New-York tribune., 1907-09-13
LIFE ON THE EAST RIPER.
One Woman's Comfortable Home
on Stone Barge.

Peopie who have experimental with life on
houseboat say there is nothing like 4 Cor pure IN
adulterated bliss Housekeeping en- Z ba-Se-'le
kind used for freight around New York 0T','ers-ls
a working edition Of houseboat existence bat ihete
IS one woman at least who tried il for nine
teen years and who says that she would nave
nervous prostration if she had TO live in 4 New
York fat That is the captains wife on the Ma
CARA. which is engaged in carrying huge blocks OF
stone from Port Morris 10 the 64th street COCKS on
the East River. -. ..,,o
from decks above, with the tide ripping past
and boats tooiiig up ana - oo1 9t% IN an, booking
after small daughter in her kitchen down below
househod gods "a 6args n the vicinity Of New
York ports. hut the Nagar. could pTooao5y ,a slHe
II has all the comforts OF home, including ,j coz
drive fat dwelling women green with envy ou
The doors 70 'he home on the Niagara 0Pta gt
through the ceiling IF ii. but aside from the TACT
that fhey entered from the top the rooms ar
like any rooms only III wndo"s are @ TieT bIrooJos llg
room is fhe Kitchen with built-in tables. big
oo1 - ecffsg ,,,t screwed TO the wall and
MY husband made these for me" said the
captains wife opening door after door and snow
sng neat little lockers with shelves loaded with
with tools He boarded up the sides Of this store
room, too" she added, leading the way into a
in some fats opened of this storeroon. and in II
Were dozens OF cans OF preserved fruit, ranged on
large room with laundry tubs and boiler for
Fclothes, and bench where the captain does his
DO / like this life?- said the captains wife
1i1ti af in HeS YORK We have 10 have It on
account OF our boy. who is going 10 school stay
him sometimes. but l wouldn't live there for any
thing. You can't go TO the windows there without
oIiiI have a home in the country I'd like it well
always something TO see from the boat. something
new I'd go mad IL had 10 look at brick walls
other DeOple'S windows 8 II the time most
city people have to-"
The engineer Of the boat is something Of an
paints. but he does little pictures on shells with
them, and SO contributes TO the parlor ornaments
of the Niagara. He has several cameras, too; ana
Niagara and her predecessor The Niagara was
built only a year ago one picture shows the
,TSe engineer walked out over the ice TIL he was
sufficiently far from the Niagara and the string
That was cold winter said the captains
wife hut NE don't mind mind how cold
weather is. We can always keep warm IN our
don't care how much we burn. And We don't mind
e h hot 3 The 4 WaneF EeaaF m m aways ET Ead when we
get UP beyond Hell Gate, though, the air Is SO
the storeroon that holds several cakes Of ice, 50
We have nc trouble about keeping food. ,,.-..-,-
The Niagara has never been II any COLLISIONS
but TsVe sfe reen NAKED Il don't know any
captain WIG .-.-1- o., 40 rfpb+
fere at Sixty-fourth street, though The river
awful worse here than anywhere else Some
nights when II goes tearing past youd thlnk
YOU were out a Once il nearly tore US
loose from our rnoC-ings, and there We swung IN
the middle Of the river. just held by one rope,
till a tug 70 help Nobody realizes Wnat
strength the tide has till they've lived on tle
water
Like most people who are familiar with the
water the wife of the Nlagara's captain has a
wholesome dread OF it, 1T makes shivers go
down NV back" she said, TO see the crowds OF
people these excursion boats And II theX
want something on one SIDE they u al.
rush 10 that SIDE and you can just see the boa
INT I suppose they don't think how easy that
boat could go a little further and tip them all in
the water
They have good times the Niagara When
they happen TO be anchored near some clam beds
they take their small boat and go for clam
bake. There are several comfortable Old rocking
chairs on the deck among the blocks OF stone, and
there is a swing below for baby Clara They have
parties there too. Only the other day the cap
1ain's little son had one = told him he might
invite ten boys" his mother said Il nearly
tainted when I into the parlor and saw
twenty boys lined up here. They thought II was
great fun. having a party q boat
There are good times this barge, but there
is danger, too, in the great stones that are car
T1ed aloft 10y the Of tie derrick and deposited
on shore. 4 picture - wreck the Niagara's
predecessor shO1s what may happen stone
barge one <ay-not. however, when this cap
tain WAS IN charge-a heavy block Of marble
slipped from the derrick and crushed through
~ h0or Of the deck, straight into the parlor be
low. II fell a baby VINO was playing there
that to=- she held was knocked out OF her little
hand. But the baby not harmed