, 1876-05-20

the use nI many ndJcgtiNCs popular among
drivers Of on teams. Capt il,IL Sheriff
Stretch and several others spent the evening
very pleasantly in the co2y little house OF
NJ. $. Elwcl', who aided by bis amNhlc
youpg wife did their best to entertain us,
At half past nine We returned to the boat
and slept soundy till morning. Alter tax,
ing on fuel lctwren eight and nine, we
again startcdup the river, the Capt. cN.
pressing determination to reach the falls
if possible; if not to 20 as far as nayga.
tion would permit. At Mr. Adairs We took
on the balance Of our party left the night
before, and then continued on. We had
now reached part Of the river beyond
where boat had never assembled and great
anxiety was tclt by all, least we should meet
with distractions. 4 keen lookout was
kept for snngs, but the river WAS up and we
reached the farm Of Mr.. Boise eight miles
from Elwclls, without any trouble. Here
we landed the last pound of freight and the
last passenger except the cXcursionists, The
boat was suitably trimmed and once more
we were OIL headed up stream, every one
! hoping we should reach the falls. In about
two hours we came to long reach of swift
water, after passing several sharp bends, full
of dangerous SnHgs, eddys and whirls, that
required a skillul hand mt the helm.
Straight up the river ahead about mile, We
could sec the water ioaming and tumbling
among the boulders on the bottom. On the
right, was II high bank, fully two hundred
feet, an immense land slide had recently oC-
Cured, filling the river nearly full; the high
water had washed away all this mass of de-
| bris, except the bouldcrs, and these trcach-
crous enemies to navigation, stood athwart
in our way threatening dire destruction il
We did not retreat On the left, opposite
parativey smoother water Capt. IIill
headed the bont, with iull head of steam
for this narrow pass, hoping TO slip hy the
sentinel rock and come above in spite OF
them. Steadily onward went the NaaDy
Lahe the water rolling in u sheet Of white
foam from hci bow, the waves roaring and
lcaring among the rocks on our right
swiIter and stronger crow thc current and
narrower the channel, still She crcpt up.
Now the rocks on the right and the foam
ing waves among them were onlya few feet
! from u.s. Stll she kept on. We could see
deep smooth water above. Down goes the
sounding rod. Eight feet on the right
only two on the lett and we are actually
hugging the brushy bank, Up she goes
A hundred feet more and she will be over it.
There is grating sound heard above the
puff Of the engine, the wind and the roar.
ing food. Her speed slOckcns-stops- she
is aground on the bar Efforts were made
to hold her up, push Off the bow and force
her over. But it was impracticablc and
imprulent and reluctantly the Capt. rung
the bell 10 back her, and we rctreated off
the bur, the wheel rafting among the brush
rs We noatod below the bouldcrs and ont
into the middle Of the stream. We could
go no farther. We were all disappointed
Our attempt to reach the falls by steamer
had failed We were all satisfied, but for
this unucky land sIide we could have gone
on. The stretch of swift water below the
slide, is as bud as any TO Inc met with above
We had conquered this; but on reaching
the slide, our only reward was tie fact, that
there can he no practical steamer navigation
of the Upper Snoqualmir until the houldcrs
are removed. The June lrcshcts will not do
il. Neither can it be done, artihcially, until
the low stage of the river in October. The
fact however has been demonstrated, that,
to within one mile o the house Of Mr.. JAS.
Entwhistlc, which is within about eight
miles, air line Of Falls City, there is nothing
to prevent steamers of light draft from max
ing regular trips, at least for nine months
Of the year
After dropping a few hundred yards bc-
low this slide, Il drag was thrown over the
bow, and we steamed, stern foremost, slowly
down stream for a couple of miles, past the
swift water and dangerous bends, halted and
took on board the drag turned round and
in about an hour we were along side the
boom at Elwell's camp. After bidding good
bye to Mr. and Mrs Elwel, who accom-
panied us up as far as we, went and taking
aboard couple of passengers, we started
tor home, with the river nearly bankfull and
full head Of steam. At the forks we drop
ped Mr. Mathews and took aboard another
passenger, and from there like a thing Of
life, we reached through the narrow wind.
ing road, made by the river, through the
evergreen forest, and at three o'clock p. NJ,
rounded to long side the wharf at Snoho-
mish City. We will close this already too
long description by saying, that not an un-
pleasant incident occurred to mar the trip
The testimony is universal, that Capt. Hill
managed the excursion with consunlmate
skill His urbanity and gcntIemanly bear.
ring is beyond all praise. Nothing was too
much for him to do for the comfort of all
aboard. lie is the right man in the right
place and long may he live to navigate the
waters Of the snohomish and the Suoqual.
mie.
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