DCHP-1 Online
dram Lumbering, Hist. 
n. a detachable component of a timber raft, those on the Ottawa drives comprising some 25 cribs made up of logs or square timbers lashed or chained together and of appropriate size to shoot the timber slides.
See also: cabin dram crib (def. 1a) raft ((n.)) (def. 2 and note) band ((3)) ((n.))
- 1846 A raft a quarter of a mile long . . . is curious enough; but to see it in drams, or detached portions, sent down . . . the timber slides of the Ottawa . . . is still more so.
- 1874 For going through the canals, the drams are built about twenty-four by one hundred and twenty, and in a less secure manner than those intended to take their chances of the rapids.
- 1964 Until these were passed, the men kept the logs in cribs waiting to tie cribs into drams and rafts once the dangerous slides were passed.
- 1846 A raft a quarter of a mile long . . . is curious enough; but to see it in drams, or detached portions, sent down . . . the timber slides of the Ottawa . . . is still more so.