Log on for a wild ride
QUESTION Did the U.S. lumber industry use giant log flumes to transport wood?
Giant log flumes were built to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. the term flume comes from the Old French word flum and the Latin flumen, meaning a river.
there were many such log flumes across the world, but the most famous were in the Sierra nevada mountains in California, which were used to carry lumber from the giant redwood forests. the flumes eliminated the need for horse-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails.
Early versions were square chutes prone to jams that could cause damage, and they required constant maintenance.
in 1868, the first V-shaped flume was built by James W. Haines. this clever design means the rising water level behind a snagged log eventually lifts it up and frees it. it became the standard design throughout the Western mountains.
the longest flume, extending more than 62 miles, was opened in 1890 by the Kings River Lumber Company.
Running from the high elevations of the Sierra nevada mountain range down through the rocky canyons to the railhead in Sanger, it was an astounding feat of engineering.
the trunks of the felled giant redwood trees were hauled down to the mill, cut into manageable boards of lumber and then floated down the flume to the Sanger lumber yard.
Men were employed as flume herders at various points along the route to check the flow of lumber and water.
However, ingenious as this process was, the effect on the giant redwood forests was devastating. it is estimated that more than 8,000 giant redwood trees, all over 2,000 years old, were felled.
On occasion, despite being exceedingly dangerous, flume herders and other thrillseekers would ‘shoot the flume’ in small craft. these were the precursor of the modern log flume rides at amusement parks. in 1963, the first official log flume ride was built at the Six Flags Over texas amusement park.
Mrs A. Carrington, Cheltenham, Glos.
QUESTION An earlier answer mentioned the Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus. Is this another name for Ecclesiastes?
ECCLESiaStES and Ecclesiasticus are different books. they are examples of early Hebrew ‘wisdom literature’.
Ecclesiasticus is part of the apocrypha, works which are religious in character, but are not generally accepted to be on the same level of inspiration as the 66 books of the Bible.
Ecclesiasticus (commonly called the Wisdom of Sirach) is a work of ethical teachings from 200 BC, written by the Jewish scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem.
He was a philosophical observer of life who was well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures and traditions.
Ecclesiasticus is much like the other Hebrew wisdom books, containing advice on a wide variety of topics in no particular order and poems extolling wisdom and the Lord as the source of wisdom.
the anglican Church states that Ecclesiasticus should be read only ‘for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth not apply them to establish any doctrine’.
a phrase from Ecclesiasticus lives on in modern speech. Chapter 21 verse 10 says: ‘the way of sinners is made plain with stones, but at the end thereof is the pit of hell.’ it is an early version of the phrase ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’.
Ecclesiastes is a different book, considered to be authored by King Solomon. it follows the book of Proverbs, mainly written by Solomon and precedes the Song of Solomon, and forms part of the Old testament.
Robin Miles, Canterbury, Kent.
QUESTION In most cultures, are mermaids regarded as evil creatures?
MERMaidS, as mythical figures of power, mystery, good and evil, have long fascinated sailors.
in 1493, Christopher Columbus recorded: ‘[a crewman] saw three mermaids, who rose very high from the sea, but they are not so beautiful as they are painted, though to some extent they have a human appearance about the face.’
it is probable that the sailor saw three seals, whales or manatees — marine mammals also known as sea cows.
the earliest mermaid stories appeared in assyria in 1000 BC. the goddess atargatis, mother of Queen Semiramis, loved a mortal shepherd, but unintentionally killed him.
ashamed, she jumped into a lake and took the form of a mermaid — human above the waist, fish below.
the earliest representations of atargatis show her as a fish with a human head and arms, similar to the Babylonian god Ea, who was the inspiration for the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon.
in the first century ad, Pliny the Elder mentions ‘sea-men’, who, when night falls, ‘climb up into ships; upon which the side of the vessel where he seated himself would instantly sink downward, and if he remained there any considerable time, even go under water’.
africa has a rich tradition of mermaids. in Zimbabwe they are called the Mondao and are portrayed as malicious creatures that enjoy dragging swimmers to their death. in 2012, work being carried out at a dam near the town of Gokwe was suspended because workers claimed that they were being terrorised by the Mondao lurking there — pale-skinned mermaids with black hair and fish tails.
Rural and Urban development Minister ignatius Chombo made arrangements to have tribal chiefs perform rites and rituals to appease the creatures.
Erica Fox, Brighton.
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