The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-06-15
Prudence on Back seat.

we made at $3.50 p. m.
Prudence on Back seat.
From here at lock twenty-six to
Milan is stretch of nine miles Of
river navigation much of it rocky and
with cuts through rock reefs. Pru-
dence required Us to stop right there
as the night was dark and the abun-
! dant marks put out for the guidance
Of navigators we're undistinguishable
in the gloom. The lack Of stopping
place for this night demanded, how
ever, that prudence take back seat
and sit down hard. SO the Illiamo be-
gan her somewhat doubtful journey
among the rocks.
The navigator on a back seat we'll
away from the pilot and with a wall
shaded light conned his map and told
us what we ought to find in buoys
and day marks, the rest OF the party
peered into the gloom and offered
suggestions. It was impossible to
judge distance by sp -ed as we could
hardly see the banks ana the navisa-
tor missed whole island mile long
in his calculations. In one place we
were the whole width OF the rivsr
from the true channel and got into
two feet of water and 1t was stop
and back out Of here" as quick as pos.
sible. The Illiamo semed to know
what depended on her, responded
gamely when called on and went
astern in great shape, and as thsre
was no channel on that side OF the
river we crawled over and hunted
one on the other. By chance we pass
ed buoy, seen for an instant as 1t
slid into the gloom, and the naviga-
tor now declared he was all right on
the map and knew where he was, so
we CROPPED along In the dark. keeping
the sounding pols working, stopping
when it struck three feet and waiting
to see what happened. After an hour
of this navigation the navigator an
nounced that we must be somewhere
near the dam across the Rock river
and his map showed a lock located
near it. : He then found light In
the distance, that afterwards turn I'D
out to be an arc light in Davenport.
Iowa, and said we must run for that
as 1t was evidently the light put out
at the lock to guide the expected boat
into port. AS this course II followed
would have taken us exactly over the
center of the dam the rest Of the par
ty demurred and compromised On
safer plan which was to follow the
left hand shore and search for the
lock first and inspect the dam by
daylight
A Sleepy Lockmaster.
We slid down the shore and sud
denly came in sight Of timber crib
at the entrance Of dark cove In the
rank which later proved to be the
entrance to the lock we were seeking.
No light appeared at the lock but our
little search light showed the dim
outlines of the gates. The 1ockmas-
ter was in bed as it was near mid
night and being after hours he told
us we would have to wait for morn
ing to be locked through. Means were
found to persuade him that he was In
error about this and soon the gate
opened and the Illiamo passed down
to the Milan levd where the govern
ment Offices are located for handling
this part of the canal. We worked
our way under a low bridge where
we had just foot betwe sn the top OF
the boat and the bottom of the bridge
by going between the cross beams OF
the structure and pulled alongside
fms concreet wall at the government
Office. There the Illiamo spent the
night while the crew liked out by
auto for Rock Island and good beds
after a record run through the canal.
The trip of the Illiamo especially as
she started from Peoria, forty-four
miles below the entrance OF the can
al, in one day is the record for speed |
No 9th sr boat has ever made the
passage in one day. Your excursion !
lists slept we'll in soft bads that night, !
tired but happy.
The Illiamo by reason Of her abil-
itv to run ahead, of her schedule IS
home with her crsw. She made a
run which was record breaker as
the log will show.
PRINTING Freshmen Are in Session.
limited Press Leased Wire Servfce.l /