Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-05-17
NAVIGATION POSSIBLE
ON ROGUE RIVER
Mining Machinery Taken From
Grants Pass to Paradise
Bar BY Boat.

That Rogue river for the 100 miles
from Grants Pass to it's mouth at
Goldbeach, where it empties into the
Pacific Ocean, could be made naviga.
BILE for boats up to 20 or 20 tons
capacity is the opinion of many ex-
perienced rivermen who have exam
ined it. Fishermen and prospectors
have been navigating Rogue river
with small boats since white men
settled here 90 years ago. At favor
able stages of water trips in small
boars have been made from Grants
Pass through to the settlements in
Curry county, bnt the dangerous
rapids through the Coast mooontain
section rendered it dangerous to all
but the most expert b9atman. That
boat carrying five tons of freight
can be safely taken over the most
dangerous of the rapids in the river
has been demonstrated by j. b.
Thurner for the Rogue River Mining
& Development Company.
This first shipment Of freight con-
sisted of 5000 pounds of hydraulic
pipe. $500 nails, boiler weighing
5000 pounds, an engine of $500 pounds
and lot Of other materials and sup
plies, the total weight being 90, 900
pounds. This was loaded ON two
boats that we're built especially for
this trip under the direction of Mr..
Thurner here in Grants Pass.
The boats are each 81 feet long,
s foot deck beam and AZ foot bot.
tom beam and 81 inches depth Of hold.
Each boat carried 1000 pounds on
26 inches draft. They were built ex-
ira strong so as to Withstand the hard
strain OF the trip. A supply of oakum,
pitch and plank were taken 80
repairs could be made in case leak
was caused by too hard a bump
against a boulder, but these were not
neeedd as not an accident befell either
boat. 1t took 20 days to make the trip
owing to the number of rapids that
were covered with boulders that made
1t necessary to unload at each of these
distractions part of the cargo and
make q portage. No difficulty was
had at all at Hellgate and had all the
river been as it is from Grants Pass
to Galice the run could have been
made in three days through to the des-
tination at Paradise Bar. DEVILS
Stair rapids came near being the un-
doing of the expedition. The river
here roars through narrow gorge and
instead of being 300 to 400 feet wide
and three to 10 feet deep it is but %
to SO feet wide and % to 80 deep and
so high were the waves that they
came near swsmping the overloaded
boats, for there was no chance to |
make portage. So dangerous did |
this gorge through the Coast noun.
tains appear that four of the crew re-
fused to go further with the boats and |
returned to Grants Pass The only |
man Mr.. Thurner had left was A.
Aubery, the well known fisherman of |
this city. Mr.. Aubery was pilot for
the boats aud did not propose to desert |
bis post VIII n within 10 miles of their !
destination. He at once took the trail
for the lower settlements aud got !
crew of men who had bosted freight I
with him on the lower Rogue river.
1t was wild run for the boats |
through the sDevils Stair bat the 30 |
miles was made with less work but
more excitement than had been tx-
perien"ej at the smaller ,apids. Mr..
Aube' Y WIS born and raised on l0w,r
Rogue river and knows very Sc ton
,Cn,ttun.1 pu paua y