The water gates were open, and, upon examination, showed that logs had been floated there, for the marks of the logs were visible on the sides of the gates and on the tops of the spiles.

Added to this, the floor of the dam was covered with last season's logs, hundreds of them.
"Will you please tell me why a dam is necessary to lumbering ?" questioned Lieutenant Wingate.
"To provide a good head of water on which to float logs down to the mills when the river is low.

The logs are dumped into the dam until it is full; the gates are then opened and the logs go booming down towards the mills.

To be fully equipped there should be a second dam above this one to wash down such timber as fails to clear.

We will go on further and see what we find." They found the second dam, constructed across the river at a narrow spot.