The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-03-29
BIG COAL TONS
HARD To FORM
Acres Of Fuel AiIOat Handled BY
One Steamer.
BIG PITTSBURC FLEETS
ARE PUT TOGETHER AND HAND.
LED BY MEN WHO UNDER
STAND THEIR BUS
MESS.


obtained regarding the trips mad
by the huge boats down the ts,
great rivers
Many Of the great towboats iron
Pittsburg are bringing tows ON wha
10 known as the second rise" AM
some of them have already passe,
Cairo with their fields of fuel Las
Saturday the John A. Wood ana De
fender passed down and Others are
expected in a few days
Many people in Cairo are familiar
with the general details and dimen.
sions OF a coal tow and a coal boat
but few people oatsde Of those whose
business throws them into intimate
association with this industry, real
ize or know anything Of the life led
by the deckhands who put together
the acres of floating fuel that come
down the Ohio to Cincinnati Louis,
vile. Cairo and then on, to points
below Nearly all OF the tows which
pass here come from Pittsburg al
though few are made up at Louis
vile,
The chains used to fasten the
barges are about eight feet in length
with peculiar hook on each end
known among riyermen as q goose
neck The bane Of the deckhand's
life is 10 carry these chains from one
end of the tow to the other. The
distance Is plenty enough to make d |
man grow tired under the weight |
and walking is none the hest. The |
chains are known as the "iewelry. |
and when the mate yells for more
iewelry there and be mighty quiel
about IL, there is generally necessi
ty for several commands, and specific
ones at that before the deckhands
move
When the tow is all in place an6
hltched securely together, tao flats
OF coal, for use as fuel for the steam
er, are hitched to the side OF thu
boat. When the tow is underway
the deckhands pass the time away
by carrying coal from the flats to the
boilerroom. As great deal Of Goa
il used on trip, the men have quite
a bit Of diversion and time does moi
drag slowly by
On towboat of ordinary size, thu
crew is made up of the following
Captain, mate, wa6chman, (who ia !
usually second mattel two pilots
two cooks, ilunky, four firemen, tvt
engineers, lamp trimmer ane from
Il to 25 deckhands. The men worl
In shifts, usually remaining on duty
for six hours and sleeping six hours
Quite fund of knowledge is nee
essary to being first rate riverman
The captain of the boat. as a matter
Of course, is familiar with every foot
Of the navigating course on the river
He also understands the hitching 81
q tow down to the finest detail the
action Of the engines, IN fact. the cap
tain knows all about a boat and boat
ing, tow and towing for If he didn1
things would run smooth bat very
short time.
The pilots work in shifts From
time to time, when hitehing 4 tow
they call through megaphones to the
mate, Offering suggestions as to thu
arrangement of the coal boats II is
tiresome enough to pilot a boat, but
IN the summer time, the task IS 2
most pleasant one, despite the fact
hat great vigilance is always re
quired. Steaming down the river. ,
feeling the boat and feet of barge.
to the hand, Is exhilerati l
ng enough TO keep its novelty al
ways. In the winter time, the TASK ,
IS rough and trying one, but It's /
in the summer repays 2
or the inconvenience Of the winter.
The deck hand is not always par +,
ocular about what Kind of work he Is
% do. He ships for the money there !,
3 in il, and if he can avoid passing
'oal from the flats into the boat dur
ny the trip down the river. he is p
lappy man. When not passing coal
here Is plenty 10 be done on the
leet. Syphon lines. connected with
he engine room in the steamer are =
ain to every part of the fleet. and Il
humps run into the pump holes Of n
he barges TO keep them clear from
water There is always more or less Al
eakage into coal boat and tho Id
|eckhands must be constantly ON The e,
ieft to keep the holds pumped clear
Ind then there are dash boards ia he Al
rected on the front bafges Of the al
leet and several Of those on the side %
he dash boards add height to the
idcs OF the barges, to keep the swell =,
4 water that results from moving :.
through the water at a fast speed =
rom rolling into the barges
None blii the largest boais take
pws Of coal 20 New Orleans. The u
mailer towboats bring the coal h. h'
ineinnaii louisville. Cairo ana olh T"
aownriyer cities. and thence south
} New Orleans they are taken hv 70
own-fiser steamers. The deckhapd or
as q comparatively easy time com. g
e ap the river. A tow of empties
gsually brought back and there Is "a
TIE nsore 70 do than pass coal. ~ 90
e ratehes are dsridee into fous 81