The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-08
STEAMBOATING TIMES
IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS--JOHN IT. PARKER,
or Hartford, Recalls Interesting Hap-
 penIngs-FIood of 1854

John NJ. Parker, writing to the Hart ford Times of the old days of steam boating, says
 , What may be considered a large flood, making something over twenty three feet in the Connecticut river, which is now falling, reminds me of the still larger flood of May, 1854, when the mark was twenty-nine feet ten inches, and the largest ever known in this riv- CT. This last freshet, with its over flowing meadows and city wharfs and streets, has been an interesting sight to many. But add seven feet and it would. be still more so. I was then clerk of the boat at Hartford on Sun day, about 3 p. m. The steamboat landing, at the premises now owned by w. c. Mason & Company, was over flowed, as we'll as every wharf in the city. Captain Daniel A. Mills, of Rocky ! Hill, was in command, and the boat was anchored just below the bridge.
 After supper several of the officers took the quarter boat on an observation trip. After going down to State street, there was no difficulty in going up to Front street and through Front to Pot ter. In Potter street, one family was taken from the second story of a house on the south side Going further two { families were taken from the second story of the last house on the north t side fthe street. We returned to the boat with these three families as I gusts, and they remained several days ! by the courtesy of Elisha T. Smith, then president of the Hartford and New York Steamboat Company. :. 4 The City, remained in Hartford . several days before she resumed her | trips, as not only in Hartford, but at every landing on the river the wharves were under water, which caused busi- ness with the boat to be temporarily suspended.
 x I remember another unusual experi- ence while I was clerk of the Hero, of quite another character, which has been recalled in connection with the opening of the river this year. Fifty one years ago, on Monday, March 4, 1852 the Hero left Peck slip, New York, at D. m. for her first trip of the season, think under the command of Captain E. M. Simpson, of Middle < Haddan1. This was before the Shore Line and Valley roads were built, and the merchants and manufacturers who 5 received their goods by boat were de- sirous to have navigation resumed on the river as early as possible. The weather was cold for the season, and while coming down the Sound there were several flurries of snow. on coming into the river ice was found be- tween Saybrook and Lyme, and be- tween Lyme and Essex. The ice was so thick that it was thought best to re- main at Essex until morning, where af- tfr Aaking on fresh supply of coal the "trip was resumed. On reaching Good speed $ Handing, late in the afternoon, it was thought best to remain there un- 2 til the next morning. The next day the boat got under, way in the early fore noon, and that "Wednesday evening reached Hartford, where she remained until Friday afternoon. In the mean time the ice had broken up and run down the river. It was, I remember, a beautiful evening, with clear sky and full moon, and no ice was encoun- tered until after we left the Deep Riv- CT landing. Just below, as is well known. there is a bend in the river, and not la very wide channel. It was foudn that the fioodtide had stopped the ice, which was supposed to be solidly packed from the bottom of the river to 5 the top The result was that after re- peated attempts to break through the obstruction, itYwas found impossible, hence the Hero returned to the Deep River landing. The weathr was very cold for the season. The steamer re- mairied there ten days before the chan mel was cleared of ice and she was able to resume her trip, arriving at New York in due time. It may seem strange to some that the trips were not resumed sooner. I think I can say, first. without any successful contradic- tion, that Captain Simpson, who was In command, and John R. Vail, who was pilot were both men of long experience 2 on the river and the peers of any boat men on the line; second, that it must aforementioned that the Hero, although a good and popular boat for her time was not to be compared for motive power with the present modern boats of the transportation company, and fur ther, that there were no steam tugs on the river at that time.
 Judging from the very successful ef- forts of the steamer Hartford, aided by the Sachem and other powerful boats in clearing the thick, heavy ice in the riv- CT this spring, that if they had been at Deep River landing in place of the Hero, there would probably not have been long delay in clearing the channel below Deep River in 1852.
 In closing I will say that this unpre- cedented trip took seventeen days The Hero continued running on the line making regular trips, until the new and popular boat, the City of Hartford took her place the following June. The Hartford was a much larger boat than the Hero and up-to-date for that time and she received liberal patronage.