The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-11-29
Copyrighted, 1899, by the publishers of THE
TRIBUNE.

istSt the publishers OF iHE NATlONi
| TRIBUNE.
Another Chapter of Troublous Navigation (
Muscle Shoals.
Il declare, | shall have to expand m
| report to volume said Col. Bonestee
descending from his perch as soon as th
danger seemed past. It'll be Il splendi
refutation of the charge that Engineer OF
ficers are untitled to command troops, an
| lack decision and enterprise ut critical mo
ments. Smashing that pOntoon was an in
| SEPARATION that would have occurred to fey
men, and hardly to anybody but an En-
| gineer. And what narrow escapes | had
| That shot which struck the bell and ruine
that coffec-pot was aimed directly at me
| The fellow thought to get me by shooting
| UD through the deck. He was cunning
| but the motion of the boat saved me.
shall not mourn if | do get Il wound be
| fore were through. l can congratulate
myself on remaining perfectly cool AM
! collected throughout the whole affair. Al
| inStants wayering at several times wOult
| have ruined everything. | want To maxi
| the most of all this in my report, for thu
| honor of the Engineer Corps. 1t is no
| receiving anything like the credit it SHOULD
| from the other branches, who are per
| petually snecring at it. This affair alon,
will show what Engineers are capable o
when given the opportunity
First time | ever knew II man to pre-
fer coffee TO whisky, remarked Jake Dye
| to 81, rs they were discussing the eyent
of the day, and Jim Buinbridgc's part il
them.
You don't know these crackers as wei
as | do. 81 answered. They are all sim
ply crazy for coifce-thc women ever
worse than the men. Coffee means Il great
deal more to them than it does to us. No
only are they Il great deal funder of il
than we are, but it's something rich anC
aristocratic about being able to drinl
store coffee, just the Samc's the quality,
that gets away with them
Something like we think about drink
ing champagne and French brandy" sale
Jake
Precisely"
As they passed the mouth of Tow
Creek, at a considerable distance from tn,
main bank, they saw a squad of rebels
who spitefully fired volley mt them a
long range. They watched the bullets
splash and ricochet on the water, but con
tented themselves with volley of Oppro
brium in reply, leveled at everything rebel
from JEFF Davis downward.
Guess that's the last o them" said S
them. and they're probably the right flank
of their army"
Looks that way Shorty agreed, and
turned to continue the drying of his wet
clothes on the side of the boilers. ST and
Jake Dye busred themselves with the men
in getting the decks cleared up and swept
Jim cambridge found warm place where
the chimneys came through the hurricane
deck, bent his tall form around the sheet
Slnpn a
ment and Il full stomach.
Shad Graham occupied himself in look
ing carefully over the boat, to provide for
any future contingency. The wood-pile
gave him some concern. They had not
taken on any wood at Florence. and the
recent drafts upon it had greatly reduced
its volume.
IF we can see a fence anywhere in
this wilderness" remarked Shorty, motto
ing his regretful look, well land and take
it aboard Me and ST and the rest can
soon chop it up into lengths
Trouble is that they don't have any
fences in this part of the country. These
crackers are too dumbed lazy to even build
comfortable cabins, let alone fences"
The boat struck duly but heavily. and
stopped with n suddenness that wrenched
all her timbcrs and shook every one on
board. Her engines kept working, though,
and her wheel revolving, without pushing
her forward.
.'Confound it," exclaimed Shad, in a
tone of great annoyance, we've run onto
a bar"
Gosh. Zeke," exclaimed Jim Balm
bridge, Il meant ter've' told yO' that the
current settin' round that big new snag
up thar has made a bar acrost the chan
mel here"
i've found it out" said the pilot grim
~ Lieutenant, you'll have to get your
men TO the capstan and spar her over
All Western steamboats, go prepared for
just such emergencies as these, which are
liable at any moment. On either side the
bow rises a derrick-Iike contrivance, to
which is rugged a stiff pile, having its low
or end shod with iron. This drops down
into the water, Il rope runs through pull
ley-block down to the capstan, and by
working this the boat is lifted and pushed
over the bar
The spar was quickly rugged, with 81,
Shorty and the strongest men at the cap
stan bars, and the Lorcna began walk
ing" up the river again. Contrary to their
hopes. however, instead of being Il narrow
bar, this proved to he Il long shoal. This
had deceived the sharp eyes of the pilot
4 narrow, high bar makes a ripple which
quickly betrays its presence, while n con-
tiiiuOus shoaling of few inches may make
no sign.
boys threw into their first attack upon the
capstan became n severe continuous strain
upon the last atom of their strength, as
the Spars were time after time lifted and
set forward, and the slow walk around the
capstan repeated, to drag the boat forward
a few feet.
Great Jehoscphat, amt there no end
to this blamed bar" groaned Shorty, as
he wiped his perspiring face, while wait
ing for the tackle to he reaTTanged. 1t
seems to be as big as the Bar of Judgment
that the preachers are always talking
about"
Monty and Harry were stationed out
side Of the jackstaff, prodding out as far
as they could reach with poles, trying to
discover some show Of the water deepen
ing, without success.
If it wasn't for the looks of the thing
I'd rather walk, as the stage passenger
said, who had to carry rail up hill to pry
the coach up. and then walk down behind
and pull on n rope to keep the thing from
running TO smash" This from 81, rs he
stopped for a brief rest while Shad worked
out a kink in the sheaves.
when build boat to run on the Ten
nessee," volunteered Sandy Baker, I'm
going to put rollers on her bottom or wag-
on-wheels on the side to run on where IL is
only a little wet"
Come, boys, Mt her again." called ont
ST cheerily Wen get her through next
time This amt nothing TO working a
stone-boat over II plowed field. I've had
to do that. At her again. All hands to
the capstan. Now. strong and steadyw
After straining their muscles until they
seemed cracking, they succeeded i'll pulling
the boat forward about II rod, but Monty's