The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-05-09

in a log jam on the Sara
nae River" said +. c.
Baker. Of Plattsburg. re-
Gently, in describing the operations Of
loggers in the Adirondacks. "A log
swung across tie verge OF the last
precipice at High Falls. and over 40
600 pieces Became massed in a solid
formation there is the narrow gorge.
We did not use dynamite in those days,
and nothing could be done 10 break
the jam except 10 cut out the log which
held the key 10 the situation.
a volunteer was called for, and
Henry Martin was the only driver who
offered 10 chop the offending log away.
A large rope was thrown across the
river and held AZ either end by men.
Martin lashed himself 10 the rope, was
drawn to the centre of the gorge and
lowered 10 the verge of the precipice.
Martin chopped there for two hours
during which all OF US We're in a ter
rible suspense, and then the log
snapped in two. The thousands of
pieces which were thus released, pushed
by the great accumulation of water,
went tumbling, laundering and groan-
ing like an avalanche over the preci-
pice.
'As the log snapped Martin gave the
signal and the rope was hauled taut
by the watchful men on the banks of
the river The logger swung in mid
air and was pulled ashore amid the
Il -, fe .Iac
One Of the greatest jams of the
Great North Woods was that in the
Raquette River in the late seventies.
The logs had been cleared from Long
Lake, beyond the outlet of Cold River,
and were fast approaching the Ra-
quette River falls, where there is a
drop cf 100 feet or more in a short dis
tance. There are rapids for several
hundred feet above the falls, while
below there is a sudden bend in the
stream rs the water sweeps away with
smoother surface, always tearing and
grinding away the ledge of sandstone
one corner of which forms a shelf over
the stream.
In its run 10 the top of the falls the
water passes through gorge about
fifty feet high with sloping walls that
moult rapidly TO mountainous heights.
Here the logs formed confused mass.
They were interviewer and tangled.
and the torrent rushed through and
over them until IL seemed as though
the rocky banks must surely be shaken
TO their foundations.
The drivers worked for four days
sharing the dangers alike, and cleared
the log jam without accident. But the
batteau 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 sowell. twas in charge
Of some experienced watermen, and
the passage of the rough water was
always watched with great interest
by the loggers. 1t began TO run through
the rapid water at the head Of the
falls when the current caught il and
carried it against a rock, where ii was
capsized.
One of the men in the boat was an
experienced swimmer, and he told the
other to 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 carried rapidly toward the falls.
1t became Uecessary for the swimmer
10 disengage himself from his compan-
ion. who was hugging him with n
death grasp. His effort at 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
tremendous blow on the head. The
arms relaxed their grasp about the
neck of the struggling swimmer and
the unfortunate man was carried down
the stream, while the swimmer by n
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 loggers
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 Adver-
tiser.