New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1912-04-03
PERILOUS BOATING
4 New Zealand Stream That
Yields a Series Of Thrills.

\ New Zealand stream Jn9q
Yields a Series Of Thrills.
RUNNING THE RIVER RAPIDS.
The Journey Down the Wansanul lsa
hishly Exciting In Spots, Where ths
swayins Steamer PIunsss Through
The Lines Of Boiling ersaksra
steamboating in New Zealand, to
Judge by Charles Edward Russell's &C.
count Of it in the Twentieth Century
Magazine. has in 1t more excitement
than relaxation. It Is more or less
nerve racking experience, not only tori
the anxious passengers, but for the sea-
soned steamboat men as we'll.
The swift water courses that come
down from the lofty backbone Of The
islands are full Of rapids that can kee1
the most skillful pilot on the anxious
seat until they have been successfully
"run." This Is the story Of such %
achievement somewhere on the Wan
ganui river:
The captain, a sunburned and acttve
young Scot, stands at the great wheel
forward on the upper deck, whence -
can see bow and stern. Two gtoUS
Maori youths sit on the forecastle: tWe
hover above the rudder: all are armed
with long, iron shod poles that arc -
be objects of your anxious concern b.
fore the voyage Is done.
The boat is slipping smoothly along
the unrippled reach. You look up OF .
sudden and catch yonr breath. 1no
rapid is directly in front OF You, the
steamer IS tearing into 1t, and how can
any vessel get through such placer
Here goes the narrow stream. roaring
and singing past the rocks. You can
Gee the bottom everywhere. 1t looka'
only an inch or two from the surface.
The whole thing pitches visibly down
ward. Beyond at lower level shines
the smooth, dark green surface OF To
next reach. The green and the silver
are beautiful. The singing Of the va
ter IL music, but for these You care not
for you zee plainly that I'm another mo-
ment tho boat, even now lurching suG-
gestively, will be rolled over Ike lot.
and you will be sraspinS at some bowI
der in the food.
Meanwhile the captain spins TIE
wheel back and forth IKE squirreFs
cage, with his gaze fixed intently upon
the water just ahead, as II he read
through it and scanned the stones BE-
meath, The brown Maoris stand for
ward and aft, with their poles in their
hands.
AS the boat plunges into the nrse
line Of boiling breakers the bow sinks
under you, the swift current catches
the stern and sings it sidewise. a
tremendous clatter arises, the boat e.
reens and shakes as If she were fall
ing apart, and you, standing on the up
per deck and nervously holding the
hand rail, give yourself up for lost, for
the keel is already travelling on tho
rocks and gravel Of the bottom.
'.Now, then! Now, then!' yells the
captain. The Maoris put their strength
upon the poles. Just as the craft seems
sliding sidewise into the powders that
line her path she slips out through the
passage into the placid green and sil-
yer of the next reach, and the captain,
sounding the jingle bell, settles down
to a cup of tea, holding the wheel with
one hand. You could not touch bottom
here with the statue of Liberty.
If l can read men better than rapids
the Scot himself is not always sure
how he is coming out of these tangles.
sometimes his quick, rasping orders to
the Maoris have the ragged edge OF
anxiety, and his manner of .tearfng
with hands and feet at the wheel In
dicates considerable concern. Once
I heard him mutter under his breath
the national slogan: II haze ma doots!
haze ma dootsr' as we shot into
particularly abominable piece of water.
The channel, no more than wide
enough for the little hull, turned sharp
~ at the bottom of the slide, and had
something rather worse than doubts
as the boat went sidewise down, seeing
what was ahead for her. If in an IN
slant she can gather full speed ahead
she can slip through; otherwise plain
ly she will strike her side against the
reef and capsize.
"Now, then, Jumbo" shouts the cap
tain as he paws with one hand tor the
engine bell, "give it to her!' The pro
peller buzzes. The Maoris, with feet
braced, tug at the poles. They seem
to be too late. With bang the boat
hits the bank, careens far over ana
amid the startled screams of the pas
sengers slides off into the deep water
and goes safely on her way.
conclude that that pilot must be
master of his craft. OF score d
places he is able to hit the bank at TIN
single spot that is safe.
The Advance Of Science.