Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-01-15
LOG OF THE CLARA S."
On Return Trip from Florence, Ala up the Tennessee

big. fat Iocktender's wife. 1t was so
much nicer riding in the canal than
in the shoaly river, that we were
sorry when we got back into the river
again. When we got to Lock we
took young man on who wanted to
go with us to Lock 2 and see how the
engine worked. The gate wasn't open
so we stopped below it and let the
boat in after they we're opened up. It
was then 1855 and the water was in
the lock and we were on way in about
10 minutes. The last of the Mussel
Shoals locks opened without any lift
so we ran through and soon entered
the "Big Muddy" again. At this
point the river is wide, and the wind
blowing caused big rollers, but they
did not disturb ,us We passed through
the Nance's Reef chute at 11:45 and
crossed to the right side of the chan
mel and entered Willard chute. Stop
ped at 1875 below Lock B of the Elk
river shoals and waited ten minutes
for the gates to be opened, as the keep
er was not expecting any boat from
below. The last boat was in August
and none have tried it since. We
then had a canal to run in for few
miles to the next lock. After locking
through Lock B we started back into
the river again at Q o'clock. The chan
mel is deceiving at this place, but with
what we found out from the lock ten
der and with our charts, we got along
very we'll. .. There are several places
where the Government has dredged
out channel, and of course there are
innumerable chutes The main one
is calle1 Willow chute from the will
lows which grow on the rock piles. It
is very swift but we made it all right,
and tt en- we got into the main river
again We found the river was wind
swept and rough. We stopped at 1850 |
in Spring Creek, few miles below
Decatur, opposite Byrd's Island Il
was cold that night, and the wind
blew cold all day making it very dis
agreeable.
Monday, Jan. 5.-We left Spring
Creek at GAS and ran to the gasoline
sign board of the Texas Oil Company
at Decatur. Here we met the cal
mada," 'Piide of Alabama" and the
- L. Dyres' all steamers We
started again at S:45 and passed Trici-
ma at 10 10. We stopped at this place
on our first night out on our down
trip. The Decatur No l. was dredg-
ing sand on the Triana bar. We were
making good time, nearly miles per
hour. The ferry man at Whitesburg
hailed us at 2:45 to come and inspect
4 balky gasoline engine. 1t was an
BID second hand Buffalo engine and we
lidu't know anything about it so that
We might help him. He said that he
lad worked three days on it and had
already spent $40 for repairs We
'tarted again at 3:45 and passed the
over end Of Hobbs Island At the
upper end of Hobbs Island is where
.he N c. q. st L. car ferry starts
lnj the ferry boats run to Gunters-
7ille and back, distance of Al miles.
Nc stopped in Paint Rock river for
The night at 5:45. We ran al miles
n nine hours today, and were only rs
niles from South Pittsburg.
Jan, 6. TUESDAY. Left Paint Rock
liver while it was yet dark. about
80, and used the electric searchlight
% an advantage. There are pretty
,luffs and hills along the river here.
1t New Deposit lanoing man hailed
ls and said that he wanted to go to
with US, so we stopped
md took him on. About nine o'clock