Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-01-03
BREAKING \ LOG JAM
The PsRlLs AND HARosHlPs OF TnE
HEROES OF The "pRIve.n

=
dangerous ms Fighting Fire Tn.
EApe" white Water Men" and
Their skin and Daring.
Among the occupations which are
brlnfm OF danger and I'm which mon
take their lives Ia their hands IL "lou
uriving." 1t Is a work without glory
yet II Is as dangerous as that OF tina
fireman and. one Is tempted to say. ma
mat OF the seacoast life savers. Cor
tainly In the Adirondacks, Maine. Mich
igan. Canada and wherever II is car
ried on each year n large number OF
lives are lost. considering the few men
employed. IL Is an employment I'm
which the mans safety depends on his
skill. coolness and quickness I'm per
ceiving what to do at the right time.
The chief danger Is the breaking of
log jams in midstream OF a rocky rapid
The logs always pile up against the
rocks that are not covered by the food
and form a long pile two or three rods
wide, anywhere from one TO thirty rods
long and perhaps six or eight logs deem
mus Jam may contain 5000 or 10000
logs 10 break jam Of this kind the
boss sends or takes out three or four
OF the best men I'm the log driving crew
These experts are men known IA
white water men" because Of their
ability TO ride standing up ON a log
through water that Is splashing and
roaming over the rocks They land M
the upstream end OF the lam. where
one OF the men remains with the boat
While the others go TO the lower end
OF the jam to pick away with their
peaveys, or levers. the logs close to the
rock against which the jam rests. They
seek for the key log" which when
pried out starts the jam moving 40 that
II either hangs up" again or breaks to
pieces.
when the men see that IL is breaking
they run over the heaving. bounding
tangle of logs TO the boat at the head
or the jam. \ slip or misstep means
a fall between the grinding aud toss
ing logs. The logs may become so sep
arated that IL is impossible to reach
the boat II this happens the white
water man must make good his name
by making his way 10 the shore with
out getting wet or maybe killed.
Perhaps the floating timber spreads
apart TO such an extent that he is COM
PEELED TO stick TO a single log. and here
il IS that he best shows his ability as a
log driver. He balances himself ON the
upstream end Of the log. steadies him
self upon his spike shoes and steers
clear OF the rocks before him. The men
on shore stop 10 watch. He may ride
10 safety and he may not.
Some years ago on the West Canada
creek. In the AdirOndacks, Il foreman
OF n log driving crew who would never
send his men where he did not dare 90
himself went out with two volunteers
10 break jam in exceedingly swift
and rough water With some difficulty
they reached the pile OF logs and. after
a time. succeeded in starting them 20
ing. The logs started much faster than
expected and were soon scattered In
such Il manner that the two men could
not get 10 the boatman and boat at the
head Of the jam. They did the best
they could 10 keep their feet and to
work their way toward shore.
The foreman was the more skillful OF
the two and kept his log fairly steady,
but the other man was having hard
time TO keep on top. Having come
within fifteen or twenty yards OF the
shore. the foreman braced his peavey
against the other mans log and then
gave IL n shove. which sent Il toward
shore with the man. In doing this the
foreman's log was sent far out into the
raging stream. He had intended to
work his way back again while he was
cutting his log TO stop II rolling. but
1t struck a rock. He was hurled into
the air and came down headforemost
upon the bowlder. His body was found
some days later a mile downstream.
Although the white water man" is
skillful IN riding n log. II is obvious
that he cannot ride over a waterfall OF
through an extremely rough rapid.
When jam forms above n waterfall
or rough rapid. as is often the case, the
danger of busting is greatly increas-
ell, since here IL is absolutely necessary
10 get 10 the boat or 10 the shore.
When one considers that in breaking
jams the drivers are often compelled
10 ride TO shore on log. the danger
can readily be seen.
Gene McBeth. one OF the best driv-
crs that ever rode log. met his death
on Mil creek in Just such n situation.
\ wing JAM" so called because ex-
tending from shore into the stream,
had hung up" above rapids that could
not be passed even by a boat. With
two other men McBeth went out on
the logs and began picking them loose
in search for the key log" After
working an hour, ali at once the jam
leaped forward and was in full mo-
ton.
The men turned and started up the
jam. McBeth IN the lead. When they
reached the single place over which
they could pass McBeth stopped 10
help his less able companions and to
let them pass ahead Of him. 1t was
a fatal move on his part. for the other
two men had just time to jump ashore
into the water waist deep. When his
turn came il was too late He had
saved his friends. but now there was
ride for his life over the tangled
mass Of grooming and tossing logs.
When he saw what Il all meant he
turned about, held the peavey as bal
ance pole tight in both hands and faced
the hopeless fight for life.
The men on shore ran along the
stream, unable 10 render him aid. and
watched the greatest log riding they