The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-09-09
TRANSPORTING LOGS
IN LOGS FLUME

The following paper was read before
the Pacific Logging Congress at Seat
tie last month, by j, &. Robertson,
OF the Stanley. Smith Lumber Co
The Stanley Smith Lumber Com
pany, at Hood River, Oregon, are op-
Grating in body Of timber located at
al elevation of 1000 feet above the
Columbia River. The ground is big
rolling plateau located twenty miles
north ot Mount Hood. The timber
lies in valley and on the slopes on
either side. The question of convey
ing this timber to the mill at mini
mum cost was problem to be worked
out. The cost of transporting ra Is
and equipment to the scene Of opera
tiOn was almost prohibitive. Some
other way had accordingly to be
found.
1t was suggested by Mark Daven-
port, of the firm OF Davenport Broth
ers' Lumber Company, which was
succeeded by the Stanley. Smith Lum-
her Company that by conserving the
water in the canyons, lakes and
streams 1t might te possible to make
canal or fume and transport the
logs to the mill. This feat has been
accomplished.
The water levels through which the
hume traverses we're carefully asoer-
tained and preserved and the gates to
maintain the water at its proper level
we're provided. 1t was not to be i'm.
gained that the work of preserving
these levels was an easy matter nor
that the water flowed just where 1t
was wanted. In one instance these
was canyon with fair amount
of water in it, and next to 1t, but sep
aIated by steep mountain ridge was
dry canyon. 1t was necessary to
get the logs from one canyon into the
other. The fiume was accordingly
built around the divide at tho right
level, and when the water was backed
up it was forced into the dry canyon
and the timber made available.
Where acute curves were encounter.
ed the fumes were built wider to al
low for the easy passage OF the logs.
In 1904, the first year this scheme WIS
undertaken, tlume was built as far
into the timber as it was expected
work would reach that season, being
about one half mile in length. The
tlume was built practically on a dead
level to start with, but in our more
recent construction "a fall of one inch
to the hundred feet has been provid
ed. Each succeeding year about one
half to three quarters OF mile has
been built. We now have about three
and half miles In operation.
There are three units OF various
lengths, located at successive eleva
tionsiin our log flume system. At in
tervals along the route, where natural
allow. ponds were con.
struoted. These ponds are four in
number, and about 75xl00 feet
These ponds serve double purpose
by providing ready means OF chang
ing the levels TO conform with the
topography of the country and also |
serve for convenient Iollways, thus |
reducing cost. Each section empties |
into one of these ponds. A V-shaped |
chute extends from one level to the |
other, being in some cases as much as
forty feet. Each flume Ia provided |
with three gates. Two of these gates
are used practically only in emer-
genoy cases. For instance, should an |
accident happen to the main gate, or
a log get jammed in the gate, either
Of the others could be closed, stop
ping the waste and causing the water
to lack up and insure sufficient wat
or tor tloatage, the regular plan pur-
sued being merely to open one gate
and close 1t again In the different
units as the logs are being locked |
through.
In laying out the hume it was kept |
30 close to the ground as consistent.
In some localities ii had to be elevat
cd on tresties in spanning canyons
aud other times cuts had to DO made |
through points.
The cost of building flume under
The conditions stated Is about $1,000
per mile. The maintenance is praoti
oally nil and we calculate that the
ilume will last about fifteen years,
about the only repairs necessary be-
ing new gate, say once year. The
tomber used in the construction of
the tiume is 4x5 for the trestles and
2Xl2 for the hume proper. The tlume
Is six feet wide by four feet deep and
usually carries about three and half
feet of water. In the spring of the
year when there is penlty of water
small gate Is kept open at all times,
which produces slow current along
the system and the logs work natural
ly down to the mill. A small portable
sawmill is located as near the poiut
of construction as possible to provide
lumber at minimum cost. The gates
used are the balanced "trip" Ievolv.
ing type, suspended in the center be
tween two upright posts. When il is
desired to release, a lever Is employed
to elevate the gate about two inches,
ID from cleat at the bottom
of the tlume, The pressure of the
water forcing against 1t raises 1t hor-
izontally, which position 1t maintains
by the assistance Of handy 2Xi laid
across the hume. The removal.ot the