New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-12
THE BIG RATS VOYAGE OVEB
PUSHED AGROUND IN ERIE BASIN.

Ratterv Yesterday crowds were watching Tor the
Learv raft from Nova Scotia She had been az
anchor all night off College Point as stated ir
Yesterdays TRIBUNE, after the ten days voyage
from Joggins, with the intention OF passins
through He'll Gate at noon yesterday ana hnisnint
her trip Along the streets the TUGS came IN ssh'
mon and women FASTENED to join tie throngs tha'
were watching from the piers and thousands fom
all parts of the city followed the course down tm
East River.
BY 10 o'clock the tugs were in posfnon ana az
a word from Edward Lucllenbach, who had taken
charge in person the big raft with the heet push
ing and pulling it, moved down the stream TOWARD
Hell Gate. lis progress was slow at first the san
not exceed ng three males an hour The Hood tlds
was rushing in against the raft, but 1t enabled the
tugs to hold the big mass in control and direct iu
course better than if it were being carried alona
by the current In this way it was calculated
Hell Gate would be reached at the food tide, there
would be no obstruction and the raft would pass
through without difficulty This proved TO bs
the case in spite of all predictions that the huge
mass of logs would be stranded on the rocks and
the gateway to the city from the Sound blocked
up.
The tug Urderw1itcr from Boston, which had
helped to bring the raft from Nova Scotia, led
the way, carrying a heavy hawser, several huns
dred feet in advance of the raft and directing
its course The Scandinavian. Captain Humphrey
Jones: the Baltic. Captain Huting: and the Bat
tier Captain llcnnessy three OF LuckenDachs
tugs, took positions along the sides OF the raw
and pushed the big cgar-sha ped craft along while
the Ocean King, the coDscrt OF the Underwriu.!
in the ocean voyage pushed rom @ dne s,erh ,s Iohn
Pratt two more Of the Luckenbach tugs, came
up and lent their aid and the whole fleet reacnen
Flood Rock at noon and passed through lieu
Gate without any dliiculry.
BOARDING THE RAFT IN MIDsTREAM.
A aeet of several hundred steamers, sailboa0
and rowboats attended the RATS progress, clus
tering around it on all sides The small boats
pulled fearlessly up beside it and attached their
lines, and passengers scrambled up the
side of the logs and overran every portion oil the
bulky craft Several ladies were among these
boarders and long strips of bark were pulled from
the logs for them, to be carried away as souve'
Mrs Of the exploit. small black mongrel dog
was in one of these excursion parties. ana accomp
MED his master on a tour Of inspection over tha
raft. When the visitors had satisfied their curl
osity they returned to their boats and pushed away
while the raft continued its course down the
stream. The raft shows afoat fifteen feet above
the water and draws twenty-five feet The main
channel was followed as well as possible. and over
the greater part of the route the raft ran in close
to the NewYocll shore. Its great length, 592 feet
made the vast body difficult to turn urn from rom
nearly forty feet high on which to suspend nghts
at night. The lights were taken down Yesterday
and in their places Union Jack and the Amer.
can flag were flung to the breeze; ihe rigging OF
all the tugs was decorated with flags. and tho
fleet, as it moved along, presented the appearance
of trumphal procession.
This appearance was maintained BY the sdlutcs
of the steamers as they passed, EAcrrsIol
steamers, with every deck crowded. slackencd
speed as the raft aoated by, and the passenger.
pressed the guard-ras to gaze at the queer craS
! from Nova Scotia and wave their handkerchefs to
the crew. The steam whistles kept up din, TO
which the tugs responded until at times the uproa,
was deafcnng. Along the shores OF Astoria and
Harlem, every available point was crowded, the
factories lent their whistles to the din as the raft
foated by, and cannon salutes even were hred
from both sides of the stream.
THE RATS BLUFF OLD CAPTAIN.
James D. Leary the owner Of the logs was not
present to take part in the welcome, but the build
er of the raft, H. R. Robertson, a stalwart six
foot Nova Scotian, looked on with quiet satisfac.
ton at these manifestations. Five Nova Scotians
came on with Mr. Robertson to take it apart. The
marty was under the direction of Andrew jackson
Gates, Maine man.
1.-The city's growed good deal since / was
here in 1861" said Gates to the Others but
memry's good. The Statoo Of Liberty ana nc
Bridge and the elevated roads is new, but the
rest is tae same, only there's more OF IT, Now
Jake" he continued, addressing one OF the men zen
that statoo is 500 feet high, and one Of the
fingers is twenty-five feet long =,
d" Shore!" exclaimed Jake, wouldn't though
the statoo more'n fifty feet high
Wall, you'll find 1t Is, and good deal more
swan what in creation r Is that thing ,,,o,sd h,
The attention Of MT CaSs was @ a,sraoeI Sn1p;D .,
around the big raft like minnow around whale
and after making complete circle IN 'front.' o
the raft dartsd away leaving tra % Oh ,. ioam fon u
and gazed in astonishment after the boat nnti
it was out of sight WALL remarked Nh Cate
,.h nll lnHs A
boats, but that airs the nearest to creased light
. ming I've yet Beats all what people spen'
on boats bout here They didn't do so much o
that twenty-seven years ago.
| RUNNING UNDER THE BIG BRIDGE
, The Bridge was a point of interest that occupies
much of the attention of the party, who lay bac
: on the logs and watched it. 1t was half-past
when the raft and the tugs reached the grea
structure The promenade was thronged wit
sightseers, and the platforms at the towers wer
crowded with people who were waiting TO see Tn
raft 90 by. The steamers, tugs and ferryDoa'
set up fresh tumult, and the tugs OF the raft Re
t sponded until their throats were hoarse
S From the Bridge down to the Battery the crow
4 of boats and sailing craft grew thicker but th
g raft passed through them without difficulty
@ The tide had now begun to ebb and wide circu
8 was made past Governors Island and near Bee
lows Island to carry the raft into the Erie Basil
A number Of sailing vessels were anchored ncs
> | the course and destroyed all calculations, bI
half n dozen more tugs came to the assistan,
of those engaged, and the raft was at last towe
S safely into the Basin. She is now aground b'
r ! with the hcly OF IT," tide viii be pushed INTO b
/ place on Monday and the task of taking To picc
4 | The great mass of $4,000 forest trees will the
, | be begun.
, about 640O tons BY ordinary shipment th
would cost, it is said. nearly $4,000. The tu
owncrs who brought the raft are said to &
s3.5o0 tacn making the cost of shipment to "
n Gcarv $1,000. This IL is thought, will enab
|. him to dispose Of the logs. which are used main
r. in pirr-building at a lower price than they cou
.. .. be bought at Bangor, Maine,
:. NEW PHASE OF THE STEVENS COUNTY STRIF
, Topeka Kan. Aug. IL Special. Colonel SAINT
:, Wood of woodsdale Stevens County arrived in TO,