The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-06-24
THE LITTLE DAGO,"
A Sawmill and Pleasure Boat
Combined.
Things We Don't Know About
Our Own Indus
tries.

hC VI '"SN ANOH
day says: Capt. J. S. Abraham and
]. J. Dunn, United States Inspectors
OF Steamboats, and Boilers, left yester-
day for Hartford, KY, to inspect one
OF the most peculiar boats navigating
Kentucky waters the Little Dago.
1t Is a com bination passenger, saw
mill and tow boat, and Is operated on
Rough river, very rarely leaving that
stream. The craft Is owned aud oper-
ated by Capt. c. r. Robinson and
would attract an unlimited amount
OF attention any place but upon the
river 1t nsvlgates.
The Little Dago Is scarcely eighty
feet long and has twenty-four feet OF
beam, but in these small dimensions
more work is done than on many Of
the larger boats which run on the
Ohio and tributary rivers. The boat
runs between Hartford and Falls oi
Rough, and at sparse intervals makes
excursions into Green river. II was
formerly built for freight steamer,
but the fact that Rough river is un
navigable for many months out oithe
year on account OF low water aud ice
made 1t Improbable, and a sawmill
was soon installed on board. Nc
sooner had this been put In operation,
than an apparatus was purchased
for the catching OF floating logs and
pulling them on board the boat and a
similar piece of machinery purchased
which 10 used to raise sunkeu tim
bers
The little boat takes on a load OF
freight and passengers and leaves
port. Her engines are powerful, and
they drive her thorough the water a,
a rapid rate Of speed, and In this way
there Is nothing different from an or
binary steamer. A passenger who
should happen to investigate the
lower deck OF the little craft however,
would fud things vastly different, and
II left alone for few moments would
soon be lost In the mazes of belts and
shafts. On the freight deck instead
of the usual piles OF barrels, boxes
and bales, Is a miniature sawmill.
This occupies the greater par OF the
deck, but In the interstices there Is
ample room to store the freight the
boat carries. This generally consists
OF produce and groceries which are
delivered at every farm, the owners
always being at the river bank to
receive their purchases which have
been ordered during former trip Of
the boat.
During the progress OF the boat
the scene on the lower deck Is one oil
thorough business and in spite of the
cramped quarters the sawmill succeeds
In turning out several thousand
feet OF lumber In day. The progress
Is rapid and of little expense. Asthe
boat traverses the shallow waters oil
Rough river the numerous floating
logs which have broken from RATS,
which nearly cover the surface OF the
stream at certain seasons ARE captured
by the apparatus on the bow and
thrown on the forward deck. There
they are soon jerked under the saw
and are turned out on the larboard
side In all sorts and size of rough
sawed lumber. A small barge Is al
ways carried, and II the boat Is going
up staeam this Is turned loose wher
filled and two men put aboard to pilot
1t to the mouth OF Rough river, where
Green river tow.boats take it to Ev-
ansvllle.
Passengers are little bothered by
the work which goes on uninterrupt
ed on the lower deck, as the boat
makes rapid progress and carries
them to their destination In good
time. During the summer season
many excursion parties charter the
boat, as the cabin deck Is admirably
arranged for dancing. During these
trips the work does not pause and the
song OF the saw as 1t rips through
great trees which have once adorned
the hills of Ohio county joins with
the music of the orchestra, and the