214 LOGGING 



vertical boiler operated at from 165 to 200 pounds' steam pres- 

 sure, and a pair of 10 by 12-inch or 12 by 12-inch engines. The 

 yarder is equipped with two drums, one about 60 inches in diam- 

 eter with a capacity of approximately 1000 feet of from |-inch 

 to i|-inch steel cable, and a smaller drum from 36 to 40 inches 

 in diameter, carrying 2000 or more feet of f-inch steel cable. 

 The engines, boilers and drums are mounted on skids about 3 

 feet in diameter and from 35 to 40 feet long. The larger yarding 

 engines complete, including cables and other equipment delivered 

 on the operation, cost from $3500 to $4000. 



The method of operation is dependent largely on the topog- 

 raphy of the region. The more common scheme is to build a 

 landing at a suitable spot along the railroad and to install the 

 yarding engine at one end of it. When the area tributary to this 

 location is logged, the yarder is shifted to the opposite end of the 

 landing. The yarder is brought to the site on a flat car and 

 unloaded by means of cables and blocks, power being furnished 

 by the yarder itself. In some cases, a road engine is installed 

 at the landing from each end of which a skid road extends into 

 the timber for from 3000 to 4000 feet. Branch roads are built 

 from the main road and at the junction the yarding engines are 

 placed. Another method is to build spur logging roads instead 

 of skid roads and to use a geared locomotive to drag the logs over 

 the ties to the landing. 



After the swamper has bucked up windfalls which would inter- 

 fere with dragging in the logs, and the yarding engine has been 

 placed in position at the landing, the hauling lines are placed. 

 The messenger cable is carried out to the end of a run,^ six or 

 eight runs ahead of the one in which yarding is to begin; it is 

 then carried to the end of the first run that is to be logged and 

 brought along it to the yarder and connected by means of a clevis 

 to an eye on the main cable. Where the messenger cable turns 

 an angle it is held in position by a snatch block fastened by a 

 short piece of cable to trees or stumps. These blocks are made 

 so that they can be opened and the line removed without dis- 

 placing the block. The placing of the messenger cable several 



1 Runs are usually about 50 feet apart. 



