The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-09-27

| the Channel or the hiVor on DARK
Nights and Showed tho Navigator on
| Down Trips Where Reefs Were Not
In the old steamboat days on the
Mississippi. before the government had
undertaken the duty Of marking and
| lighting the crossings" where the
channel swings over from one bank TO
the other, the river pilots had to devise
their own means Of finding their way
through these difficult and dangerous
places.
In the daytime II was not hard 10 do,
and on moonlight nights the landmarks,
which every pilot knew by heart. could
be seen ,plainly enough to make the
crossing possible But there were
many nights 80 dark or foggy that the
shore marks were not visible; then the
reefs had to be "candled."
Gambling was resorted to only on the
down trip. Going up the river the pilot
might feel" of the reef with his boat,
and If he did not find the best water
the first time he could back off and try
again little to one side or the other,
wherever the soundings showed the
deepest water to be.
In going down the river. however,
that was impossible. The pilot had to
find the channel the first time, for If
the boat struck the.current would drive
her hard on the reefsor else swing her
broadside on the bar and In ten min
utes imbed her In the very midst Of It
with tons Of drifting sand.
TO guard against such a disaster
when nearing Pigs Eye, Beef Slough
or Trempeleau bars-or any one of a
dozen bars Of equal difiiculty-on
dark or hazy night the pilot stopped
the boat at the head Of the reef. With
two men to row, a mate or watchmAn
to steer, ''cub" pilot to manipulate
the candle buoys" and an older pilot
to take soundlngs, the yawl was low
cred and permitted to drop down the
channel below the steamboat
After the pilot had determined the
best course by taking soundings the
cub" under his direction, anchored
two, three or even four Of the candle
buoys, one after the other, I'm the cen
ter Of the channel, and then the men =,
let the yawl drop down below the peef,
where 1t lay little outside the chan
mel. Then one OF the men swung
lantern--a signal at which the pilot on
watch came ahead. steering FOR the
tiny lighthouses and running over
them, one by one, until the reef was
passed.
The candle broy was made ofa.piece
OF two inch light pine plank, 'beyeled
for four inches at the "bow" In order
to prevent it's diving" as the current
pressed against It. A tin "sconce"
with three legs. three or four inches
long, was tackled down to the plank.
Half Of q common candle was placed
I'm each sconce, and after being lighted
an oiled paper chimney. with a base
corresponding to that Of the candle
stick, was placed over the light to pro-
tect 1t from the wind. The outer ends
of the tin "legs" of the sconce were
turned back over the base Of the paper
chimney to hold It In place, and the
buoy was ready for launching.
A hole was bored about six inches
from the end of the plank. Through
the hole small cord some ten or
twelve feet in length was rove and
knotted, and to this cord a lump OF
coal Weighing perhaps ten pounds
was tied. This served as an anchor
TO hold the buoy I'm it's place in the Gen.
ter of the channel
Such was the procedure fifty years
ago or more. Since the government
boats began patrolling the river and
establishing permanent lights at all
bad crossings 1t Is seldom necessary
for the pilots to 60 out in a sounding
boat. although 1t Is not an unheard OF
proceeding even now
But the candle buoy Is thing of the
past Probably there are scores OF
present day pilots who never even
heard OF the makeshIft little lightships
that their puzzled predecessors were
wont to launch amid the darkness and
doubt Of former years.-Youth's Com
naniOp