The Cook County herald., 1905-09-09

to- cR0ss1THEEP PACIFIC OCEAN TO
": t5:'.. . sHAkiGi 6 4 CHINA. 81.

:$s.:1 :Iss. IS y, SHAl(G 81 4 g TAI CHINA.
First Time Such 4 Feat has Ever Been
Attempted. z Wi1t be,,the Largest
Raft Ever Floated. How it IS to
be Constructed. y. y ~ 5s:#.. :,.*=.. .:.
Stella, Wash, q little city on the Co.
ilumbia, river which is termed the birth
place Of immense log RATS. is just now
sall agog over the prospect that her *
pert raft builders will have AN opportu.
nifty to outdo themselves by building
helargest raft the world has ever seen.
This record d-breaking, raft will contain
more than 10000 900 feet of lumber and
will be fully one-tourth larger than the
biggest log -leviathan; previously con.
structed. !"
This is the first time that the feat Of
towing a raft of logs across the Pacific
has been attempted: Two Of the most
powerful tugboats on the Western coast
will undertake to drag the logs to the
ORIENT, and the odd fleet will be accom-!
panied on it's long voyage by collier OF
oil steamer with fuel tor the tugs. f't'.'>
In the construction Of the trans-Pa-
cific raft there will be utilized what is
known as floating cradie-an, improve:
ment which is largely responsible for the
present development of this unique ill.,:
dustry. =. - ~.'.
The cradle, to provide which costs the
raft builder thousands of dollars as "a
preliminary investment ere he even be:
gins his real raft work, consists of long
series ofs 'inmenss half circles st wood,
held in place by strong ribs, tho whole
structure being securely bolted togeth-
or. :"
It looks for all the world like the skel-
eton framework Of great ship in course
of constructions big one. mind you,
for one of these cradles is longer than
the largest ocean Siiner-and the resem-
blance is still further suggested by the
fact that the span of the semic,rcles of
wood grows less as either end of the cra-
die is approached, just as ship tapers
to stem and to stern, this arrangement
being sorted to in order to give the
distinctive cigar shape to the raft for
which the cradle serves as a mould.
AS the accumulation of logs increases,
the cradle, of course, sinks deeper and
deeper into the water. At the begin.
ming of the operation the sides of the
cradle tower like great posts above the
heads of the workmen employed IN
building the raft, but when the log craft
Is completed the top of the cradle Is on
alevel with the water, while the whale.
like back OF the raft CURVES ton feet
above il. :: -: -. - -.
Meanwhile the work of binding to.
eether this great bundle OF sticks has
been continually in progress. As back.
bone for the wooden fish main chain,
with links of iron several inches in thick.
ness, is run fore and aft through the
raft from end to end. Crossing this
chain at right angles and connected
with it are Cross chains Of slightly small.
or size, and these in turn are joined at
either si6e Of the raft to encircling
chains which. are wound about the log
mass at intervals OF twelve feet or less.
The effect Of this system CT chains is
to inclose the log structure in a flexible
cage. and the strain is equally comimu:
nicated to all parts: -
After the raft Is fully completed comes
the problem, of launching, and, here a
surpr1s5 ii lii stores fof the 'uninltiated.
The cradls; it appears, 10 id reality two
structures and whereas it has .been
staunch} enough; to:.beaf tic 6kGusafds
of tons weight Of the raft Under con.
struction the mere drawing Of key pins
y l.