22S

PROPER CIRCUMSTANCES TOR

“ In order that none of the small wood might helost, M. Rupp established in the forest large manu-factories of charcoal. He erected magazines forpreserving it when manufactured, and had madearrangements for the construction of barrels for thepurpose of carrying it to the market. In winter,when the slide was covered with snow, the barrelswere made to descend on a kind of sledge. Thewood which was not fit for being carbonized, washeaped up and burnt, and the ashes packed up andcarried away, during the winter.

“ A few days before the author of the precedingaccount visited the slide, an inspector of the navyhad come for the purpose of examining the qualityof the timber. He declared that he had never seenany timber that was so strong, so fine, and of such asize ; and he concluded an advantageous bargain for1000 trees.

“ Such is a brief account of a work undertakenand executed by a single individual, and whichhas excited a very high degree of interest in everypart of Europe . We regret to add, that this magni-ficent structure no longer exists, and that scarcelya trace of it is to be seen upon the flanks of Mount Pilatus . Political circumstances having taken awaythe principal source of the demand for timber ; andno other market having been found, the operationof cutting and transporting the trees necessarilyceased.”

Professor Playfair, who visited this singular slide,states, that six minutes was the usual time occupiedin the descent of a tree ; but that in wet weather, itreached the lake in three minutes.