Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-07-08
FIRST LAKE STEAMER.
She Was Called Water. and
Had an Adventurous Career.

She Was Called WRlk-m-thc- Water, and
Had an Adventurous Career.
Walk-in-the- Water was a chief OF
the Wyandottes, The British made
him captain of marines aboard :he
Queen Charlotte, which went into
the battle OF Lake Erie under the
usual declaration that England ex-
pected every man, red or white, to
do his duty. But when the Niagara
of Perry's fleet came bearing down
with all her guns ablaze Walk-in-the-
Water concluded that naval warfare
was not adapted to the Indian, so he
quietly slipped over the side and swan
to the shore.
When the first steam vessel that
ever stemmed the currents of shallow
and boisterous Lake Erie was
launched her sponsors named her
after the chief whose personal APP
pellatlon so nearly described her
method of proceeding. She was a
frail craft, and her period of life was
as short as its ending was tragic.
When she first padded her way out
OF the Niagara River into Lake Erie,
ana, after venturesome passage.
steamed up the Detroit River she
was almost as great a revelation to
the white settlers as to the Indians
who danced upon the bank above
Maiden and shouted their astonish.
ment They had been told some
thing of the wonders OF steam. and
the word had gone out among them
That giant canoe was coming, drawn
by surgeons and with no aid from
oars or sails. Here it was at last.
and another of the white mans won
derful stories was true.
She went into the water at Black
Rock May Is, 1918, having been in
course OF construction from the No.
yember preceding, Her owners de-
signed her for the line between Black
Rock and Detroit, with stoppages at
intermediate points. Mcqueen Of
New York had built her engine, which
1T was thought would be strong
enough to carry her through the
rapids that lay between Black Rock
and the entrance to Lake Erie, but
when they assayed to steam her out
they found her power insufficient
She backed up and dashed forward
again and again, but the water was
her master, and every time she was
carried back. Several days were con-
sumed before her captain would give
up, but he finally tied her up 70 the
wharf and sent for Capt. Sheldon
thompson and his twelve yoke Of
oxen. A huge chain was run from
yoke to yoke aud attached to the
vessel, the word OF command was
given, the twenUy-four patient necks
were bent, all steam was crowded on.
and the passage Of the rapids was
speedily made. Ok muscle was there
after In demand whenever the out /
ward passage was TO be made.
A pioneer citizen Of Buffalo, Velor.
)us Hodge has placed upon record
some OF the incidents Of a voyage 10
Green Bay he made in 1921: 1--WE
stopped at various ports along the
axe, he says, but, as there were no
substantial landing places, we found
u difficult TO reach the shore. We
found Detroit quite a little town, and
stopped there several days, taking on
provisions and other supplies Going
40 81. Clair River, we ran on a sand
bar and knocked several buckets out
II our wheels. This Obliged MS 10 lay
~ at Fort Gfatiot for repairs. As
Don as we had tied up a crowd OF In
Hans came whooping down 10 see the
'Oat that went without sails.
When We reached Green Bay we
Iotlced on the shore a great crowd
. Indians awaiting our approach.
.hey we're there Co receive their am
ult.es from the Government. which
.ere then due. Besides. the rumor .
Id gotten abroad that their supp.Ies
.Iuid he brought la vessel that
.IuIl go upstream against me wind
nd the current The captain deter.
lined to prepare E llttlc SUNRISE nr
lcm lle ordered steam shut down ,
We slowly ifIitel tu che I0rk mo
'.lItri were WHtet 0u deck. and .
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