64 BULLETIN 440, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the land side. The cable passes through a block on the end of this 
boom and is operated by a small steam winch furnished with steam 
from the sawmill boilers. As each car is unloaded the train is shifted 
ahead by the locomotive or by gravity. 
Another system is to place the steam winch with its own boiler 
upon a cribwork in the pond. The block may be attached to an 
overhead cable parallel to the track or the cable may be used without 
any supporting block. The third system is to have a special unload- 
ing machine which shifts itself along a second track on the land side 
of the unloading spur. No shifting of the train being unloaded is 
necessary. This unloader consists of a boiler and winch mounted 
upon a car. It may have a steel boom extending out over the loaded 
cars, or a block may be slung to the log deck in front of each car 
unloaded. 
In some instances the tram crew does the unloading. The fireman 
operates the winch, the conductor and brakeman unbind the loads 
and handle the unloading hook, and the engmeer shifts the train. In 
such cases it is difficult to separate the cost of unloading from the 
cost of railroading. Upon one operation where the unloading is done 
in this manner, one pond man handles the unloading hook. A train 
of 55,000 is switched in and unloaded in about 40 minutes, the actual 
unloading requiring 30 minutes. With ample allowance for mainte- 
nance of winch and cable the cost of this unloading is $0,025 per 
1,000. Another way is to have the unloading crew engage in pond 
work, such as sorting logs and raising sinkers, when not required 
for unloading. In such cases the cost of pond work and unload- 
ing is usually kept together. Upon certain large operations where 
self -moving unloading machines are used the practice is to have a sepa- 
rate unloading crew. In one case this crew consists of 1 winchman, 
2 unloaders, and 1 man shoveling bark off the deck. This crew 
unloads 280,000 daily at a labor cost of $11, or about 4 cents per 
1,000. The usual cost of unloading is from 2 to 4 cents per 1,000. 
WOODS SUPERVISION. 
The field supervision of logging is a very important item and may 
make the success or failure of a lumbering operation. SawmiUing 
can be pretty well standardized, but the logging of each tract must 
be planned on the ground, and in this planning is the chance either 
to cut or swell costs. Not only is the work planned for each par- 
ticular area but the operations for the whole tract must be laid out 
long in advance. This calls for competent woods superintendents 
and logging engineers who are qualified to plan the layout of the 
railroad and logging, as well as to supervise the work. 
In addition to the logging superintendent, woods supervision in- 
cludes the camp foreman, timekeepers, night watchman, and chore 
