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Subject: [IASCOTT] The Noted raft-boat 'Silver Wave' cont.
Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 19:56:22 EDT
A Raft Pilot's Log cont.
The Noted raft-boat 'Silver Wave.'
113
Racing between raft-boats going up the river (usually without anything in
tow) was very commom, but it was always interesting and often exciting
though there was noting at stake, except the pride of the crews in their
respective boats.
114
Captain Van Sant was justly proud of the speed of the 'Silver Wave' and
the 'Musser.'
After we bought the 'Ten Broeck' I soon discovered that when loaded
just right she made excellent time going up river, but she would not stand
crowding when heavily loaded as she did not have much free-board forward.
One night on backing out from a wood pile near Fisher's landing to go back
up to Beef Slough for our second piece, I saw a boat coming up
behind us and apparently gaining on us. I called down to James Stedman,
the chief rngineer, who was on watch, telling him we should try to keep ahead
until we got up to the boom ( about eight miles). By the time he and the
fireman got a good fire and our usual steam, the other boat got up close, her
bow even with our wheel and we saw she was the 'Musser.' Her
pilot whistled to go by on the right but he did not go by. I kept well to my
side of the channel, the 'Ten Broeck' got her gait and gradually increased
the gap between us and went into the mouth of Beef slough four
lengths ahead.
I warned our crew not to mention anything about it as the 'Musser' may not
have been in as good trim as the 'Ten Broeck.'
Now comes the funny part of it. On our next trip coming up we had a very
heavy load of fuel and iron boom chains on the 'Ten Broeck' when we landed at
Winona and Captain Van Sant came on to ride up to Beef Slough with us.
While eating supper at the Winona dock the captain gave me and the
engineer a very kind but serious talk about racing and and he would admit
he had done a lot of it in his time, but could plainly see now that there
was no sense in it , etc., etc.
117
We promised to remember his good advise. When we reached the upper
end of town the new, fast ' City of Winona' came out of the foot of the
Slough above Youman's mill and was soon headed up for the Beef Slough.
She was gaining a littleon us. Captain Sam was eagerly watching and soon
asked Mr. Stedman , the engineer, how much steam he was carrying.
I answered, saying,"I have given orders not to carry over one hundred and
twenty pounds tonight. Until we get these chains off her head, she will dive
when she strikes a deep place if we drive her any."
By this time the 'Winona' was close up to our wheel and gaining a little.
captian Sam could not stand it any longer. He said to mr. Stedman and me-"Why
this is fast boat. Its a shame to hold her back this way. let steam come up
to her allowance and I will try to keep the water off her head";
and he got the crew to help him move some chainback; then he banked coils of
cross lines around her bow with tarpaulins over her head and we kept ahead
and gained a little even with slowing her down to mount the reefs in shallow
water; but when near Fountain City the water came over
her bow so strong that captain Sam and his false bulkhead were washed back
off her head. We then concluded we had had fun enough, slowed down, , let the
'Winona' go by , then cleared up the forecastle, put but her back on one
hundred and twenty pounds and turned in. 'Racing' was not
discussed when the captain came aboard after that.
Sometimes, however we raced down stream with rafts in tow. I remember oine
such when on the 'LeClaire Belle' in 1878.
We had fourteen strings of logs for fort Madison. The 'J.W. Van
Sant'(first) wiht fourteen strings of lumber for Saint louis, was close
behind us when we got coupled up below the Clinton Bridge, and it was soon
apparent that she was gaining on us.
As the water was at a low stage and only one rapids boat, the 'Prescott,'
at LeClaire to assist over the rapids, each captain wanted to reach LeClaire
first and go on over with the 'Prescott's' aid, as the second arrival would
have a long delay.
The 'LeClaire Belle' had fourteen-inch cylinders and the 'Van Sant'only
twelve-inchboth had the same stroke- four-foot. Not only did the 'Belle'
twenty percent mpre power, but she was a much larger boat and we made every
effort to to keep ahead. by the time we were at Camanche we were
we were side by each. And a few times the crews had to pry our boom logs
loose from the lumber. Both boats were doing their best and so were their
pilots, but there was no swearing or calling of ugly names- it was all quiet
and orderly as a well conducted funeral. That stretch of river then was wide
enough for two full rafts to run abreast all the way to LeClaire. Neither
crowded the other on shore or out on a bar; it was a fair test in
every way and we were loser. it took over an hour before the 'Van Sants'
raft cleared ours at the head of Steamboat Slough. When we reached
the LeClaire Foundry the "Van Sant' and the 'Prescott' were starting over the
rapids. We had to land and wait until the next day at noon.
While a lumber raft has more feet in it and weighs more than a log
raft of the same length and width, it is easier to tow, because it is of
uniform depth and the cribs and strings are coupled up close together,
while the logs being of different sizes, the bottom od a log raft is very
uneven and rough.
It takes longer to get a lumber raft under way or to
119
check its headway and stop it, but once under way the same boat or one of
ewual power, will shove fourteen strings of lumber one-fourth to one-half
a mile an hourfaster than she will fourteen strings of logs. In calm weather
a lumber raft will float a little faster than one of logs.
The usual speed of a standard sized raft towed by a boat of average power
was four miles an hour except in Lake Pepin or Saint Croix where it was only
two and one-half miles an hour. The speed was considerably affected by the
stages of water and the force and direction of the wind.
A pilots reputation depended almost entirely on the time in which he made
is trips, and there was constant effort to get all the speed possible
and to lose as little time as possible at the bridges or at the rapids.The
owners of the boats did not have to urge their pilots to 'make time'; the
rivalry between the pilots kept them all doing their best. It was racing
against time and each other all season.
The engineers and mates deserved a large part the credit for the good time
made, but the captain, who was also first pilot, got the lion's share
of it while the others got their full share of the blame if the boat lost any
time, or was a little longer than usual on her trips. The rivalry between
captains in the same line or on boats, owned by the same company, was
sometimes bitter.
chapter complete
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