The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-12
sTARNDEPENDEN FRIDAY EvENTNo MARCH 12 1915

III.
as far north as Wyoming Valley, for
many long year. The farmers drifted
down in canoes laden with farm pro-
ducts and, exchanging these for salt
and other groceries, pushed with poles
the canoes back to their homes.
In the year 1771 the Provincial AS
sembly of Pennsylvania passed an act
declaring the Susquehanna river a pub
lie highway. Portions Of the land
along the river had been settled and
cultivated for many years, and the in
haIbitants needed some commodous
avenue to market for grain and other
products. They proposed to pay Ger.
tain proportion Of the money required
to render the river navigable. The
Assembly appropriated an additional
sum, and appointed commissioners to
superintend the work. The gravel
bars were cleared away, stamps and
trees taken out, channel opened and
towing paths constructed along the rap,
IDS. Somewhat different from public
operations of more modern times, the
river was ready for navigation in a
few months from Wrightsville to Wy
oming. Not many years later way
Tor trade was opened from tho Chesa-
peake to the New York line.
The first transportation boat used on
The river was called the Durham boat.
from the town of Durham, on the Del
aware few miles below Easton. This
boat was built at that place about
1850. The Delaware boats were 60
feet in length, s feet in width and 9
feet in depth and when laden with )
inh
The stern and bow were sharp, on
which were erected small decks, while
running board extended the whole
length of the boat on each side. They
carried Il mast with two sails and were
manned by a crew Of five men.
Further on Isaac A. Chapman con-
structed boat propelled by poles, op-
Grated by horses on tread machine.
This was discontinued as impractca0le.
Then came the period of keel1bottom
boats, known as 'broadhorns.
Navigation in 100
In 1890 over 10000 bushels of
wheat foated down the Susquehanra to
Middletown and were thence transport
ed over country to Philadelphia.
In 1894 OF 1895 the first ark ar
rived in Harrisburg Ii came from
Huntingdon. About the same time the
Conewago canal was commenced at
York Haven, and was completed in
1897. Trade was then diverted from
Harrisburg and Middletown to Column
bia. A few years afterward boats
reached tidewater and Port Deposit be
came the mecca of northern and west
ern grain men.
1t was not till 1928 that an act
was passed to improve navigation
from Northumberland to tide water.
and about $4,000 was appropriated
for the improvement.
1t was about that time that Bal
timore company constructed three
light draught steam boats, named, re-
spectively, Pioneer Susquehanna -
and "Codorns They continued to
visit Harrisburg and some points north
until 1926, when the Susquehanna' -
exploded IT'S boilers in an attempt to
ascend the rapids at Berwick, Pa. Two
men were killed and several injured.
In 1857 a company brought small
side wheel steamer that had been used
on the Delaware river at Philadelphia,
but not proving profitable, it was sent
Dack TO Phlladelphla.
In 1888 strong movement was
made to interest Congress in steamboat
and sloop navigation from Chesapeake
bay to the lakes, but no appropriation
being secured it was abandoned.
Rafting on the Susquehanna
To those of minor age who never
saw raft or an ark on the Susque-
hanna, a statement of the number that
passed a given point in single year
on the spring floods, from so to rs
years ago, would sound like exaggera-
tion-46S on the North Branch and
40 on the West Branch are numbers
given by one historian. have counted
twenty in sight at one time, mostly
RATS composed Of lumber bound for
southern and eastern markets.
The Raftsmen were jolly crews not
always mindful of others rights, AMI
by no means sticklers for the golden
rule. 1t was at the village of Mifliin-
vile, ON the North Branch, between
Berwick and Bloomsbury that four jo' ly
but hungry raftsmen asked a good
house. wife to sell them bread and pas
try. She brow-beat them as thieves,
and they, intent on being what she
trusted them to be, put two fence rails
under her clay-formed garden oven
and carried it, and it's half baked bread,
pies and cakes to the raft, and then
foated; meanwhile watching the cen
tents of the oven that they might no.
get too well done. They feasted for
two or three days. On their tramp re-
turn, two weeks afterward, toward
their home hundred miles further
north, they stopped and paid the good
lady for the oven and its contents, end
then tramped ON ncrthward. Ever aft