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214	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
water or knocked off by the rudder when the front part of the raft dipped into the water below the chute.      The rafts and logs were floated down the river to Lock Haven, Williamsport, Muncey, and sometimes even to Havre de Grace, Maryland, on the right bank of the river near the head of Chesapeake bay. Arrived at their destination, they were secured in large dams or along the shore by means of ropes thrown around stakes or poles fastened to piers or driven into the ground. The logs were run into booms, near which were located great sawmills which manufactured them into lumber. A boom is an obstruction of long logs securely fastened together by clamps and swiveled chains, or by cribs thrown diagonally across the greater part of the stream--generally from the inner curve of a great bend in the river or in a dam--thus reflecting the logs from the current into the slack water, where they remained until taken therefrom to be worked up into lumber, as was also the square timber of the rafts.      The fall rafting generally consisted of the timber that was left over from the spring "drive," or that was not ready at that time. Often a summer freshet was taken advantage of and sometimes a lowness of water prevented or delayed a drive at the usual time.      At first raftsmen on their return were compelled to walk, or ride on horseback or in the stage to their homes, but after railroad facilities became available that method of traveling was adopted.      Rafting on the West Branch of the Susquehanna is now practically a thing of the past, the people of Northern Cambria having turned their attention to agricultural and mining pursuits, and, with ever increasing railroad facilities, the mineral resources of that thriving section of the county are being rapidly developed.      After leaving Cambria county, the West Branch runs in a northeasterly and then in a northerly direction to McGee's mills, where it turns to the northeast, a few miles farther on receiving the waters of Chest creek, which general course it continues to Clearfield, where it is augmented by the waters of Clearfield creek. Down these two streams the greater part of the rafting from Cambria county found its way to the West Branch.      Winding eastward to Northumberland county it empties

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