The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-06-02

nae River" said f c.
Baker. of Plattsburg. re-
Gently. in describing the opera lions OF
loSgerS in the Adirondacks. "A log
swung across the verge of the last
precipice at High Falls. and over 40.
900 pieces became maSsed in Il solid
formation there is the narrow gorge.
We did not use dynamite in those days
and nothing could he done to break
the jam except to cut out the log which
held the key to the situation
volunteer was called for and
Henry Martin was the only driver who
offered to chop the offending log away
A large rope was thrown across the
river and held at either end by men
Martin dashed himself to the rope. was
drawn to the centre of the gorge and
lowered to the verge of the precipice
Martin chopped there for two hours
during which all of us We're in ter
rDle suspense. and then the log
snapped il TWO. The thousands OF
pieces which were thus released. pushed
by the great aCcumula ton of water
went tNmblin9, laundering and SrOan-
ing like an avalanche over the preci-
pice
AS the log snapped Martin gave the
signal and the rope was hauled taut
by the watchtul men on the banks OF
the river. The logger swung in mid
air and was pulled ashore amid the
welcome plauditS of his comrades
one of the greatcSt jams OF the
Great North Woods was that in the
Raquette River i'll the late seventies
The logs had been cleared from Long
Lake, beyond the outlet of Cold River
and Were fast approaching the Ea-
quette River falls. where there is Il
drop of 100 feet or more i'll a short dis
rance Their" are rapids for several
hundred feer above the falls. while
below there is Il sudden bend in the
stream aS the water sweeps away with
smoother surface. always tearing ana
grinding away The ledge of sandstone
one corner of which forluS Il shelf over
the stream.
In its run To the TOP of the falls the
Water passes through Il gorge about
fifty feet high, with slopin. walls that
mount rapidly to mountainous heights
Here the logs formed Il confused mass
They We're interviewer and tangled.
and the torrent rushed through and
over them until i, seemed as though
to their foundations.
The drivers worked for four days
sharing the dangers alike. and cleared |
the log jam without accident. But the |
Datreau loaded with the tents. utensils |
and food for the men. which was being |
moved down the river in the rear of the !
logs did NOT fare so we'll II was in charge |
OF some experienced watermen. and ,
the passage of the rough water was ,
always watched with great interest |
by the lo@gers. II began to run through !
the rapid water ut th" head of the !
falls when the current caught il and /
carried it against rock. where il WIS
a< pSized.
One of the men in the boat WAS an
experienced swimmer. and lie told Tho !
other 10 place his arms about his neck.
so that he could then swim With him
TO the shore. But the water ran TOO
swiftly for the swimmer and both
were calried rapidly toward the falls
1T became necessary for the swimmer
to disen2ace himself from his compam-
ion. who was hugginG him with Il
death grasp. His effort ut first was
unsuccessful. and. growing desperate.
as they approached the brink of the
falls. he pulled his companion partly
around in front of him and struck him
a tremendous blow on the head The
arms relaxed their grasp about the
neck of the struggling swimmer ana
the unfortunate man was carried down
the stream. while the swimmer by Il
violent effort barely escaped the same
fate. He reached the shore in an ex-
hausted condition. where he was
pulled from the water by the logeers
The other logger passed over the falls
and under the jam of logs. His body
was recovered some time afterward
and buried on the banks of the Ra-
quette.-New York Commercial Adyer-
tser.
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