood on tiptoe. The
roar in the gorge was not quoting
to anyone's nerves, but at last doZsn
logs were lifted into the air, splin-
tered and broken, and the bowlder
disappeared in smoke and spray.
There was not so much noise az
one might think; just a sound that
travelled low down, but a long dis
tance.
A 50-foot dome of gray spray,
speckled with large black sticks and
yellow splinters ten feet long, flashed
up, and then VIII Conway poised for
life-and-death struggle.
The Jam quivered from end to end
It broke to pieces in great masses.
Some logs came iutting up out of
the black water; hundreds plunged
in with mighty splashing. All We're
tossed and pitched.
In moment VIII was stepping and
jumping from log to log, running
toward the gorge. Once he fell, and
TIE crowd gaspel; but agile of body
and cool Of mind, he sprang to his
feet again with only shoe wet,
As he whisl,ed into the gorge, one
voice alone was raised. Boss Koch
shouted: Good boy! Keep yonr
nerve!"
VIII lifted hand in reply, and was
then whirleG out of sight
Till this time hardly anyone had
stirred, but now everybody turned
and ran for the road. Koch and his
drivers leading. They raced over lit
lie patches of snow, through brook
waist deep with black water, and
| broke down dozen lengths of fence
getting over it into the highway.
The river men were dressed in fan
nels of bright colors, blue, red,
| checkered and plaid blouse waists,
and mackinaw trousers of all shades
and hues. On them the sun shone
with extraordinary effect as they
strung out along the road, the best
runners leading and the women bring
ing up the rear, all headed for Mad
.Cus's pool. where the gorge ended.
Down the gorge, below the first
turn, the right bank is worn out and
hangs far over the quick water, The
turn is a gradual one, and the logs
once clear of the lifting wave above,
J swing round 10 the left again, end
On. and along the side Of huge mo-
! lass a-like roll.
n ~, 20 -, Ia &c u Il
in which logs dance on end and are
split in two by the crush. The rocks
on either side are hung with moss
wet by a cold thick spray, dashed up
by the wind. Here viii found him
| s,lf drawing toward the grinding
mass in the eddy
lie was now TOO far to the left
Quick as thought he jumped to d
swifter log higher up the roll, then
to cue beyond, and on to th."3.
clear Of the eddy by yard.
Not time to think OF it, though, for
ahead was business quite as danger
Gus perhaps the worst of all,
The gorge narrows below the sec
9nd turn, and the water, crowded into
I. foams so high on both sides as al
most to curl over. Down the center
runs the black streak. viii got into
that. and the white water was higher
than his head on each side He shot
forward with increasing speed. He
saw one log three feet in diameter
strike a ledge. to he hurled end over
end through the air.
rs the spray lifted, he saw ahead
the black level of Mad Toms pool
where there was safety.
But before that the water gushed
cut suddenly fan-like, until rollers ten
feet high took up the speed, and only
a greasy little trough lay down the
center.
Once more VIII saw that he was of,
his course, headed too much for the
waves. Among them he could dc
nothing: he would be tossed as from
= catapult.
He jumped again. The log diyed
and he had to 60 to one beyond. FoI
4 moment he hung, almost topping
but he got his balance again, none toe
soon.
Ten seconds OF awful roar followed
His pike-pole, which he held as a rope
walker holds his balancing pole, was
in the foam at both ends Up and
down on short, solid three-foot waves
went his log, and through some soft
foamy ones.
\ water-soaEed log came iurching at
him. but fell short. Another plunged
across. just ahead Of him. 1t seemed
rs if the whole jam was there waiting
for him.
The next instant the tumble of wa.
ter was left behind. The current be
came broad and level; It's dancing Was
over for a while. The logs, after a BIT
Of tecterinC, ceased their plungiag
and fioated on with rig. ignity VIII
quickly pushed himself to shore and
started mp the road with his pike over
his shoulder. beating the spray-drops
off his wooden cap.
He was met by a whOOping crowd
Of raftsmen, crying women and
screaming boys. who all talked at once
faNy- minutes n-at, no Jrt, Inv.