The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-07-19
THE DURHAM BOAT.
Delivered Before the Buckwampun Liter
airy and Historical Society, at the
Ringing Rocks, on Saturday,
June TO- IaQ8


do not have to wait until reads are built
or canals dug, before the products OF their
plan ations or crude metals dug from the
hills can be taken to market and con-
vcrted into cash. For this reason the
valley Of the Delaware river became set
tied before the interior. Penn came up
as far as the water was deep enough 10
safely float the largest ships, and there es-
tablished the prosperous City of Brotherly
Love. Farther up, the city of Trenton,
that beautiful capital OF the neighboring
State OF New Jersey, was located at the
head OF sloop and schooner navigation.
To make use of this natural water way
beyond this point, another kind Of boat
must be called into service il advantage
would be taken Of the wide but rather
shallow river. Necessity has ever been
the mother Of invention, and viii most
likely continue for all time to bring forth
creatures to minister to mans necessities.
The early settlers, In penetrating the for
ests and wilds, into the domain OF the
Red Man, along the Delaware, found not
only exceedingly fertile soil that smiled at
their touch, and brought forth an hundred
fold, but found veins OF the most useful
OF all metals, iron.
BY means of small boat the news was
soon conveyed to Philadelphia and from
there to the Mother country England.
This at once excited the cupidity OF several
wealthy English gentlemen, who purchas-
ed over six thousand acres OF this ore land
near the Devils Hole-now Durham Cave
-on both sides Of what Is now known as
Durham creek, 10 Durham township, and
In the year 1872 began the erection of a
furnace for the reduction Of this ore into
pig iron. The production being so heavy,
necessity demanded better means OF
transporting II to tide water than wagons
over country roads. These iron works
were named the Durham Furnace, some
historians say after the superintendent and
general manager whose name wac Dur
ham. / am inclined to doubt this, how
ever, and believe that they were named
after the town OF Durham In England.
But let this be as 1t may, we are only con-
cerned In knowing that II was called Dur
ham, as far as this article has to do with
1t. The child OF this mother OF invention
was boat, designed by the general man.
ager Of the works. As 1t was used in the
transportation OF the product of the Dur.
ham furnace, the boat was naturally
known as the Durham boat. The design
er no doubt obtained ideas as to the best
form from his Red skinned brother, as
they were made canoe shaped, that is,
sharp at both ends, in order that tho boat
need not be turned around, considerable
advantage when operated as these were
mostly by means Of setting poles. Be.
cause Of the shallowness of the stream In
places, the boat was fiat bottomed, with
out keel.
They varied somewhat 10 dimensions,
bat the standard boat was sixty.six feet ia
length, eight feet aud six inches beam and
three feet In depth. They were OF about
fifteen tons burden. They were not deck
ed over, but had running board about a
foot In width reaching the full length OF
the boat on both sides. The means OF
propulsion, as stated before, was by the
use OF poles with an iron or steel ferrule
on The end like a cane. This end was
placed on the river bottom, and The other
end placed at the shoulder OF the boat
man, who then walked from one end OF
the boat to the other on the running
board, pushing at the same lime. When
they got TO them, they raised their poles
and walked back to get new hold. They
generally went down tho river loaded and
back empty. Ia going down oars were
often used in place of poles and as a
matter Of fact, very often, especially Ia the
first years Of their use they simply foated
wiuhitIsc current in passing down, and
were then polcd, or set back. Sometimes
when the water was too deep for the poles
they pulled themselves along by grasping
the many bushes that then lined both
shores { I the Delaware. Later on jury
sail was rugged when the wind was favor
able, but as the boats had no keels they
could only make use OF the wind when II
blew 10 the direction they were going. A
crew consisted general y OF six able bodied
men. While this seems large number to
operate SO small a boat, yet they found 1t
no sinecure by any means. 10 fact it is
said they were enabled to stand their ar.
duous duties only by consuming large
quantities of whiskey, each man being
allowed quart day. What fascinat-
ing job this would have been to many
men Of our generation, on account of the
whiskey prerogative.
The FIRST boats were almost wholly used
in transporting iron to the seaboard, but
later on they were used in frcighting floul
In barrels, coal from the Lehigh, ant
many other products of the farm, work
shop and mill, as we'll as bringing back
dry goods, groceries, hardware. ect., e
the stores along the route. Some histor
ians accord the honor OF building the frs
oat to Robert Durham somewhere abou
the year 1874, who launged it in the Del.
aware near the Durham cave, then call
ed the DEVILS hole. AT one time there
we're many hundreds 10 use, giving EN-.
ployment TO thousands OF men. When
the Delaware division OF the Pennsyl saniu
canal was completed In the year 1882
their decadence began. The sound OF the
boalman's horn Of the canaIers struck ter
ror Ia the Durham boatmen. His calling
seemed to be gone forever. Some few
fingered at the business until the yea
l84i, which brought the greatest frcshe
In the river known In tho memory O