The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
NICE ARTOF THE RAFTSMAN
SKILL REQUIRED TO NAVIGATE THE
DELAWARE RITER.

NARRowsBURG. n. Y, June 10.-During the
recent spring tho Delaware River carried
thirty-onc RATS Of all descriptions past this
place on the way to market at tidewatcr Most
Of them were log RATS Of second-growth pine
and hemlock and others were OF sawn lumber
of the same material; some were loaded with
poplar. n few with oak. and still others with
telegraph poles and railroad seepers OF chest
nut Most OF the RATS ranged in size from 30
600 square feet to 10000 square feet. These
RATS are built 10y placing tho logs in the water
and flashing thcm together with saplings. The
only tool used is the woodlands axe. the use
OF which has not been forgotten in this region of
numbering traditions The dimensions OF the
RATS vary. the largest being in the noighbor-
hood of 300 feet long by 10 wide. Pad
dies are placed at both ends. sometimes
to the number of seven or eight, and
tho steersmans place is always on the
start GARD corner aft. The largest raft this
year was Of hcwn hemlock logs. containing
about 100000 square feet. 1t was "a" fleet. as
n full-grOwn raft Is termed composed OF five
ponies from the branch. Probably the next
largest was one Of pine logs belonging to Jere
miah Partridge OF Narrowsburg. Pine is much
heavier than hcmock, and Mr. rnrtridge's BOO
ton craft OF 100000 square feet weighed nearly
as much "a the larger one He piloted it down
himself without the loss Of an end log.
The first time ever went down the river"
said Mr.. Partridge. who is recognized as one uf
"' '' '''o ''"-' '' " " u" " '' wa
mana on Meet mat lay over mere snort 'hahde"'
l was lad of II then. and pretty strong one
too. We RULED every foot of tn" way down
the river. first on one side and then on
the other. We took her clear through to
Philadelphia. and when ! reached there was
as near played out rs man could be and still
live. | cam" homo. and the minute | reached
"''' i nv, ""o''I'i man WIZ ""''''U " '''''
me. toId nm hal Just got nome, so sore
and weary could scarcely move. He grinncd
""" WV ","' Wv '''N'' W .,'I 'i'"'. "'r
Eoh" down Wltl ana toIu mo 10 thInk IL over
and bc on hand in the morning had a good
rich,,s .I.a,,,,,I .hny.J M i, tno ,norning
It, "'," 7'''"." ~, ~ '"' NV
a M" W"Ht an III" & Mny 70 rR,dd1hen E
did lin The w&",~%i the ssf%s4: Well: IF. that
We" Would be- ' GOO. one ''"''' ny NY "''' '"''
showed one small difference between good
pilot and a ha'! one. Instead OF disrommodlnK
rom hns , Wreck M the way En "T n v"G%
pete loss OF the raft. and PERHAPS tn" death or
m.mnE of IS, som ME-, of tM% Is , n%
., IN" river IN every on" Of is ,ynr,%I
ample is never the | @ame. The TACT that the
water is II few feet higher or a few feet lower,
falImri,, maE"s difference in the sicersman 5
properties OF raft vary with size, weight and
and mSmy Sk
the first excrtIentrllot The Delaware is known
Few srortsmcn know it at the season OF the
sprI ing freshet, when the river IS still swollen
Its rhar,cter and dep99rtment DO not differ
very much from those OF any of the mountain
trout strcamsthat contribute ; to make it river
falls. islands and isolated rocks, to soy, nothing
Of very substantial bridge piers. all add to th.
necessity for skill and judgment on the part Of
the ,etcersmnn.
The raft has to be made up. as the yatermen
call il. Il little differently tor ench OF these dan
gerous places. Sometimes tho unwieldy craft
Is banded 81 as to arproach some Of the many
distractions almost full hroadsde on. and
the voyagers are always narrowly ,cs-
gaping som" inhosptable; looking point,
within the first five miles to send the raft
T"n VIVA II II ma mot u
places q aisagTeemenp i in the SH%mi ME-
e be II. t"rgSt until within a S"ry
OF the raft and lifts 1t suddenly and
unaccoun'ably INTO the PROPER channel.
| tho paddles. II It were to be made up accord
| ing to grs"nh3rn.s advice It gould either
| come to grief on the rocks on the P"nnsvlvanla
| shore or carry very weary ere y around
| the bend At Port Jerris. What 8 true
| OF this place Is equally true Of many
| another. fhul MT ncIOW fastOh. is
| place universally dreaded among watermcn.
| While It is only approximately true that RATS
travel through Foul Ritt 9t the rate OF NIL" a
! minute. the speed actually attained in those
three miles is sufficient to Justify the desrrip-
| ton as fSur" oi speech. The current ii
| divided by dangerous rocks; and many an cX-
| peri"nced rafting hand smiles Rrlm,y az the
| mere mention OF 1t. And yet, says Mr.. Fart
| ridge. If raft is properly made up for Little
! f0uI. which is the approach TO Big Foul. II vi
| rush through without need OF touching pa IDLE
tothe water ono acc uires respect for the po''-
| minute knowledge by observing the eXactn"Ss
| with which rh't is manruyred on It's approach
| to any of thce" difficult places. The marx
| vary with different men, and, except by acct
| dent. probably no two employ the same. From
| his place in the rear the StrerSman holds the
! edge Of the raft In CONJUNCTION with an imaGi-
nary line drawn through two distant points
| that are scarcely perceptible 70 ordinary eyes
Superior skill counts in running time too. 1t
| l. not unusual for the good pilots raft to pass
| another. tho men on the first sitting on their
| oarhandles and Jeering the laboring crew OF
| the second.
The work Mt the oars IL not hard, at least
| with np,lOt who knows his business. Tho q Vel