The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-04-25
THE CRUISE OF THE NORA.
Story Experiences on the Wild Mis-
souIa River

souIa River.
| Missoula, April 1S.-For years the
| problem of the successful navigation
! of the Missoula river with craft sufta-
Die for the transportation of wood has
been considered by persons who have
seen IN its successful solution a
bonanza. Numerous experiments have
peen made during this time and the
styles OF boats that have been launched
| by confident inventors have been as
many and as varied as would be ex-
pected from the number of expert
mentors. But for one reason or an
other the attempts have been unsuc-
cessful until Commodore John Wood
attacked the problem and, after a win
Ter spent IN experimentation and cal
culatlon, this spring evolved the stern
Wheeled, Hat-bottomed, hand steamer,
Nora, which has attracted considera-
Die attention during it's trial trips
made recently. The commodore re-
jected the idea of steam power. All
the bold navigators Of fable and his
tory, from the Argonauts to the Morse
men, had used muscles to make their
boats go, and if they could do it, he
could
So the Nora was built to be propelled
by, hand. The crank rod which re-
wolves the big paddle wheel at the
/
altacneo, so that six brawny men can
make the paddles go around Uncle
Blll Berry gave the idea his indorse-
ment and work room was con-
tributed by interested property owners
IN which Mr.. Wood labored all winter.
The first few trips of the boat were
not entirely successful and some minor
changes IN the mechanism were neces-
sary. But the commodore's inventive
mind overcame all obstacles and this
week the Nora, with Old Glory nailed
to her fore, has glided successfully over
the river opposite the city.
The island has several times been
successfully circumnavigated and
searched for treasure supposed to have
been buried by faro fiends and Cree
Indians.
Yesterday morning the commodore
decided to go up the Bitter Root river
as far as Hamilton. Owing to the
strike of the seamen's union and the
extraordinary scale of wages demanded
by them, it was decided to shanghai a
crew. Arrangements were made with
a German boarding house keeper to
ship crew of seven.
This was accomplished without much
difficulty, and as fine a lot of staIwart
deutschers as ever scuttled a ship
signed the shipping articles for the
round voyage. There was HechIer.
Seigel, Setin, Miller, Joe Shilling, and
Nielack and his partner. The boat was
stocked with provisions to suit the Jolly
tars. Sauerkraut in abundance beer
galore, pretzels and limburger enough
to raise the boat over dangerous
shoals, rhine wine and wiener wurst.
The boat majestically glided down the
river. She sped away, a thing of
beauty and grace, until the bar at the
mouth of the Bitter Root river was
reached, and then with a strong pull
and pull altogether she missed the
middle passage and grounded on an
island. 1t was decided to tighten the
cargo by unloading the crew, and as
they could not swim, the gallant COM
modore ferried them one by one from
the island to that far off shore on his
capacious back. The captain de-
nounced them as lazy land lubbers
and the journey was continued up the
river by means Of tow line attached
to the mariners, who trudged along
the tow path much the same as mules
on the Erie. After a fourteen-mile
tramp their craft became involved with
some stray logs and the boat and
machinery quit in a hopeless mess.
The provisions were thrown into the
river and if the fish ever recover they
will have a beer hall flavor that will
paralyze a Flathead Indian. The
weary mariners will pack their
blankets into Missoula tomorrow, and
will be undoubtedly run in as the
Siwash branch of Coxey's army. After
few days rest they will try to cap
ture a convenient freight