Amador ledger., 1900-11-30
LIFE ON A FREIGHT SCOW
DR.. Gibbons Writes Of His
Experience.
THE DANGERS OF ALASKA RIVER TRAFFIC
Scows Loaded With Freight Become
Unmanageable at Times Even
In Quiet Streams.
SKAGwAY, ALASKA, Nov. 10, 1900.
Dear LEDGER:

SKAGwAY, ALASKA, Nov. 10. 1900.
Dear LEDGER:
Since writing last, it has been
my good fortune to have an experience
of rather more than ordinary interest.
AS soon as the river opens in the
spring it is my intention to go to the
far North with my daughter and
years outfit of provisions, etc., in my
own boat. and as the upper part of the
river is by no means as quiet as mill
pond, it seemed advisable to form its
acquaintance before making the VEN
ture. In September there was great
congestion of freight at White Horse
en- route for Dawson. The river steam
ers were carrying all they could and
still more than two thousand tons
must be sent down on scows or be held
over until spring. Carpenters were
getting Is cents and even dollar an
hour building seows, and men to run
them were in great demand. Parks,
Dwyer and Gubbins received five dol
lars day to run scow from White
Horse to Dawson and their baggage
carried free. That was better than
paying fifty dollars for passage. The
very best way to learn the river is to-
go down and scow, far preferable to
going on a steamer or even small
boat. So l went to White Horse to
take the trip and there learned that
they would not take passengers under
any considerations. Rather than miss
the trip l hired out as cook for scow
feet for five dollars a day and first
class passage on steamer back to White
Horse. Our feet consisted of eight
scows each carrying twenty-five tons
of freight. The scows are fiat bot
toned boats, twelve feet wide and
thirty-six feet long, each having a
long oar called a sweep in front and
behind to steer by, and are run in
pairs lashed together side by side. The
crew consisted of sixteen sweep men,
captain, night watchman and cook.
We expected to make the run to Daw-
son in nine or ten days but were pro-
visioned for two weeks. Two tents,
one for cooking and one for sleeping,
were pitched on a scOw load of grain
and baled hay. AT a. M, Oct. 1st,
we left White Horse The sensation
of riding on scow is unlike that of a
steamer, no motion being felt as it
simply floats on the current which
averages six miles an hour. We went
about fifteen miles and one pair of
scows ran on bar so the others were
''snubbed. "Snub" means to tie one
end OF rope around post on the scow
and the other end to tree OF rock on
shore and thus stop the scows. This
sounds easy, but when you consider
that the scows and their loads weigh
about sixty tons, it is really no trifing
job when the current is swift and no
convenient eddy near. The captain
and sweep men went ashore in a swell
boat rigged a spanish windlass" to a
couple of trees, and seven hours of hard
work pulled the stranded scows off the
bar. The captain said it was too late
to start again that day so he went
hunting, bringing back two ducks and
three grouse. Next morning we start
ed at daylight and soon reached Lake
Lebarge, beautiful sheet of water
thirty-two miles long and three to five
wide. The little steamer that was to
tow us across did not start until four
in the afternoon and it was eleven the
next forenoon before we were across.
The current sucked us in to Thirty
Mile river as if it were very thirsty,
but we had only gone eleven miles
when bar caught one seow in very
bad manner. The company's agent
had told us that a steamer would con-
voy the fleet and pull stranded scows
off the bars but failed to keep it's
promise. 1t was dark the next day
before we were ready to start again.
We also learned that our captain knew
nothing at all about the river except
what he had learned in passing over it
in steamboat. The next morning
was clear and pleasant so we loosed the
ropes and started. The river seemed
full of scows. Although the river is
very crooked I counted thirteen at one
time. Soon we entered the rapids, for
Thirty Mile is more than half swift
water, though not so bad but that
steamers can ascend. We passed the
wrecks of the steamers Doniville and
Florence S, also two stranded scows
and shouted our sympathy for we
knew how it was ourselves. AS we
swept down the stream I noticed the
scows did not make uniform speed as
the current is not the same across the
whole river. Soon the boss of our
scows shouted ''Give her hill boys"
and as that meant hard work for all,
stepped to assist at one of the sweeps.
We were near the shore where the
current was slower than in the centre
and pair of scows in midstream were
coming dangerously near. In spite of
the efforts of both crews, the stranger
scows crushed ours againnt the bank
in violent manner. One corner of
the right hand scow ran several feet
upon the gravelly shore, hung and
scraped while the current swung both |