The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-10-23
No More Big Jams

~, .IGor residents of I Somerset
o w;ll recall the days when big
,ogs would decorate many
~ !. 't ,be Kennebec River and
IL! ~ shores From the time when
..st commenced to corhe down
l, .ha head waters to the mills,
.at a few years, the matter
y handled that big jams were
" .artain to result. They are
:. now entirely eliminated, but
,ea,;ng out the boulders and
's and by skillful arrangement of
a the number of log jams has
ary much reduced. Then, too.
.,bod of handling the water has
Is bolned the driving, In earlier
!, came along without any spe-
IAN or guidance. Now the
' are shut at Indian Pond at
and opened in the morning.
makes comparatively. high water
= the time when the river men
sstch the logs, and very low wat
aigbt wher it is not desired that
Imber shall be moving.
,,hpr fact should be noted, that
sg dams. OF the four factors
.ad d TO- undoubtedly the boom has
M the greatest change. These
two or more styles of construc-
There is the simple line of
mo following the other, to guide
Iimber in passing This OF course
vs. stands with the direction of
current Then there are the
hooms so called, which serve a
rbat different purpose. They
pAde the same as the first men
h but carry. at intervals. on one
smaller logs, projecting into
nrrent, touching and joining at
mex and forming an acute angle
Vie with the main boom for a
BY this device the boom may
[ade to occupy any desired posi-
sometimes quite at variance
tbe direction of the current.
this construction serves to
the logs in the deepest channels
in any event to keep them from
BIZ on to the shoals, islands and
They are skillfully arranged
bp the logs parallel with the
rather than permitting. them
hing across. decreasing the likli-
Of obstruction. At many places,
Irse. the artificial channels thus
hid are wide enough even with
los running and there is. an OPP
|unIty to pass down through them
batteau or canoe. At some
the booms swing in so close
shore that a very narrow chan
left. Here the logs and pulp
crowd in together so that 1t is
safe to pass through with any
craft when the timber is run
bile am speaking Of navigation
best cover the subject little
carefully. It's fine canoeing
khere from The Forks down. /
know much about 1t above there.
best, however, to plan to come on
head. This gets along to Bling
usually about twelve and must
The Forks quite early in the
boon. Until the daily rise OF
b is on, there are many shallow
where the canoe will touch and
he to save scratching or more
bus injury to the bottom. 1t is
to step out and do little wading.
(hs low water the rapid places are
b and, to the novice, quite danger
II is harder to avoid the bould-
and lodges. There is a good
Of white water and the possibi-
Of a spill and a wrecked canoe
krgely increased. When the head
p there is plenty OF water, splen-
canoeing and very little to con-
! with. OF course, except for the
frenced river men, 1t isn't best
pine through Carrying Place Rips,
Il hardly necessary to say this,
Pr any circumstances, a portage is
fIred around Caratunk Falls and
FSon At the latter point the
practice is to put the canoe in
PR Old Point, although the fairly
Flful canoeist could come down
fugh, and if there is sufficient
RF without difficulty.
|emazene Rips, in Norridgewock,
once danger spot. Nowadays.
n the dam at Skowhegan is full,
Hips are completely flowed out.
r. such circumstances there is
4 Increased current but no prob
Whatever When the water is
Tour to eight feet below the
\ Of the dam at Skowhegan the
Eaiene is restored to somewhat its
|ae fury. and then the novice
laG beware.
\ course when the head Is on the
are running and proper atten-
@ould he paid TO that fact. AS
come along down 1t Is necessary
0Oserve any point below you where
are crowding boom or a shoal.
~ such circumstances. II you are
'he inside, you want to work out
easn them in ample time so as
PASS The crowded point on the out
Oh the logs, where a free chan
lound -
Y thing leads to another and
mere | may say that SOME OF the
Y circumstances may make it
.'sary for the canOeist to climb
h ooom away out in midstream.
NJ The logs are bothering badly
fairly simple operation. l
assume there are two people in
I. .dnoe as this trip Is much better
y y under that plan than where the
T. mas a single occupant. To
= y TIE boom you come up beside
~ one holds the canoe steady
\. Tue other steps out. Then the
4 ~ man steps on the boom and
d d s.eadles himself by retaining