Diagonal braces were
extended from the trunk to support the ends of this girder, and a tie
piece was nailed to the braces, as shown in Fig. 138, to prevent them from
spreading. The girders were rough sticks about 4 inches in diameter and 10
feet long. We cut flat faces on them at the points where they were nailed
to the tree, and then, to make them doubly secured, we nailed cleats, or
blocks of wood, to the tree under them. The floor beams were then laid
across and nailed to the girders. They were cut to a length of 10 feet so
as to project beyond the outer girder to provide for a piazza overhanging
the Goblins' Platform. Six floor beams were used, spaced 20 inches apart.
All branches projecting up between the beams were then cut away and a
flooring of slabs was laid on. To the main trunk six feet above the
flooring, a stick or (to use the technical term), "wall plate," was nailed
on, and its ends were supported by upright posts resting on the platform.
Thirty inches from the outer end of the platform two more posts were
erected eight feet high and secured by sticks nailed across from the other
posts, and also by a second wall plate connecting their upper ends. Four
more posts were erected, one between each pair of the corner posts, and
then we were ready to enclose the framing.
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