The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-02-16
RIDE HAD THRILLS
New ZeaIander Probably Broke
Many Speed Records.
Fortunate to Live to Write of Mad
Journey Across Precipice, and
Night Of Terror.

A thrilling adventure in the timber
lands of New Zealand is related by
Mr.. David Blake. who met with it as a
result Of a quarrel with man named
Smertz Do you know the great divide
on Mount Siberia? asks Mr.. Blake in
the Wide World Magazine. l had the
contract for cutting out and sending
down the timber from the upper
slopes. Across the gulch, taut as
bow-string, a steel cable stretched for
eight hundred feet The kauri logs,
slung to an UNDERLYING trolley running
on huge sheaves. were sent over the
wire to the other side. A guide rope,
hooked to the trolley, served to check
the run and ease the timber to the
landing stage below.
Rod Mckenzie, Duncan and Smertz
worked in my gang. 1t was the end Of
the day in late autumn. The last log
"a monster twenty feet long by thirty
In girth--hung ready for launching.
was on the point of giving the signal,
when, fancying ] noticed slackness
in one of the sings, / mounted the
log.
This was Smertz's moment for de-
ferred vengeance. AS quick as light
ming he swung his ak and sprang the
hook of the guide rope from the sock
ct On the instant the huge log gath
cred Roadway down the taut wire.
Some one screamed, Jump, Dave,
jump" But there was no time.
All this happened in flash. threw
myself face down upon the log and
gripped the sling chains with a grip
Of death. Bushes, ground and tree
stumps flew backward beneath me In
a mad blur of speed. The racing
sheaves. in their iron block casing.
screamed and shrilled. Fire flashed
from them. Fire ran along the wire.
Showers Of sparks flew out upon the
wind.
Suddenly there was jar, the grind
and shrek of metal on metal.
screamed and closed my eyes. There
was jerk that wrenched my arms
In their sockets, and the mad rush
stopped. The strained wire above
sprang, bent again and hummed like
a twanged bowstring. The log, hang.
ing beneath, leaped up and down, up
and down. was jolted from my hold
and, for a horrible minute, with one
hand clutched In the chains, hung over
the abyss. Slowly, painfully, dragged
myself up again. My nerves were In
rags, my limbs shook, and my teeth
chartered. / took off my belt and,
reeving 1t through chain link, shift
ed position then rebuckled the
strong leather round my waist.
This is what had happened. The pin
in the lower block had worked loose.
The wire had jumped the groove In
the sheave wheel, becoming jammed
between 1t and the iron casing, and
the log had braked itself by its own
weight.
A stiff wind had blown during the
afternoon, and with night It hardened
into gale from the southeast. II
roared, swooping through the defile.
Rain and wind-driven hail Kissed
across the darkness in fierce gusts.
Flannel shirt and trousers, which rep.
resented all my clothing, were little
protection against the fierce cold. ]
could not move to ease my position.
Ice formed on the chains and on the
wood; my clothing froze hard and stiff.
The night was as dark as the mouth
Of pit. A single big star broke at
intervals through the wrack of flying
sccd. watched 1t idly as l lay in a
sort Of trance.
awoke in a warm bed. 1t was
Dick, my close companion, that had
come out along the wire in the morn.
ing after the storm. He had brought
with him sort of chair Of strong
rope running on pulley; but how he
had managed on that swaying, slippery
log to get me, helpless and uncon.
scious. into the chair do not know.
Smertz? The boss got him away
from the boys, locked him inside his
Office and stood guard. over him until
the police came Otherwise they
would have killed him.