The Rice belt journal., 1902-05-30
ca,obt in a Huge Log Jam.

] nae River" said Il. Z.
Baker. OF Plattsburg, re-
Gently. in describing the operations OF
Ioggers iii the AdironGacks. "A log
swung across the verge of the last
precipice at High Falls. and over 4o,-
600 pieces became massed in soma
formation there is the narrow gorge
We did not use dynamite in those days
and nothing could be done to break
the jam except to cut out the log which
held the key to the situation.
"a 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 ana
lowered to the verge of the preclpice'
"Martin chopped there foEtwo hours,
during which all Of us W. in a ter
rible suspense, and th2 the log
snapped in two. The thousands OF
pieces which were thus released,pushed
by the great accumulation of water
went tumblng. laundering and groan-
ing like an avalanche. over the precl-
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 III MID
air and was pulled ashore amid the
welcome plaudits of his comrades.
One of the greatest jams of the
: Great North Woods was that in the
\ Raquette River in the late seventles'
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
drop of 100 feet or more in a short dls-
tance There are rapids for several
hundred feet above the falls, Wniie
below there is sudden bend in the
stream as the water sweeps away VIII
smoother surface, always tearing ant
grinding away the ledge of sandstone
one corner of which forms shelf oVel
the stream.
In it's run to the top of the falls th'
water passes through gorge abou
fifty feet high, with sloping walls tina
mount rapidly to mountainous heights
Here tile logs formed confused mass
They were interviewer and tangled
and the torrent rushed through an
over them until it seemed as thoug
the rocky banks must surely be shake
to their foundations.
The drivers worked for four day
sharing the dangers alike. and cleafe
the log jam without accident. But tn
batteau loaded with the tents. utensl
and food for the men. which was pelfl
moved down the river in the rear OF tE
logs did not fare so well. twas in chars
of some experienced watermen, al
the passage of the rough water~W'
ALWAYS watched with great intere
by the loggers. 1t began TO run throus
the rapid water ut the head of Il
falls when the current caught it al
~. fried it against rock, where II w
Hfpsized.
One of the men in the boat was
experienced swimmer. and he told I
other TO place his arms about his nee
so that he could then swim with n
TO the shore But the water ran I
swiftly for the swimmer, and DO
were carried rapidly toward the fal
If became necessary for the Swimn
to disenwage himself from his comp:
ion. who was liugging him with
death grasp. His effort at first W
unsuccessful, and, growing despera
rs they approa ched the brink of
falls. he pulled his companion par
around in front of him and struck b
n tremendous blow on the head.
arms relaxed their grasp about
neck of the struggling swimmer :
the unfortunate man was carried do
the stream, while the swimmer b!
violent effort barely escaped the sd
fate. He reached the shore in an
hausted condition, where he
hn
The other logger passed over the I
and under the jam of logs. His b
was recovered some time afterW
and buried on the banks of the
uuette.-New York Commercial Ad
tiser.