Reporter's Statement of the Case a double line of mooring barges was anchored extending out into the river from the shore, the first line or upstream mooring barges being anchored by cables to the shore, and the second line or downstream mooring barges being anchored by cables both to the shore and to the upper mooring barges. Extending downstream from the lower mooring barges and approximately parallel to the shore line was a ways barge provided with a plurality of downwardly inclined launching ways extending athwartship over the sides of the barge to a point adjacent the water. Cables attached to the mattresses to be lowered passed over pulleys at the top of the ways and thence to drums on the offshore side of the ways barge. Brakes working on said drums permitted the control of the paying out of the lines or cables attached to the mattresses. A material barge was moored alongside the launching or ways barge on the offshore side thereof, and provided with horizontal ways leading to the top of the inclined launching ways, and the offshore end of these horizontal ways was provided with a notched or V-portion. The willow brushes and poles used to form the bundles of willows were assembled in these notched or V-portions and rolled or slid along the horizontal ways to the inclined ways where they were bound into the mattresses preparatory to launching. In order to launch the mattresses which had been previously constructed and rested upon the launching ways, the brakes on the drums carrying the cables were slacked off, the launching barges pulled out into the stream by means of cables secured to the lower mooring barges, and simultaneously the mat was allowed to slide down the ways, the outer ends of which were rounded off, and to drop into the water where it floated into position, the inshore ends of the mattresses being secured by cables to suitable anchoring posts or so-called "dead men" on the shore. When the mat reached the water, the brakes on the drums carrying the cables attached to the mat were set, to hold the floating mat in the desired position. As portions of the mat were launched, new bundles of willow brush and poles were bound successively in position in the mat and thus the mat could continue to be laid out in the stream as far as might be desired. |