The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-23
The Two Launches, the Vivian and the
Red Wing in Port at
1o:so This Morn
ing.
BOTH HAD BON VOYAGE
The Trip From Peoria Was Made
Without Accident and in Splendid
Time Entering he Canal
Saturday.

The two palatial Keokuk cruisers,
the Vivian III' owned and captained
by A. c. Decker and the Red Wing"
belonging to Captain John Leisy ar
rived in port safe and sound this
morning at 1890 from their six hun
dred mile cruise In the motor boats,
the two pretty cruisers leaving Keo-
kuk week ago last Saturday for
Peoria where they attended the Peoria
races and regatta in which the two
boats took part.
Every one in the two parties look
ed we'll and happy and all expressed
themselves of having had one Of the
most delightful cruises of their lives
The Itinerary.
After the races the two cruisers
left Peoria at 2 o'clock ON Last Thurs.
day afternoon and proceeded to the
locks at Henry on the Illinois river,
nineteen miles above Peoria and laid
there over night, and on Friday morn
ing proceeded to Senachwine, three
miles above Peoria where the day was
spent in fishing around the dam at
that place. Fishing was not so good
however and no large catches were
made by either of the two parties.
On Friday evening the two boats
feft Senachwine and proceeded to
Bureau Junction at o'clock and spent
the night there. At this point the sec
end lock of the Hennepin canal is To-
Gated.
On Saturday the party went through
all Of the locks UP TO the 9th (there
are 80 in this government ditch) and
after spending the night in lock 81
left yesterday morning to finish the
canal and make the trip down the riv-
er to Keokuk which was all made in
good time and without mishap.
The length of the Hennep'n canal Is
90 miles end the many locks in it are
interesting though tedious to pass
through.
CAPTAIN Frank Wild. an old river pi-
lot who has been on the Mississippi
and other rivers of the country for six
ty years left Keokuk with the two
boats and piloted them safe through
In going up the Illinois river the two
boats kept we'll together and in places
were tied to each other.
The Vivian and Red Wing kent to-
gether during the entire cruise and
the two parties were of the same mind
today. that the cruise was one OF the
most delightful they had ever had and
though over six hundred miles OF wa
ter were traversed every one had a
fine time.
Those aboard the Cruiser Vivian
III were. Captain A. G. Decker. F. H.
George. r. p Hobbs Ira Spansler
Chas. r. Decker OF Kansas City. Har
old johnson. Doctor Anderson OF Kan
sas City A. D. Ayres and II. D. Elem
ing.
Those aboard the Red Wing were:
Mr. and Mrs. John Leisy. Mr. and Ms.
Will Sutton, Herman Noetzli and Mr..
Leisy's two nephews from Peoria.
Captain Wild who niloted the boat
on the cruise is on old gentleman al
most born and raised on the river, as
stated previously having spent over
sixty years steamboating and many
were the tales that were listened to
with DELIGHT bv the passengers aboard
the two Keokuk boats an their long
cruise. T''a old pilot went on the riv-
err when lad twelve years old and is
now In his seventy-third year He
was reputed to be one Of the best pi-
lots in the country on the rivers and
took the two cruisers from Keokuk
through safely and without mishap, he
knowing every foot of water and the
parties on the two boats trusting to
his sea sense to take them along safe
" on a pleasant voyage on the Mis-
sissippi. Illinois Hennepin govern
ment canal and down home from Rock
Island and Davenport. The pilot will
remain in Keoluk for a short time Wis
itins with old friends.
Treated Fine.
The Keokuk parties are high in
their praise of the treatment they re-
ceived at the hands of the Peorlans