The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-07-14

Cue ioiioWiuB laCtS III regard 10 the Dela-
ware river:
The Delaware river takes its rise in
small lake nearly on the dividing line of
Delaware and Schoharie counties, MY,
1886 feet above tide. Following all its
windings from its source to Trenton, the
length of the stream is $50 miles. Its
average fall is 6.7 feet per mile, much
larger than the Susquehanna. The en-
tire length of the stream from lake to
ocean is 40 miles.
Before the construction Of railroads and
canals this river was an important high
way of commerce. The boats first in use
appear to have been narrow fiat-bottomed
scows from twenty five to forty feet in
length, which floated down stream with
the current and were propelled up stream
by poles. About the year 1850 Our
ham" boats we're introduced. They were
given this name because they were first
built at Durham village, in Bucks county
These Durham boats were 90 feet long,
10 feet wide and deep. They contained
low cabin for sleeping place and an
other for provisions. Between these cab
ins was space for the load. Three per-
sons constituted the crew. Two manned
the long setting poles and one the rudder.
A loaded boat drew 30 inches of water.
They carried twenty tons down the river
and from FIVE to ten up. The trip up
stream between these points took three
days. About 1910 coal began to be car
ried down the river in "arks' made of
pine from 80 to so feet long and 1e feet
wide. They were hinged at the middle
like the canal boats. At Philadelphia
these boats were taken apart. The lum-
Der was sold and the irons carried back to
be used in the construction of other boats.
From 1885 to 1850 the lumber trade had
reached its greatest development. It is
estimated that 1t will cease altogether in
twenty or thirty years.
Some interesting details are given con-
corning the velocity of the current of the
Delaware. A raft will run from Delhi to
Easton, 165 miles, in from forty to forty
eight hours. The rate refers to an or
binary rafting freshet. From Walcott to
Easton, 165 miles, from forty to forty
eight hours; from Hancock to Easton,
1876 miles, thirty to thirty.six hourss from
Cailicoon to Easton, 100 miles, twenty
four to thirty hours; SO that the entire
trip to Welcott or Delhi to tide water
takes from fifty to sixty hours, showing
the mean velocity to be from As to 3G
per hour.
Prof. Merriman, who furnished this
data for the report, gives table showing
the memorable freshets which have oc,
CURED in this stream during the last one
hundred years, as follows: The Pumpkin
freshet, October 9th, 1856, 16 feet above
low water at Lambertville; Pumpkin
freshet in 1908, not as high as the former,
hut exact height not known; JEFFERSON
freshet, 1901, IA feet at Lambertvlle; do.
March, 1882, 10 feet at Lambertville; do.
April, 1886, ii feet, inches at Lambert
vile; do. April, 1880, IA feet, inches at
Lambertville; great flood, January 9Th,
1841, SO feet at Easton, 23 feet ut Bulls
Island, 90 feet at Lambertville, 90 feet at
Lamain's Island; flood of October 18th,
1843, IA feet at Lambertvile; flood on
March 10Th, 1916, II feet, @ inches at
Lambertville; June freshet, 1862, AZ feet
at Easton; October freshet, 1860, exact
height not known. In this connection
the report of Professor Merriman says:
"The point which has been particularly
forced upon my attention Is the great fire.
queney with which floods now occur as
compared with the time previous to 1885. !"
While the preceding table is supposed to
contain the record of every ''great freshet"
previous to 184l, 1t by no means shows
those occurring since that date. In fact
they have become too common to DO a
matter Of record. Previous to 1926 floods
of 10 feet at Lambertville were considered
very high, while IA feet had been attained
only three times within the memory Of
man-in 1886, 1901 and 1914. But since
that time floods of IA feet have become
common, while three have occurred--in
1e41, 1916 and 1662-in which probably
one-third to one-half more water has beer
discharged than in any previously known
This is undoubtedly to be attributed tc
the clearing away of the forests In the
river basin. While the floods OF the
river rise higher than formerly, the stage
Of low water seems to have been becom
ing lower every year. The observation
of the inhabitants appears to show tina
In times Of low water the water of th
river is fully six to eight inches below
, the most unusual stage Of forty years ago
A table is presented showing particu
lars respecting the falls and riffs on th
. river between Easton aud Trenton. TIL
items of information in regard to some o
those in this vicinity, are as follows; Dur
ham Falls, 500 feet long, 3.16 feet fall
! Nockamixon Falls, 1900 feet long, A.
feet fall; Little Hawle's rift, 1900 fee
long, $50 feet fall Warford's rift
1900 feet long, All feet fall; Bull
Falls, 1900 feet long, 4.12 feet fall; Eagle
rift, 1900 feet long; Wells Falls, 400
feet long, l4.31 feet fall; Scudder's Falls
1900 feet long; Gould's rift, 1000 fee
fall, $3.50 feet fall; Trenton Falls, 3,40(
feet fall.
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We keep constantly on hand allkind,
of Fresh Meat. G.. ]. Fisher.
The number of men furnished by New
! Jersey during the late war was 1854,