Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-25
The Blazed
I rail q y $ ;s$$:s
Copyright 1902, by Stewart Edward White

SONS cut was scattered for taIrIy miles
along the bed of the river.
Already the ice cementing the logs
together had begun to weaken. The ice
had wrenchcd and tugged savagely al
the locked timbers until they had, with
mighty effort. snapped asunder the
bonds of their hiberna ton. Now n mar
row lane of black rushing water
4 pierced the rollways to boil and eddy in
the consequent jam three miles below.
To the foremen Thorpe assigned their
tasks.
"Moloney'' said he to the big Irish
man, take your crew and break that
jam. Then scatter your men down to
and see that the river runs clear. You
can tent for day or so at West Bend
or some OTHER point about half way
down, and after that you had better
camp at the dam. Just as soon as you
get logs enough in the pond start to
slnicing them through the dam. You
won't need more than four men there
/ If you keep good head You can
/ keep your gates open five or six hours.
And, Mooney"-
Yes, SIR
II want you to be careful not to
! below the dam. and if you try to
! siuice with the water too low you'll
center and jam there as sure as shoot
| ing"
| Bryan Moloney turned on his heel
and began to pick his way down
stream over the solidly banked logs.
Without waiting the command a dozen
| men followed him The little group
bobbed away irregularly into the dis
lance. sprin!ying lightly from one tim
Der to the other, holding their quantity
fashioned peayeys in the manner of
ropedancer's balancing pole. At the
lowermost Limit Of the rollways each
man pried d log into the water and,
standing gracefully erect on this I'M
stable craft, tloated out down the cur
rent to the scene Of his dangerous la
Dor.
"Kerlie." went on Thorpe, your
crew can break rollways with the rest
until we get the river fairly filled, and
then you can move on down stream as
fast as you are needed. Scotty, you
will have the rear. Tim and l will
boss the river"
. At once the signal was given to Ell
lis, the dam watcher. Ellis and his
assistants thereupon began to pry with
long iron bars at the ratchets OF the
heavy gates The chore boy bent at
tcntively over the ratchet pin, lifting
1t delicately to permit another inch Of
raise, dropping it accurately to enable
the men at the bars to seize a fresh
purchase. The rivers roar deepened.
Through the wide sideways a torrent
foaIned and tumbled. Immediately 1t
spread through the brush on either side
to the limits Of the freshet banks and
then gathered for its leap against the
uneasy rollyyays. Along the edge Of
the dark chnnnel the face of the logs
seemed to c-umble away. Farther in
toward the banks where the weight
of timber still outbalanced the weight |
of the food the tiers grumbled and
stirred Far down the river, where
Bryan Moloney and his crew were
picking at the jam, the water in eager |
streamlets sought the interstices be- /
tween the logs. gurgling excitedly.
The jam creaked and groaned In re-
Spouse to the pressure. From it's face |
hundred jets of water spouted into the
~, r ,I.,1 1,<,,
there. rising from the bristling surface
slowly like SD many arms from the roll
ways, paused at the slack eddied back
foaming. Logs shot down from the
rollways. paused at the slack water and
finally hit with hollow and resound-
A moment later they. too, appended.
The crew were working desperately.
Down in the heap somewhere two logs
were crossed in such manner as to
)ock the Whole. 1hey sought those logs.
Thirty feet above the bed of the river
six men clanlped their peaveys into the
soft pine, jerking, pulling, lifting, slid
ng the great logs from their places.
Thirty feet below, under the threaten
ng face, siA other men coolly picked
,ut and set udrift, one by one, the TIM
,ers not inestricably imbedded. From
line to time the mass creaked, settled
perhaps ever moved foot or two. but
always the practiced river men after
| glance beat more eagerly to their
work II
Outlined against the sky, big Bryan
Ioloney stood directing the work He
Knew by the tenseness Of the log he