Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-02-17

that the harder the pull, the more
they imbed themselves into the wood
and the firmer the hold.
The line is then placed in blocks
along the way to lead" the log away
from stnmps and obstruc'ions. At a
signal from the hooktender, the en-.
gine begins its work. Simple, swift
decisive, the cable straightens out like
a rod OF iron. The power OF three
hundred horses is tugging away to
overcome the friction and gravity oi
forty tons of wood. There is no hesi.
tation; the engineer throws open the
throttle and the log begins to travel
Another signal-the log is stopped
tho line is thrown out OF a guiding
block, and again the travel begins.
What demons these logging engines
are! Simple, compact, strong, sub.
jected to every form of abuse and over.
work, yet always ready. The hand OF
the engineer on the throttle lever is
the only governor. The log may hit a
stump; if the engineer or hook tender
is quick it may be foreseen; if not,
either the line or its attachments are
broken. Danger is everywhere. Stand
away from that cable! A tap of it
under such tension cuts like bar OF
iron! Flying pieces of wood or broken
hooks are liable to strike you a dozen
PAGES awayl
At the skid road the logs are coup.
led into turns of three or more; the
endless cable of the road or landing
engine is coupled to them, and they
begin their journey over the road to
the landing, sometimes two miles dis
tant. The road engine is more power.
full than the yarding engine, but works
more slowly and sedately. At the
landing the logs are branded with the
owners exclusive mark, aud are ready
for the " drive"
Nothing can be moro thrilling, ex.
citing and more dangerous than a
drive on a swift white water" stream.
Some rivers provided with systems OF
dams and sluices, can be "driven" at
any time of the year. When natural
water is depended upon, the drive
must wait until the freshets OF winter.
The dams are built in narrow places
in the river bed, and are from twenty
to fifty feet high. Gates are provided
through which the logs are run, the
foaming water flows over the sluice
with q roar of Niagara, and tears of
down the rocky chasm OF the river be.
low. The log is but an atom in such
power. Carried along in the midst OF
foam and spray, and driven with the
speed of a train, it finally reaches the
quieter waters OF the wider river below
there it moves along more leisurely,
and, alas, often "hangs up" on . con.
venient gravel bar; as Others come
along these are induced to stop also
until "jsm" is formed. These very
often reach mammoth proportions,
mile. in -ls>sAhy-pisrd deep xud con.
tanning thousands OF dollars in value
Then all of the gates of the dams
above are opened wide; dynamite IL
used to blow out the keg.logs. The
water descends, the whole mass begins
to raise slowly; then quivering mo-
ton lie visible-the mighty force ol
water. buoyant and impetuous, is a.
work. With the crashing Of logs the
entire mass breaks away. The river il
cleared, the logs have hauled" and
the jam is no more. Finally they
reach their place in the booms below
and from there are taken 10 the mills
At the saw mill the log is again at.
tackled by the tenacious "grabs." and
is hauled twenty feet up an inclined
plane to the second floor of the mill
Steam agair takes charge of it, and il
| is rolled out of the log-haul by . pair
of d" kickers." It is placed upon the
saw carriage and turned right side ur
by the massive knees of the steam
"nigger," which, when not at work
lie between the floor joists OF the mill
The power for all these massive ma
chimes, capable OF handling a log o.
fifty tons weight. is steam driven, and
the "offset" for the next board Of
plank is done by power. When the
log is stabbed" on one side it il
turned over and reloaded upon the
carriage by the long, hooked arm o
the "nigger." All these operations
are under control OF the sawyer with
one lever.
The main saw in the more modern
mills is a shining, endless steel banG
fourteen inches in width, and sixty
one feet long, driven at speed Of 10.
600 feet per minute around two mas
sive wheels ten feet in diameter. Tht
sharpening and repair of the saws re
quire q large shop, full Of special tool
and machinery.
The boards or timbers as they leave
the main saw are transferred to any
part of the mill by system OF steam
driven rollers and cross transfer
chains. All these devices are con
trolled by levers, and the lumber seems
to be darting on its own account ir
every direction. Small band saws
and sets of small double circulars
mounted one above the other ant
placed side by side, still further reduce
the larger sticks to dimension lumber
Timbers four inches by twenty.foul
/ folIou opa opotber khrouph a machine