![]() ![]() I have gone through dozens of interviews with loggers, many of whom were working during this time period and it is not mentioned. The article in the Canada Lumberman (also reproduced in the Engineering and Contract Record) is the only account of these flumes existing. It can be assumed that these flumes were built in the absence of large brooks to drive the longer timber that they were cutting at the time. In my opinion it was probably built somewhere in the vicinity of Pamehac Lake, 5-Mile Lake and Black Duck Brook as I know this was an active logging area at this time, and the map depicts a pond on the south side of the Exploits River. And despite these details and a map, I cannot determine the exact location of the second flume. There are no pictures of the flume, although there is a detailed account of the materials that went into its construction. This flume was also reportedly nearly 3 miles long. The pond depicted in the map does not look like any in the area, but it should be remembered that the map was done without the aid of any aerial photographs. It can be safely assumed that it was built somewhere in Badger Division. The map shows that it connects a pond to the Exploits River. (Canada Lumberman)įlume Number 2 is more of a mystery. Section of the flume near Victoria River, 1920. To work around the lack of water a v shaped cart was built to travel down the flume with materials! There are a number of pictures of Flume Number 1 in the article. ![]() This was not without obstacles as it was built during a particular dry summer. Interestingly they used the flumes to actually float the building materials down the completed part of the flume for its own construction. A crew of about 20 men and a temporary sawmill were employed to build both flumes. Flume Number 1 was built from a pond near Victoria River (on the opposite side from Jones Pond.) It was approximately 1.75 miles long. (Engineering and Contract Record also Canada Lumberman)Ī report on the building and employment of these flumes was detailed by the builders in an article in the Canada Lumberman. I I am almost certain of the location of the flume near Victoria, but for the life of me I can’t positively match the second flume to any lake or pond in Central, though the Exploits looks like it does near the mouth of Pamehac, and the pond remotely resembles one of the ponds in this area. Map of the two log flumes built for the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company in 1919-20. Both flumes connected ponds with smaller tributaries to the larger rivers, in one case Victoria and the other the Exploits. The 1919-20 Flumes of Gilmour and Turner:ĭuring the logging season of 1919-20, Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company Logging Superintendent J.D Gilmour and Logging Engineer Jack Turner designed and supervised the construction of large two log flumes. The employment of flumes in log transportation in the central region is less widely known. It is a large steel chute put in place to keep pulpwood from the turbines in the power plant there. In some cases the hilly terrain in Western Newfoundland made these both necessary and feasible, there are a few pictures around of the flumes and chutes used out in this area.ĭeer Lake has a fairly well known and large log flume in place, I believe it still may be there. The more well known examples were in the western logging areas that supplied the Corner Brook mill. There are a few examples of these being used in Newfoundland. The early years when wood was cut in carried and long lengths presented some serious challenges in driving.Ī flume is basically a v-shaped or curved trough that is filled with water so logs can be floated. Rivers and streams were blasted, cribbed, straightened, diverted and dammed, especially in the days when they were driving 4 and 5 foot wood, you’d be surprised with what they could drive on if it were dammed effectively. Time, weather, and flooding have done away with a lot of the “river improvements” that were done in Central Newfoundland in the 80+ years that wood was driven to the Grand Falls mill via the log drive. ![]()
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