The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-02-02

Jam breaks On us we want to Is ready.
and u Il don't break before you get
this swing strengthened maybe we can
hold her where she ID. There's no
earthly doubt that those boom piles
will never stand up when they get the
full pressure of the freshet."
The drivers crew labored desperate
". hosting the piles into the carriage.
tripping the heavy. hammer, binding
feverishly the clumps Of piles together
by means Of cables.
Two Of the clumps had been placed
and bound when suddenly. with roar.
the upper booms gave way, projecting
their logs upon the opening and the
driver.
The half dozen members of the crew
were scattered by the winds Of panic
Two or three flung themselves on their
faces; one leaped into the river. lmmi.
nent destruction seemed upon them.
Tom North. at the winch that oper.
ated the arm of the swing. however,
retained his presence Of mind. At the
first sag outward of the boom piles he
set In operation the machinery that
closed the gate. Clumsy and slow as
was his mechanism. he nevertheless
succeeded in getting the long arm
started. The logs. rushing in back of
It hurried it shut. Immediately they
jammed again and heaped up in for
m!dable tangle behind the barrier.
Tom North. his little black pipe be
tween his teeth. stood calm. the lever
Of his winch in his hand. A short
three feet from the spot on which he
stood the first saw log Of the many
that might have overwhelmed him
thrust forward its ugly head. The
wash Of the water lifted the huge pile
driver bodily and deposited 1t with a
crash half on the bank and half in the
water.
Instantly after the first break Orde
had commenced running out over the
booms from the shore.
"Good boy. Tomv' he shot at North.
Across the jam he hurried to where
the pile driver lay. Captain Aspinwall
examined the supports of the derrick
i on deck.
''That was lucky" said Orde briefly.
"stove you in?"
I'll don't think so.' replied the cap:
tain.
That's good. I'll send over the tug
t0>help get her afloat. We've got our
{ work cut out for US now"
s 'You don't expect me to work my
driver under the face Of that jam!'
cried the captain.
Whats the matter?" asked Orde.
1T isn't safe." replied the captain
s.and don't intend to risk my mer
or my driver"
Orde. with a snort of anger, seized
the man and thrust him bodily oyel
the side to the bank.
"Safe. you white livered skunk!' b,
roared. Safe! Go over In the middle
Of that ten acre lot and lie down OF
your face and see IL you feel saf,
there! Get out, the whole pack o
you! I'm in charge here now"
Aspinwall picked himself up.
Get OF my driver!" he snarled.
This driver is requisitioned! criet
Orde. "Get out! I've got to save N.
lslogsy
Tom North and some others Of tn
crew came running across the jam.
Get a cable to the WINCH" Ord
Il uhn,stoI1 a. <hace. oe, ,S~<>,, .. %h~,,
within hearing. ..And get Marsh u
here with the Sprite. We've got t
i get afloat."
He paid no more attention to til,
elected crew.
A few minutes hard work put tn,
driver afloat. Fortunately its raf
Of piles had not become detached ii
the npheaval
Tom" said Orde briskly to North
you know the pile driving business
Pick ont your crew and take charge
Or1e took charge of the situation ii
it's entirety, as general might. III
set North Immediately to driving
clumns each Of sixteen piles. bount
to solidity by chains. and so arranged
In angles and slants as to direct the
enormous pressure toward either
bank, thus splitting the enemy's pow
er. The small driver owned by the
Boom company drove similar clump.
here. there and everywhere that neeC
arose or weakness developed Seven
ty-dye men opposed to the weight Of
10000 600 tons Of logs and a river OF
water the expedients invented By de
termination and desperation.
Orde gave over formal defenses and
threw his energies to saving the weak
places which rapidly developed. By
~ IN, the most ire
J ! J ]
N mendous exer
lions he seemed
1 - N but just able te
= keep even. Piles
Nv quivered. BEN
N\\// " slowly outward
IA Wv e Immediately
l(l.LdAs ~ n before the logs