Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1911-08-04

Z sheets Iue FOREMAN. IOtI NDf-u- cD-
/ tered.
'-The rivers rising be said
You're crazy muttered Orde-
There have been no rains reported"
~It's rising Insisted North
An hour later Orde walked out over
the boOms. The water certainly had
risen He called a boy.
Here Jimmy" said be, mark one
Of these piles and keep track Of how
fast the water rises"
The river slowly rose.
Il don't ike June foods" Orde told
Tom North a fellow can understand
an ordinary spring fresbet and knows
about how far il will go. bur these
summer foods are so COMPOUNDED mys-
terious I can't figure out what's struck
the old stream unless they're having
almighty heavy rains up near head
waters
By , 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 10 send Marsh down
for the pile drivers and some cable
What in blazes do you expect 10 do
with thatg' he inquired
I'VE may need them" Orde stated.
with conviction. IF those logs ever
break through they'll 90 On. out 10
Lake Michigan and wouldn't be worth
the salvage
That's mighty long chance. " North
commented
If this drive goes out il surely busts
me" replied Orde, and I'm not taxing
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 jam that had formed above the iron
railroad bridge. The p.sning mills
booms had given Wa 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 10 be
danger that it would overflow their
tops In that case. of course. the logs
in the booms would also run out
Orde set a crew OF men TO raising the
height Of the piiing by tying logs firm
" TO the bOlted timbers atop. This
would take care Of an extra Two feet
Of water two feet beyond all previ
Gus records. Another crew stretched
the fifteen inch manila cables across
the field Of logs in order 10 segregate
them into several units Of mass
About two hours later the pile driv-
er moved up. The swing was opened
ana the men began 10 drive clumps Of
piles in such 4 position as 70 strength
en- the swing when the latter should
be shut. II was slow job. Each pile
had 10 be taken from the raft al the
stern Of the scow. erected in the ear
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 had
begun 10 slide atop one smother. 70
cross and tsngle. until at last the river
bed inside the Blooms was flied with
lam OF formidable dimensions From
beneath it the wster boiled in eddies
Orde. looking AT il. reused himself %
sudden activity
Get move on he advised Cap
tain Aspinwall OF the driver. II that
Jam breaks on US We want 10 DC ready. =
and il il don't break before yea get I
this swing sJrengt heued maybe We can Z
nold her where she Is There's ne .
esrthiy doubt that those boom plies !
will never stand up when they get the (
fun pressure Of the freShef
The drivers crew iahorec desperate &
ly. hoiSting the piles iaJo he carriage. +
tripping the heavy hammer. binding
feverishly the clumps Of plies together (
by means Of cables
Two Of The ciumpS had been placed
and bound " hen suddenly with q roSr.
the upper bocms gave way projecting
their logs upon the Opening and she
driver
The half dozeg nembers Of the crew
were scattered 10y the wiuds Of panie
Two OF three flung themselves on their
faces. one leaped inro fhe river ImuA
nenf destruction seemed upon them
Tom North ~ the winch thai oyer
ate,l the arm OF the swing however
retained his presence OF mind. Al tie
FIRST sag outward oi rhe boom piles De-
set in operation the machinery that
closed the gate clumsy and slow as
was his upc hsnlsm. he ueyert heieSS
succeeded il getting the Ions sTm
started Tbs. logs rushing in hack Of
Il. hurried il shat Immediately they
jsmmed sgain snd heaped up in for
mida bic tsngie behind the barrier
Tom North. his little black pipe be
tween his teeth, stood calm. the lever
Of his winch 10 his hand. 4 short
three feet from the spot on which h
stood the srst saw log Of the many
that might have overwhelmed hin