Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-11

health Of lungs even sent to his pa
per little item. This unexpectedly
brought Wallace Carpenter to the spot
The place was an amphitheatcr for
such as chose to be spectators. They
could stand or sit on the summit of the
gorge cliffs. overlooking the river, the
fall and the Jam.
At last Shcarer became angry.
we've been monkeying long
pnough," said he. "Ncxt time well
wave center that will go out Well
hut the dams down tight and dry
pick out two wings that II start her"
The dams were first run at full
speed and then shut down. Hardly
drop Of water flowed in the bed of tho
stream. The crews set laborously to
work to pull and roll the logs out in
such fiat fashion thnt head of water
should send them out.
This was even harder work than the
other, for they had not the floating
power of water to help them in the
lifting. AS usual. part of the men
worked below. part above.
Jimmy Powers, curly haired, laugh.
Itg faced, was irrcprcssiblc. lie bad
gered the others until they threw bark
at him and incnaced him with their
peavcys. Always he had at his tongues
end the proper Quip for the occasion.
SO that in the long run the work was
! lightened by him. When the men stop
/ ped to think at all they thought of
/ Jimmy Powers with very kindly hearts.
for 1t was known that he had had more
trouble than most and that coin was
not made too small for him to divide
with Il needy comradc.
Thorpe approved thoroughly Of jim
/ my Towers. He thought him a good
/ Influence. lie told Wallace so. stand
/ ing among the spectators on the cliff
! top.
He ia all right" said Thorpe. 81
wish had more like him. Tho others
are good boys too
Five men were at the moment tug
! ging futiicly at II reluctant timber
They were attempting to roll one end
of it over the side of another projecting
log, but We're continually foilcd. because
the other end was iammed fast. Each
beat his knees, inserting his shoulders
under the projecting peavey stock, to
straighten in mighty effort.
1t was 4 fine spring day, clear eyed
and crisp, with hint of new foliage in
the thick buds of the trees. The air
was SO peliucid that one distinguished
without difficulty the straight entrance
20 the gorge a mile away. and even the
West Bend, fully five miles distant.
Jimmy PAYERS took off his cap and
wiped his forehead.
You boys" he remarked politely.
"thnk you are boring with n mighty
big auEer."
My Cod" screamed one of the spec
tators on top of the cliff.
At the same instant Wallace Carpen-
ter seized his friends arm and pointed
Down the bed of the stream from the
upper bend rushed solid wall of wa
ter several feet high 1t flung itself
forward with the headlong impetus of
n cascade. Even in the short interval
between the visitors exclamation and
Carpenters rapid gesture it had loomed
in sight, twisted a dozen trees from the
river bank and fonmed into the en-.
trance of the gorge. An instant later il
colided with the tail of the jam.
Even in the railroad rush of those
few moments several things happened
Thorpe leaped for Il rope. The crew
working on top of the dam ducked
instinctively to right and left and be.
gan to scramble toward safety. The
men below, at first bewildered and not
coInprehending, finally understood and
ran toward the face OF the jam with
the intention Of clamberng up it. There
could be no escape in the narrow can
yon below, the walls of which rose
sheer.
Then the food hit square. A great
sheet of water rose like surf from tie
tail of the jam; a mighty cataract pour
ed down over its surface, lifting the
free logs: from either wing timhers
crunched, split. rose suddenly into
wracked prominence, twisted beyond
the semblance of themselves. Here
and there single logs We're even pro
jected bodily upward. as an apple seec
is shot from between the thumb ant
foretinger Then the jam moved.
Scotty Parsons, Jack Hyland, Rec
Jacket and the forty or fifty men haC
reached the shore. by the wriggllnl
activity which is river mans alone
they succeeded i'll pulling themselves
beyond the snap of deaths jaws. l.
was a narrow thing for most of then
and miracle for some.
Jimmy Powers, Archie Harris, LonS
Pine Jim, Big Nolan and Mike Mo
loney, the brother of Bryan, We're il
worse case. They were, rs has beer
said, engaged in "hattening' part o,
the jam about eight or ten rods below
the face of it. When they finally un
, dcrstood that the affair was one o.
, escape, they ran toward the Jam, hop
, ing to climb out. Then the crash came
They heard the roar of the waters, thu
wrecking of the timbers; they saw th'
. logs bulge outward in anticipation o
the break. Immediately they turne,
, and fed, they knew not where.
+ All but Jimmy Powers. He stopped
, short in his tracks and threw his bat
tered old felt hat dehantly full into thu
face Of the destruction hanging owe
him. Then, his bright hair blowing il
the wind of death, lie turned To thu
; spectator standing helpless and para
, iyzed forty feet above him.