The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-04-20
TRIP ON A FREiGHTER.

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through the great lakes which made
with my father two or three years
ago. We went on the Utica, boat
designed to carry freight, but having
several cabins for passengers.
X We left Buffalo in the afternoon,
and on the way out of the creek
where the Utica lay we had to pass
under "jack-knife" bridge-that is
to say, bridge which, when raised
for the passage of large boat, breaks
in two in the middle, both sides being
pulled up until they are almost per-
pendicular. When we got out Of the
creek we found it quite rough on
Lake Erie, as the wind had been blow
ing hard all the morning. We
reached Detroit, Mich, the next day,
and there took on mail in the follow
ing way: AS we neared the city we
slowed up and man with a rOwboat
came out to'meet the ship. When he
came alongside he threw rope up
to the deck, where it was caught and
made fast by one Of the hands Then.
a pail containing the mail to go
ashore was lowered to the man in the
boat, who took out the mail from the
Utica and replaced it with the mail
to go aboard. All this time the boat
was going at about half speed (eight
miles an hour). Then the rope was
cast off and the carrier gathered up
his line, to be ready for the next ship.
The next day we were on Lake HUI
ron, after a beautiful trip through
the Detroit River, Lake st. Clair and
the St. Clair River. The scenery
around here is beautiful, one place
being called Little Venice" from the
way some of the houses are built on
piles set in the water. After another
day we reached the Sault Ste Marie
Canal This lock is the largest one
in the world, and also has a larger
tonnage than any other canal. There
is an old lock and new one on the
American side, and also one on the
Canadian side. The old one on the
former side is smaller than the other
one AS the ship neared the lock a
man on the shore called to Captain
Davis through megaphone: New
lock for the Utica This lock per-
mits ships with a twenty-one-foot
draft to go through it. The waters
of Lake Superior are higher than
those of Lake Huron When the
Utica entered the lock an iron gate
was closed behind her, and as there
was also one in front of her she was
in sort of box, and the water in
front of her was higher than the wat
er she was in. Then some pipes lead
ing under the gate in front of us
were opened and the ship, as the wat
er came into our box" gradually
rose until we were on a level with
the water in the other part of the
lock- Then the gate in front of US
was opened and the Utica sailed forth
into the waters of Lake Superior. At
ter passing through the lock we had
a trip of day and half on Lake
Superior to Duluth. We stayed in
Duluth two days, and in the mean
time took trip to St. Paul and Min
neapolis, which we both enjoyed very
much. This trip occupied day, and
when we got back we found the ship
ready to sail. We went aboard and
were soon on our way to Buffalo. We
passed the 800" (Sault Ste. Marie)
lock at O'Clock in the morning, but
/ was up to watch the process, which
was just the reverse of the one going
up. Then we had pleasant trip past
Port Huron and Lake St. Clair to De-
troit, where we took on mail the same
way as going up. and then went on to
Buffalo, where we arrived about two
weeks from the time we set out. We
both enjoyed this trip very much, and
we shall always remember it with
great deal of pleasure. Elmer S.
Freeman, in the New York Tribune.