FAST TIME THROUGH A FLUME.

Dunstan Times, Issue 829, 8 March 1878, Page 3

FAST TIME THROUGH A FLUME.

A correspondent of tho Philadelphia Herald sends an account of tho perilous journey down the mountains, of two Nevada miners, who made a trip in a mining flume. Jhe flume is owned by Messrs Mackay and Fair, and is located in the mountains, near Carson City-. It is about fifteen miles in length, leading from a lofty elevation down to the plain, and crossing in its course deep ravines, terrible precipices and chasms, and presenting many sharp curves. It is fe I with water from Lake Tahoe aid empties into a creek near Carson City. This flume, said to he the longest in the world, is used to carry down timber which is cut onthemountains. There are several places in its course where the incline is slight, and visitors are occasionally treated to a short trip over inclines in a boat constructed for that purpose. The men who took tho trip were woikmen, who some months aco conceived the notion of shooting down the entire length of the flume. To carryout this foolhardy adventure they constructed a strong boat, sharp at the bow and square at the stern, and fitting theflume closely enough to keep it steady. The men describe the trip as something terrific. The heavy boat got a fearful hfcailWay, and the men had no means of stopping it. In shooting round the curves they thought it would jump the flume and precipitate them into the that yawned beneath. Down the steeper inclines the boat aped with more than express train velocity. Tho fifteen miles were passed in less than eleven minutes. From the foot of the mountain to where the flume empties the incline is gentle, and here the boat gradually lost its terrific headway, and at length glided smoothly into the creek. Unharmed, but scared almost out of their senses, tho men stepped ashore, an 1 one of them was heard to remark that he would not make that trip again for all the silver and gold in Nevada.