The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-04-16


straight do0ntodrd.
men followed him. The little group
: : >o9d away irregularly int the -
lance, springing lightly from one tim
Der TO the other, holding their quantity
fashioned peayeys In the manner OF a
ropedancer's balancing pole. At the
lowermost limit OF the rollways each
man pried a log into the water and,
standing gracefully erect on this un-
stable craft, fioated 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 ! 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
tentlvely over the ratchet pin, lifting
il delicately to permit another inch OF
raise dropping II accurately TO enable
the men mt the bars 10 seize fresh
purchase. The rivers roar deepened.
Through the wide sluiceways torrent
foamed and tumbled. Immediately II
spread through the brush on either side
TO the limits OF the freshet banks and
then gathered for it's leap against the
uneasy rollways. Along the edge OF
the dark channel the face OF the logs
seemed TO crumble away. Farther In
toward the banks where the weight
OF timber still unbalanced the weight
OF the flood the tiers grumbled and
stirred. Far down the river, where
Bryan Moloney and his crew were
picking nj the jam, the water In eager
streamlets sought the interstices be-
tween the logs gurgling excitedly.
The jam creaked and groaned In re-
Spouse 10 the pressure. From It's face
hundred Jets OF water spouted into the
lower stream. Logs appended here and
there, rising from the brlstling surface
slowly like so many arms from the roll
ways, paused at the slnck eddied back
foamng. Logs shot down from the
rollways, paused nj the slack water and
finally hit with hollow and resound-
ing boom against the tail OF the jam.
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
lock the whole. They sought those logs.
Thirty feet above the bed OF the river
six men clamped their peaveys into the
soft pine, jerking 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, the tim
bers not inextricably lmbedded. From
time to time the mass creaked settled,
perhaps even moved a foot or two, but
always the practiced river men after
glance bent more eagerly 10 their
work.
Outlined against the sky, big Bryan
Moloney stood directing the work. He
knew by the tenseness OF the log he
stood on that behind the jam power
had gathered sufficient to push the
whole tangle down stream. Now he
was Offering II the chance.
Suddenly the six men below the Jam
scattered. Four OF them jumped light.
~ from one floating log TO another In
the zlgzag 10 shore. The other two ran
the length OF their footing and, over
leaplng an open OF water, landed heav-
lily and firmly on the very ends OF two
small floating logs. In this manner the
force OF the jump rushed the little tim
bers end-on through the water. The
two men, maintaining marvelously
their balance, were thus ferried TO
within leaping distance OF the other
shore.
In the meantime n barely perceptible
motion was communicating itself from
one particle TO another through the cen
ter OF the jam. The men redoubied their
exertlons A sharp crack exploded i'm
mediately underneath. There could no
longer exist any doubt as to the motion,
although II was IA yet sluggish, glacial.
Then In silence n log shifted-In silence
and slowly. but with irresistible force.
Jimmy Powers quietly stepped over Il
Just as II menaced his leg. Other logs
In all directions appended. The Jam
crew were forced continually 10 alter
their positions. riding the changing tim
beers bent kneed. as n circus rider trcads
his four galloplng horses.
Then all at once down by the face