Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-08-04
From the Dubuque Daily Time, June Is, 1853
A MONSTER RAFT.

MOVING FLEET or LUMBER-cHIcAGt
scHooNERs AND MISSISSIPPI RAFr,
coNrRAs.ED - ONE or THE ENTER
PRIsEs OF KNAPP, STOUT A co.
A few days ago, the Chicago TriJ
nne announced, with startling dis
J play of head lines, that a vessel loaded
down with little over three hundred
thousand feet Of lumber, had arrived
at that port. Chicago thought this q
blg thing, something worth making a
iuss about, and consequently the news
was spread all over tho country. &C.
companied with liberal comments and
oragadoclo from numerous ink sling.
ers to The effect that the garden civ
was the great lumber mart of the
Northwest. All this reads very well
IN the papers, but will hardly pass as
genuine in this section of the country.
We freely admit that Chicago gets a
large pile Of damaged and second class
lumber during the year from northern
plneries, but are prepared 10 dispute
the proposition that she can head off
natures great thOroughfare, the Mis-
slssippi. We will venture 10 say that
moro lumber floats past our doors
every twenty -four hours than Chicago
receives in week. Look down or
up the river at any time, you can
hardly miss seeing a raft, sometimes
dozen. They fill the main current,
they line the shores, they are showed
IN everywhere. 1t may be humilia-
ting TO Chicago, but the fact is never.
theless true, that the great majority
of the lumber now used in the West is
RATED down the Father of Waters.
From the head waters of the Wiscon-
sin and the Chippewa, and from the
vast pineries Of Minnesota, it comes
in II flow, astonishing TO those who
have never before realized its magni.
tude.
For the purpose of showing what is
done on the Mississippi in the lumber
line, we propose TO describe a small
raft owned by the celebrated lumber
dealers, Knapp, Stout d Co, and des-
tined fov the Dubuque market. What
the mastodon Of the ancient world was
to all his fellow quadrupeds, this raft
is 10 all others that now or ever have
foated on the river II arrived and
was fastened TO the shore a short dis.
tance above Eagle Point, about l2I
o'clock yesterday, having made the
trip down from Reeds Landing. at the
mouth of the Chippewa river, dis.
lance Of POS miles, in four days. The
average length of time required by the
company is three days and half, but
the crew were delayed by high winds.
which accounts for the tardiness 10
this instance.
What will our readers think Of a
raft which contains one million eiobf
hundred and thirty-fUe thousand and
eight feet Of iumberg That looks like
a big story to tell, but that is what
the raft contains 10 fraction. View
ed from short distance it looks like
an island and covers an area nearly |
equal to five acres of ground. 1t has
224 cribs, l6 feet wide, and 32 feet
long, making raft altogether 545 |
feet long and 224 feet wide. In add. |
ton to the lumber mentioned the raft |
carries 100000 feet Of lath, 10000 feet
of shingles, and 5000 feet of pickets. |
This is the ninth raft brought down
by Knapp, Stout & Co., the present
season, all OF the former averaging a
million Of feet each. This one is de. /
serving of tho broom and carries one
conspicuously displayed on pole near
the PROV. She can certainly sweep
out anything Of the kind that ever
Travelled down this way before, as the
common RATS do not commonly in
dulge in over ten strings, while this
monster has fourteen.
According TO the most authentic
statement it costs nearly three dollars
a thousand to got lumber to Chicago,
and here again her dealers must iali
IN the rear, as the Mississippi men can
beat them to death on prices. When
Knapp, Stout q Co., get this raft bro.
ken up and in their yard ready for
sale 1t will have cost them exactly
81 81 per thousand to get it here.
The regular contract price is, we un.
iorstand, from a dollar 20 dollar and
per thousand. The total
expense incurred in getting the raft
hero from Reeds Landing, including
boat stores, wood, wages, etc, was
s49O 16, amounting TO fraction over
ihirty-seven. cents per thousand. This
mass of lumber is con.
rolled and handled about as easily as
barge, by sprightly little steamer
lf $50 horse power, christened the
Annie Girdon" She acts as q ri.
y6ntio helm fastened behind the raft.
md can steer, push and haul the same
~ a fertile combination of ropes, pu.
eys and capstans, in any direction
he pleases. Her crew consists of ,
'ine persons commanded by the fol- ,
owing officers;
Captain and Pillow. W. Slocum. /
Cipk--C. A. Clarke.
Assistant PiiOt-W. r. Slocum.
EngiReer--H c. Wilcox.
Assistant Engineer-W. II. Wilcox. I
On the raft fourteen men are om. F,
'lcycd, one man to each string, who !
nay bo considered the ratsman proper |
they are paid one dollar day and !
oard, receiving their pay when the
aft reaches its destination, with the
rivilege Of a ride up the river proyi- {
ing they are willing to do little 4
ecessary scrubbing on the boat in d
art payment. 4
The "Annie Girdon" is craft cspe. Z
tally fitted for the task of transport
ats, being owned by Knapp, Stout
o., for that purpose. Her machinery ,
throughout is of the most approved u
attern, and bears evidence of beng Il
nreinlly handled All of the men i
take their meals and lodge /
pOn tie boat. there heing sIeon;nr