Norsk 101: Fetsund Lenser (Fetsund Booms)

Photo: Christie Ericson
Fetsund Lenser is a floating or log driving museum.

Language practice with Christie Ericson

Fetsund Lenser (Fetsund Booms) er et fløtingsmuseum (is a floating or log driving museum) og tømmersorteringsanlegg (and timber sorting facility) ved Glomma (on the Glomma River) i Fetsund (in Fetsund). Anlegget ble opprettet i 1861 (The facility was established in 1861) og ble nedlagt i 1985 (and was closed down in 1985) da fløting av tømmer i Glomma opphørte (when floating of timber in the Glomma ceased).

Tømmerfløting (Timber floating or log driving) er transport av tømmer (is the transport of timber) i et vassdrag (in a waterway). Glomma er den lengste elven i Norge (Glomma is the longest river in Norway) og renner gjennom (and flows through) noen av de mest (some of the most) skogrike områder i landet (forested areas in the country).

Fløting var ofte den eneste måten (Floating/log driving was often the only way) å få tømmeret (to get timber) fra skogene til sagbruk og kystbyer (from the forests to sawmills and coastal cities).

Tømmeret ble hugget ned om vinteren (The timber was chopped down in the winter) og stokkene ble målt (and the logs were measured) og merket med et symbol (and marked with a symbol). Dette merket henviste til (This mark indicated) hvem som eide stokkene (who owned the logs).

Tidlig på våren (Early in the spring) ble stokkene rullet ut (the logs were rolled) i elven (out into the river). De fløt ned elven (They floated down the river) til anlegg (to facilities) der de ble samlet og sortert (where they were collected and sorted).

Mange menn og gutter (Many men and boys) jobbet som tømmerfløtere (worked as log drivers). Det var farlig arbeid (It was dangerous work). Tømmeret kunne ofte knyte seg (The timber could often pile up) i store vaser (in large piles) som måtte sprenges løs med dynamitt (which had to be blasted loose with dynamite).

Photo: Christie Ericson
In 1987, Fetsund Lenser was protected as an industrial cultural monument.

Flytende stengsler (Floating fences) eller «lenser» (or “booms”) ble bygd av (were built of) sammenkjedede stokker (chained-together logs). Lensene ledet løstommeret (The booms guided the loose timber) eller holdt det samlet (or held it together) for sortering og bunting (for sorting and bundling). Fra Fetsund (From Fetsund) bukserte slepebåter tømmeret (tugboats towed the timber) sørover over innsjøen Øyeren (southward over Lake Øyeren).

I 1987 ble Fetsund Lenser fredet (In 1987, Fetsund Lenser was protected) som et industrielt kulturminne (as an industrial cultural monument) og museet åpnet i 1990 (and the museum opened in 1990). Museet har utstillinger (The museum has exhibits) i flere bygninger (in several buildings) og ute på området (and outside in the area). Man kan også gå på flåteganger i elven (You can also walk on floating walkways in the river) og besøke hvilebrakkene (and visit the rest barracks), arbeidernes flytende pauserom (the workers’ floating break rooms).

Fetsund Lenser: mia.no/fetsundlenser
Tømmerfløting: snl.no/tømmerfløting

This article originally appeared in the May 21, 2021, issue of The Norwegian American.