Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-03-22

h1mSelf OameQ as 10 the PURPOSE vi
the land office investigation. The
whole affair appeared to be tangled In
technicalities and a snarl Of red tape
Ortle did not much care for this delay
he saw his way clear to meeting his
obligations without the necessity Of
hypothecating the California timber
aud was the better pleased for It.
With the break up of spring he pro-
ceeded confidently with the largest
drive In the history Of the river.
matter Of over 2OO,OOO,O00 feet.
The morning Of June 20 dawned
clear. Orde drove rapidly to the dis
tributing booms. After glance at the
river be entered the tiny office and set
about the examination Of the tally
sheets The foreman. Tom North. en-
tered.
"The rivers rising" he said.
you're crazy muttered Orde.
''There have been no rains reported
ITS rising" insisted North.
An hour later Orde walked out over
the booms. The water certainly had
risen. He called boy.
Here. Jimmy sail he. mark one
If these piles and keep track of how
fast the water rises"
The river slowly rose.
81 don't like June foods" Orde told
Tom North. "A fellow can understand
an ordinary spring freshet and knows
about how far 1t will go. but these
summer floods are so confounded mys-
terious can't figure out what's struck
the old stream unless they're having
almighty heavy rains up near head
waters"
By 8 o'clock In the afternoon Jimmy
Powers reported a rise since morning
Of six inches.
"Tom," said Orde to the old river
man, I'm going to send Marsh down
for the pile drivers and some cable
what In blazes do you expect to do
with thatY' be inquired.
I'VE may need them,' Orde stated.
with conviction. IF those logs ever
break through they'll go on out to
Lake Michigan and wouldn't be worth
the salvage"
That's mighty long chance North
commented.
"If this drive goes out II surely busts
me-" replied Orde. land I'm not taking
even long chances"
A cloudburst In the China creek dis
trict followed by continued heavy
rains was responsible for the increased
water. The evening papers mentioned
this only Incidentally. Their columns
were filed with an account Of the big
| log lam that had formed above the iron
railroad bridge. The planning mills
booms had given W, J under pressure.
and the contents had piled down
stream against the buttresses.
Orde slept that night at the booms.
The water by morning had crept SO far
up the piles that there began to be
danger that 1t would overflow their
tops. In that case. Of course, the logs
in the booms would also run out.
Orde set crew of men to raising the
height of the piling by tying logs firm
ly to the bolted timbers atop. This
would take care Of an extra two feet
of water. a two feet beyond all previ-
GUS records. Another crew stretched
the fifteen inch manila cables across
the field Of logs In order to segregate
them into several units OF mass.
About two hours later the pile driv-
er moved up. The swing was opened,
and the men began to drive clumps OF
piles In such a position as to strength
en- the swing when the latter should
be shut. It was a slow job. Each pile
bad to be taken from the raft at the
stern of the scow, erected In the "car-
rier," and pounded into place by the
heavy hammer raised and let drop IN
| the derrick at the bow.
Long before the task vas finished
The logs in the temporary booms bad
begun to slide atop one another. to
| cross and tangle, until at last the river
| bed inside the booms was filled with
| lam of formidable dimensions. From
beneath It the water boiled In eddies
Orde, looking at 1t. reused himself 10
sudden activity.
Get a move on" he advised Cap
tain Aspinwall Of the driver. III that
lam breaks on us we want to be ready,
and ID II don't break before you get
this swing strengthened maybe we can
hold her where she Is. 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
ly. hoisting 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 tfung themselves on thell
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 h'
set IN operation the machinery tha
closed the gate. Clumsy and slow a.
II bai 40,