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

row lane Of black rushing water
pierced the rolways to boil and eddy in
the consequent jam three miles below.
70 the forcmcn 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
within mile of the pond at Dam Two
and soc that the river runs clear. lou
can tent for Il 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
slucinc them through tho dam You
won't need more than -four men there
if you keep good head. You can
keep your clt2s open five or six hours.
And. Moloney"-
YES, sir
II want you to be careful not to
sluice too long. There is bar just
below the dam, and If you try TO
sluice with the water too low youll
center and Jam there as sure rs shoot
ing"
Bryan Moioney turned on his heel
and began to pick his way down
stream over the solidly banked logs.
Without waiting the command n dozen
men followed him. Tho little group
bobbed away irrcgularly into the dis
lance, sprinsing lightly from one tim
Der to the other, holding their quantity
fashioned peaveys in the manner Of
ropedancer'e balancing pole. At the
lowcrmost limit Of the rollways each
man pricd log into the water and,
standing gracefully erect on this I'M
stable craft lioatcd out down the cur
rent to the scene Of his dangerous la
Dor.
"Kcrlic." went on Thorpe, your
crew can break rollvays with the rest
until We get the river fairly filed. and
then You can move on down stream as
fast as you are needed. Scotiy, you
will have the rear Tim and I will
boss the river"
At once the signal was given TO FL
lis, the dam watcher. Ellis and his
assistants thcreupon began to pry with
long iron bars at the ratchets of the
heavy gates. The chore boy bent at
tcntivoly over the ratchet pin, lifting
it delicately to permit another inch Of
raise, dropping it accurately to enable
TIE men AT the bars TO seize fresh
purchase. The rivers roar deepcned.
Through Tie wide sideways torrent
foamcd and tumbled. Immediately it
spread through the brush on either side
In Of no
then gathered for its leap against the
uneasy rollways. Along the edge Of
the dark channel the face of the logs
seemed to orumble away. Farther in
toward the banks where the weight
of timber s i'll unbalanced the weight
OF the flood the tiers grumbled and
stirred. Ear down the river, where
Bryan Molancy and his crew were
picking at the jam. the water in eager
streamlots ought the interstices be-
tween the !. IS, gurglinG exctcdly.
The Jam sreaked and grOaned in re-
Spouse TO the pressure. From its face a
hundred jete Of water spouted into the
lower strcaIl. Logs up-cnded here and
there, rising from the brstlng surface
slowly like many arms from the roll
ways. pa,S, d at the slack eddied back
Tonming. logs shot down from the
rollways paused at the slack water and
finally hit nth hollow and resound
ing boom AGAINST the tail Of the jam
A moment Later they. too, appended.
The crew We're working despera tely
Down in the heap somewhere two logs
were crossed in such manner as &c
lock the whole. They sought those logs.
Thirty feet above the bed of the river
six men clampod their peaVeys into the
soft pins. jcrking. pulling, lifting. slid
ing the great logs from their places
Thirty feet below, under the threaten
ing face. six other men coolly picked
out and set adrift, one by one, tie tim
bers not incXtr,cably mbcdded. From
tilEe to tine the mass crcakcd, settled
perhaps even moved foot or two, but
always the rracticcd river men after
a glance bent more eagerly to their
work.
Outlined against the sky. big Bryan
Moloncy stood directing the work. liC
knew by the tenscncss Of the log he
stood on that behind the jam power
had gathered sufficient TO push the
whole tnnGlc down stream. Now he
was offering it the chance.
Suddenly the six men below the Jam
scattered. -Four OF them jumped light
ly from one floating log To another II
the 2igzag 10 shore. The other two RAJ
the length of their footing and, over
, lcaping an open Of water. landed hcav
lily ANA firmly on the very ends Of two
small floating logs In this manner III,
, force Of the jump rushed the little tim
bcrs end-on through the water. The
! two men, maintaining mavelously
their balance, were thus fcrried t,
within leaping distance Of the othe
shore.
In the meantime barely pcrceptibh
motion WAS communicating itself from
one particle to another through the cen
ter Of the jam. The men rcdoublcd thei
eXcrtions. \ sharp crack exploded i'm
medntey underneath. There could II
longer exist any doubt as to the motion
although 1t was rs yet sluggish. glacial
Then in silence Il log shifted-in silenc
and slowly, but with Irresistible force
Jimmy Powers quietly stepped over
J just as it menaced his leg. Other log
in all directions up-ended. The jan
crew were forced continually TO alte
, their positions. riding the changing tim
= | hnr lao, l.t, q ~ rlIn, tpna n