Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-03-23
BREAKING A LOG JAN.
terrible Dangers Of the Drive in the
Lumber Regions.

EumpeT tcHtoUes
II Is doubtful II there Is any occupation
~ peace, even that Of the fireman whom
vou highly resolved to be soon after Won
erst wore breeches, that Is attended with
such danger as that Of the log driver
with his spikenail boots, his steeishod
neayey, his powerful but gaunt frame and
generally picturesque unkemptness, your
iumherman as he risks death in the Jam
Is n figure which well lends itself to
romance and poetry. Every year in
Maine in Michigan, in Canada, there are
bairbreadth escapes In the spring drive.
and every year there are few more poor
devils, perhaps the most adroit OF ALL who
are sent to their long account amid the
whiriing waters and the grinding, crashing
logs. Sit at night beside your warm
campfire with Maine guide, and ne will
tell YOU stories OF the great spring drive
Of men rislSing their lives for others. that
will make your spine thrill as keenly as
at any tale OF the deeds OF Japanese and
Russians on the hills of Port Arthur.
The danger Is the breairing of log Jams
in midstream in a rocky rapid. The logs
always pile up against the rocks that are
not covered by the flood and form a long
pile two or three rods wide, anywhere
from one to 80 rods long. and perhaps six.
or eight logs deep. Thus a jam may con-
tain FIVE or ten thousand logs. To break
a lam Of this kind the boss sends or
takes out three or four Of the best men in
the log-drlving crews. These experts are
men known as whitewater men," be-
cause Of their ability to ride standing up
on a log through water that is splashing
and foaming over the rocks They land
ct the upstream end of the jams where
/ Of the men remains with the boat,
nile the others go to the lower end OF
The jam to pick away with their peaveys
1rr~a alrr -.
against which the jam rests. They seek
for the key log which. when pried out,
starts the jam moving so that 1t either
"hangs up again or breaks to pieces.
When the men see that It is really break
ing they run over the heaving. bounding
tangle Of logs to the boat at the head OF
the jam. A slip or misstep means fall
between the grinding and tossing logs
The logs may become so separated that
It is impossible to reach the boat. II this
happens the white water man" must
make good his name by making mis- way
to the shore without getting wet, or may
be killed. Perhaps the floating timber
spreads apart to such an extent that he
is compelled to stick to a single log. and
here II 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 to watch He may ride to
safety and he may not.
Some years ago, on the West Canada
creek, in the Adirondacks, a foreman Of
a log driving crew, who would never send
his men where ne did not dare go himself.
went out with two volunteers to break a
jam in exceedingly swift and rough water.
says the New York Tribune. With some
difficulty they reached the pile of logs.
and after a time succeeded in starting
them going The logs started much faster
than expected and were soon scattered in
such a manner that the two men could
not get to the boatman and boat at the
head of the jam. They did the best they
could to keep their feet and to work their
way toward shore. The foreman was the
more slxilful of the two and Kept his log
fairly steady. but the other man was hav-
ing a hard time to keep on top. Having
come within Is or 20 yards Of the shore,
the foreman braced his peavey against
the other mans log and gave 1t a shove
which sent 1t toward the 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 "cuffing" his log to stop II
rolling, but it struck a rock. He was
hurled into the air and came down head
foremost upon the bowlder. His body was
found some days later a mile dowr
stream.
Although the white water man. is skill
full in riding a log, 1t Is obvious that he
can not ride over a waterfall or through
an extremely rough rapid. When a jan
forms above a water fall of rough rapid
as is often the case. the danger OF bust
ing is greatly increased. since here II Il
absolutely necessary to get to the boa
or to the shore. When one considers tina
in breaking jams the drivers are offer
compelled 20 ride to shore on log, th'
danger can readily be seen.
Gene McBeth, one OF the best drivers
that ever rode log, met mis- death on NIL
creek in just such a situation. "wint
JAM" so called because extending IRON
shore into the stream, had hung up
above rapids that could not be passe'
even by boat with two other men Nc
Beth went out on the logs and began pick
ing them loose, In search for the Ike!
log" After working an hour, all at ono
the jam leaped forward and was In ful
motion. The men turned and started vi
the Jam, McBeth in the lead. Wnel
they reached the single place over whicl
they could pass. McBetn stopped 10 he'll
his less able companions and to let then
pass ahead Of him. II was fatal NOV
on his part for the other two men ha'
Just time to jump ashore into the waite
waist deep. When his turn came 1t wa
too late. He had saved his friends but nov
Inere was a IlQc iho hAO wv ~
tangled mass Of grooming and tossing logs
When he saw what It all meant he turne'
about. held the peavey as balance pol
tight in both hands and faced the hope
less fight for life. The men on shore RAJ
along the stream unable to render hin
aid, and watched the greatest log ridin
they had ever seen. At times he woul
Jump waist nigh to another log that h
might get nearer shore, or TO avoid
tumbling wave with a log on It's back
Again he would jump from one tossing 10
to another. and once, as log swun
about, which would have struck his knees
he jumped clear over II as 1t passed unde
him and landed back on his log. once \
fell to his hands, but was ON his feet
an instant The men on shore were un
able to run as fast as the stream. an
when they last saw him he was still o
his feet, now jumping. now riding, VIII
all his strength and agility, ever tryin
10 near the shore. When they found IN
poor man a week later all his limbs wer
broken, some Of them twice, and numerou
bruises covered his body, but some wa
or another not a scar dishgured his fac'