Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-08-13
LOCAL.
{ Shenandoah

- "A"1as6 saae iSaa y AsSsaas y sSEh
UNION CANOEISTS 60 FROM
BELOW STA UNION TO HAIR
PEEPS FERRY.
THE PLEASURES AND PERILs OF SHOOT
ING THE RAPIDs-sOME TOUGH PLACES
CAMPING OUT AT NIGHT-KINDNEss
OF THE PEOPLE ALONG THE ROUTE
A CANOE THE ONLY THING TO MAKE
THE TRIP IN.
sc. &C., &C &C.
Reported for the Staunton VINDIcAToR,l
Several weeks ago we gave an account
of the contemplated cruise on the Shen-
andoah River, of number Of citizens of
this place. and we now have the pleasure
of presenting our readers with the sequel.
The party started from Bowling's Mill at
IL 80 on Monday, July 18th, and consisted
of Mr.. F. r. Webb in canoe frankie;
Geo. N. Beall in canoe Rosa; DIR. F.W.
Traphagen in canoe Hattie; Lacy Glib
son in canoe .Clyde"; W. W. Gibbs and
Frank Merriken in Stranahan folding can
vass skiff "Kathleen," and MI. John Muir
ray, Dunbar Murray and Baldwin Wayt
in skiff "Mac." In spite of the threaten
ing appearance of the skies. large party
of young people assembled at the river to
see them off, and after pleasant picnic
dinner
1GK START
was made. The trip through Middle river
was very pleasant and interesting. but be-
You'd the occasional changing up" on some
rock or fish dam, was uneventful, and the
party arrived at Port Republ;c-the head
| of the Shenandoah-at 2:30 Wednesday af-
, ternoon IN good health and spirits. They
| camped on Monday night at Hope Mills,
IA miles below their starting point, and On
Tuesday night at Mt. Meridian.
| THE PEOPLE ALONG THE RIVER
J all read the INDICATOR evidently, for it
seemed as though every one was on the
| lookout for the party who were every
where received with the greatest kindness
and attention; the short stay at Mt. Meri-
dian being made particularly pleasant
marked courtesies being shown the
party by Mr.. Frank McCue, Mr..
Craig and others-also further
up the river by Messrs. John H.
and Marshall Crawford. A heavy thun-
der shower was encountered in RippeJoe's
dam. but being we'll provided with rubber
occupants of the canoes in particular pass
ing through perfectly dry. Some difficult
ty was experienced in shooting the really
formidable rapids just above Port Repub-
lie, and nearly every one had to step over
| board once or twice to ease their boats
over bad places-the s'Kathleen'' passin q
through without hanging up, while in a
severe tussle with the Hattie" among the
| rocks, the Doctor managed to lose his foot
| ing and fall headlong into the water.
Three days passed pleasantly by at
PORT REPUBLIC
in spite of the rain, and on Saturday
morning the 18th, the trip was resumed,
| the descent of the Shenandoah, and
| with it trouble began. The day was an
| ardnous one to the canoeists, and night
| found them in camp on the farm Of MIR.
Coffman, four miles above Milnes-most
of them wet, bedraggled and thoroughly.
disheartened. The dams were very nu-
morous and portaging around them was
| difficult and tedious, while fish dams oc-
Cured every half mile OR so. and soon
| became terror to the inexperienced IN
| the party. A fish dam is low. irregular
| structure, sometimes of brush but gener-
ally of stone, undoubtedly built for some
| purpose, but what that purpose is the
writer is entirely unable to discover. The
| top is very irregular and broken up by
| boulders, and the fall is from one to three
| feet.
| THE LIGHT, ROUND-BoTToMED SHARP
ENDED CANOES
| shot over them with ease; the broader
| Stranaban had to pick her way more care
| fully, while the heavy wooden "Mae"
hung up on most of them, and her crew
were frequently in the water to assist in
getting her over. The rapids were also
| long and very rough; the fluctuations of
| the day finally eliminating about CLOCK
at dismal deserted old dam, the chute Of
| which was blocked with snags, while the
main body of water ran with great veloc-
| ity down a narrow channel and straight
| into the bank, where it turned sharply
| at right angles, and went rushing
| along at furious rate under roots and
| trees till it finally resumed it's broad regu
] lar flow some distance below nasty.
ugly place 1T was, and after passing the
dam the entire party had more or less diff
t1culty here. ending in the ''Mac'' being
drawn irresistibly in among the roots and
| trees and capsiZed,
HER CREW BEING COMPELLED TO SWIM
FOR THEIR LIVES,
and hnallY arriving in camp in thoroughly
demorallzed state. After quiet Sunday,
the trip was resumed on Monday morning
early; Mr.. Murray and the two boys leay-
ling the party here and going by wagon to
MllHes and thence home by rail. Dr.. Trap
hagan and Lacy Gibson continued with
the party as far as Milnes--a short but
very rough trlp-When they also left 1t
and returned home by rail. Messrs. Webb,
Beall, Gibbs and Msl1ikon continued the
trip, and the day 8 experience was rough
one, far more 50 than the preceding one,
the rapids being exceedingly heavy and
rough, although the dams were not 80 nu-
merous. The days work finally culmina ted
in the successful passage Of the formida-
ble ''Kemple's Falls'' or Devils Race
Path,'' a gloomy cliff-lined gorge in the
mountains down which the waters surge
and rush and roar with tremendous fury