The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-06-16
RENO TO FALLON BY
AN ALL-WATER
ROUTE
Adventurous Young Men Demon
stPate Navigability o? Nevada
Streams and Canals.

Four adventurous young Reno
men, Eugene Franzman, Ebert
Porteous, Sheldon Crawford and
Harold Henry arrived in Fallon
about O'Clock Sunday morning hav-
ing made the entire trip by water,
successfully demonstrating that the
Truckee river. Truckee-Carson ca
nal and the Carson river are navi-
gable and that water transportation.
however, perilous and slow, is pos
sible between Nevada's chief city
and the capital of Churchill
county.
The young men left Reno at the
Virginia street bridge about s
o'clock last Thursday morning in
two fiat bottomed skiffs, carrying
equipment estimated at about $50
pounds Hardly had they entered
upon their journey when the first ac-
cidant occurred just above the v. &
T. bridge and less than a quarter of
! mile from the place of embarka-
ton, when one of the boats over
turned throwing out the occupants
aud compelling them to swim to
store. At the reduction works dam
lsout a mile below Reno, the other
boat overturned and for a few min
utes threatened to put an end to the
expedition. Fortunately the occu-
pants were able to swim ashore
while the overturned boat was inter-
copied by young Porteous who was
in the lead boat after a struggle in
the rapids at the reduction works
dan. No further mishaps occurred
until they reached the rapids just
below Vista when one of the boats
was again upset. This was about
2.30 in the afternoon and as their
baggage was soaked by the repeated
wetting they concluded to camp for
tie night at Bridge No. 6, about
seven miles from Reno, and dry out
their clothing and blankets, which
had been wrapped in canvas and tied
in the boats, but was thoroughly
soaked. No mishaps occurred Fri
day, but there were thrilling es
capes in plenty and to spare. They
reached the diversion dam at Derby
In the afternoon and made a short
portage TO the Truckee-Carson ca
nal, which they found in striking
contrast to the turbulent waters of
the river and was without appreci-
ttaG Lul N3lh PCiAine tl4OAl W iO "
steadily in order tc make progress.
Enroute they passed through three
tunnels and reached Fernler about
1890 Friday night. where they
camped Resuming their journey
Saturday morning they rowed all the
way to the Lahontan reservoir,
reaching there about p. m. Here
they had the longest portage on the
trip-about a half mile, when they
carried the boats from the canal and
took to the waters of the Carson at
the electric plant just below the
iam. The Carson they found very
smooth and shallow, also very
crooked. They rowed the five miles
10 the Truckee-Carson diversion
dam. where they again took to the
canal and eamped Saturday night
about four miles from 7 allon, which
was reached about 9 o'clock Sunday
morning, thus consuming three days
in making distance estimated, in
cluding the windings of the rivers
and canals, at not less than eighty
miles.
They arrived none the worse for
their strenuous experience but not
at all anxious to repeat the perform
ance. Three of the boys, Franzman,
Porteous and Crawford secured work
with local raneher and are now
busily engaged in shoveling alfalfa.
The fourth, Harold Henry, who
is an accomplished violinist, re-
turned yesterday via railroad to
Reno. Henry stated to the Stand
ard that il is perilous trip full of
hardships and one that should not
be undertaken unless by strong and
expert swimmers such as all of them
were. The greatest danger lies in
the sudden oyerturning of the boat
in encountering sunken boulders and
in the swift whirlpools that are a
feature of nearly every sharp turn
in the river, when it is practically
impossible to control the boat.
They travelled over the more turbu-
lent stretches of water in bathing
suits, ready at any time to take to
the water. When asked If the
water When asked If the water
was not cold, Mr. Henry said they
had no time to think about the
temperature, being too busy hunting
for the shore. AS whole he does
not anticipate that the usual meth
DDS of travel, viz: autos and rail-
roads. are in any danger of being
superseded by the all-water route
between Reno and Fallon.