News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1910-02-23

he expected TO hear the premonitory
crack that would sound the end of
everything. Finally he yawned and
got to his feet.
Now" said he, a new ring in his
voice. come on and let's get some
thing done"
They responded to a man.
BY midnight the water had gone
down slightly. Half the crew snatched
a little sleep. For several hours more
the issue hung in equilibrium. Then,
with the opening of the channel into
Stearn's bayou. the heaviest pressure
was relieved For the moment the
acute danger point was passed. Orde
spent the next two days in strengthen
ing the defenses. The men were able
to take their quota of meals and of
Sleep.
The jam had been successfully held
Mt the iron railroad bridge above Red
ding. but only by the most strenuous
efforts Braces of oak beams had
been slanted where they would do the
most good Chains strengthened the
weaker spots, and on top of all ton
after ton of railroad iron held the
whole immovably. Nolan had all the
help he required. Every device known
was employed to strengthen the jam.
For only a few hours was the result
in doubt. Then, as the Clarion jubi-
lantly expressed it, ITS hundred
dollars to an old hat she holds!''
Orde received all this with satisfac-
ton, but with slight skepticism.
"It's floating jam, and it gets a
push from underneath" he pointed
out. ITS probably safe, but another
food might send it out"
1.-The floods are going down." said
North.
Good Lord. hope sou said Orde.
Newmark sent word that sudden
fit of sickness had confined him to the
house.
Now Orde decided to break out a
channel through the jam itself This
was a necessary preliminary to getting
the logs in shape for distribution. An
opening was made in the piles, and the
rivermen, with pike poles and peavies,
began cautiously to dig their way
through the tangled timbers. The gov
eminent pile driver. which had finally
been sent up from below. began plac-
ing five extra booms at intervals down
stream to capture the drift as fast as
it was turned loose. The troubles APP
peared to be quite over when word
came from Redding that the waters
were again rising. Ten minutes later
Leopold Lincoln Bum. the local re-
porter, came tapping in on Randalls
old white horse, like second Paul Re-
we're, crying that the iron bridge had
gone and the logs were racing down
river toward the booms.
1T Just went out" he answered the
eager excla nations of the men who
around him. That's all |
know. 1t went out. And the other
bridges. Sure. All but the Lake Shore!
Don't know why that didn't go out. |
No: the logs didn't jam there-just slid
right under"
That settles it." said Welton.
"You won't quit?" cried Orde.
certainly. You're crazyp said Wei |
ion. with some asperity. IF they can't |
stop a little jam with iron, what are !
your wooden defenses going to amount |
TO against the whole accumulation? |
When those logs hit the tail of this
Jam she'll go out before you can wink.
It's sure death. and I'm not going to !
sacrifice my men,"
Already the news was spreading |
among the workers on the jams. Orde
saw the government driver below cast
ng loose from her mornings. A mo-
nent later her tug towed her away to
/ side bayou of safety out of the ex-
lected rush to the lake.
But we can hold bert" cried Orde
n desperation.
ITS DO use. boy" said old Carlin;
it's sure death"