The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-06-12

when the boat stands perfectly still, her
wheel revolving with fearful rapidity, and
no one but the Captain sees any use of
keeping her working there any longer.
But he knows what she can do, and is
aware of the fact that the force exerted by
this wild rush of waters is not constant.
So, although she loses foot or two now and
then, he still keeps his wheel going and
slowly approaches nearer and nearer fearful
looking ledge of half-covered rocks on the
left and taking advantage of point after point
at last gains the top only to find, however,
still more formidable rapid directly above,
at which he is obliged to plunge at once,
for there is no water intervening where he
can stop for rest. 1t is narrow way
through which nearly the whole force of
the river is plunging, and on each side are
lodges of rocks which, if the waters were
lower, would make perpendicular fall of
several feet We had scarcely time to
enter this terrible strait before we realized
the fact that it was by far the most dan
gerous place we had yet encountered. 10
90 back, with the wild rapid behind us,
was not to be thought of. On either side
was sure destruction; wrong turn OF a
few feet either side was ruin; so the whole
effort of the engine was called upon, and
even our nervy Captain gave sigh of re-
lief as we glided into the safe water at the
head of Priests Rapids, where no steamer
had ever before stemmed the waters of the
Great Columbia.
Here we were detained two days through
the necessity of supplying ourselves with
fuel and by gale of wind which forced us
up against the shelving shore.
From here we had a beautiful run of
about 80 miles, the great broad river flow
ing gently along, ruffied only by few rip
pies, which we had no difficulty in passing,
until we reached Cabinet Rapids, far more
formidable than Priests Rapids. Nearly
the whole river here plunges over a, very
steep slope of probably ten feet in height,
bordered with the usual masses of black
rock, but the great difficulty about this
rapid is not only that it is short and mar
row, but curved in shape, with a perpen-
dicular wall on the land side, in the middle
of which lies an immense boulder, against
which the current set with great force
The boiling whirlpools in this place were
something fearful to look at, and somewhat
to our surprise the Captain headed at once
for this seething cauldron, for to those ig-
norant of the art of navigation it looked as
if, once in, it would be impossible to retreat
without being swept. bodily against the
boulder, backed by the vertical wall.
There is always point in these difficult
rapids where the strength of the opposing
forces reaches maximum over which nei-
ther steam nor skill can prevail. We soon
reached this point in the Cabinet Rapid,
and here we stopped, swaying gently few
inches from side to side as the Captain
turned the rudder this way or that, trying
to find weak spot in this Achilles armour
in front of him. Standing on the deck of
the struggling boat we held our breath in
suspense, hoping we should get over, fear
full we should not, but dreading retreat,
which seemed the most desperate of all
things. At last, after determined strug-
gle, even our plucky Captain had to yield
to superior forces, and the boat began slow
ly to lose ground, or rather water. There
was nothing hurried, however, about her
movement, but she seemed to back out like
sullen line of battle retreating only be-
cause it is compelled to do so, and very
unwillingly. Swaying gently to the right
and left, as if perfectly obedient to her
guiding hand, she got over place where
the upward rush Of the water caused her
to stand quivering perfectly still for mo
ment, and gave rise to the impression that
we were actually resting on the top of a
rock in water, which was probably 100
feet deep, but it was only for moment,
and then she glided quietly back without
so much as even grazing rock. The
Captain afterward called our attention to
the fact that the water, as it surged down
along the curved wall of stone, was thrust
back by the solid rock in such a way as to
form current away from the wall and
prevent the boat from being forced against
It.
There was now nothing to be done but
to put out line, and after several hours
hard work this was done, the barrel at its
end being half the time out of sight. Our
Photographic apparatus was taken ashore,
and, after the steamer picked up the barrel,
with considerable difficulty we got good
view of her, as she moved inch by inch up
the steep incline, and in twenty minutes
she was in smooth water above and steam
ing along toward the Rock Island Rapid,
which we reached few miles higher up.
The river is here divided by very large
island of solid rock, and each of the chan
nels is divided near its lower end into sew
eral smaller ones, in consequence of which
boat will be obliged to wind about in a
way which will render it exceedingly diff
cult to control her. But our Captain does
not look at difficulties except with view
of overcoming them, and after picking out
the channel he proposes to follow he pro-
ceeds to get out an immense 9-inch cable
and lays it along the rocky bank of the
stream, ready to throw it into the water in
the morning, with its barred attachment,
and then lays smaller one to use in get
ting us up to the first one. The channel
is thoroughly examined during the after
noon and its appearance is much more cal
culated to excite apprehension than to en-
courage success. At one point high solid
point Of rock juts out into the stream, and
around this the current rushes in roar
and then breaks up into three or four diff
ferept channels all studded with rocks.
Around this point one 9-inch cable has to
be laid, and fastened to tree above.
The slightest accident to rope or machinery
when the boat steered round this point was
almost certain to result in disaster, and most