New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-12


w hard for him to stop in
his old age. At seventy
six Robert Dollar, Of the Dollar
Steamship Line, who became a pio-
neer at fourteen, is starting in to
open up to foreign commerce
American especially-four hundred
miles of the Yang-tse- Kiang River,
China.
Some 600 miles of the Yang-tse-
Kiang have been open to foreign
commerce for a good many years.
Ocean steamers go to Hankow, more
than 600 miles from Shanghai, at
the mouth of the river, and for sew
eral years river vessels have gone
On to I-chang, 1913 miles from
Shanghai. But that has been the
end Of river navigation for for
eigners.
Runs Through Corges
For a short distance above I-chang
begin the gorges of the Yang-tse-
Kiang, where the river rushes for
sixty miles at tremendous speed over
sharply pointed rocks through a
channel only a couple of hundred
yards wide between cliffs rising
steeply hundreds of feet.
Thus, beyond I-chang commerce
has depended on the native barges.
But last spring Mr.. Dollar decided
that it was time to send steamer
up the river, through the gorges, and
on to Chung-king, 1915 miles from
Shanghai. His instructions to his
son, who was put in charge of the
task, were brief.
We've started this thing. We
must go through with it,"
A river steamer was bought and
rebuilt, and renamed the Robert
Dollar II. It is 27O feet over all,
and of about 1000 tons burden, but
because it has to have such power
ful engines and so much bunker
room lit is coal burner), and also
to make room for passengers, it can
carry only 600 tons of cargo. 1t has
twin screws and three rudders to
bring it safely through Sne rapids.
Three or four knots is the average
speed in the gorges, and that sixty
miles is such tough piece of navi-
gstlau shat while the downstream
voyage Is three days, including stops
and loading and unloading cargo,
the upriver trip requires five days.
Still Land of Adventure
The reason for Mr.. Dollars in
Junction to his son was shown on the
arst trip Of the vessel, for romance
and adventure still Turk in the in
seFior Of the oldest country in the
world.
The Robert Dollar II had passed
through the gorges on its first trip
and crossed the boundary Of the
Province Of Su-chwan. An Ameri-
can gunboat, animated largely by
curiosity, had also, as it happened,
passed through the gorges and lay
at anchor in the less turbulent wa
ters OF Su-chwan. The Robert Dol
lar ii passed the gunboat, and
shortly thereafter the officer Of the
deck on the gunboat noticed that the
flVer steamer had likewise dropped
ahcnor, and in most unusual place
LOT q commerce carrier, for there
was no town, no landing place, no
anything in sight to suggest a rea-
son for stopping.
Neither the gunboat nor the Rob-
sfs Dollar II moved. Therefore
Saptain Kearney, Of the gunboat,
sent an officer and squad Of ma
slnes up to investigate the Robert
dollar II. They found the passen-
gers and crew of the steamer lined
up In the cabins, while the COM
@ander Of a bandit mob was de-
handing from the captain one dol
lar apiece tribute for 5000 pieces
et freight the steamer carried. In
i'eu eT the tribute the bandits prom
@ed TO seize the vessels cargo and
sSseuts summarily passengers and
crew.
Fired ON the Boat
The young marine officer cleared
We boat Of the bandits, and Captain
asarhey put a marine guard and
s~o machine guns aboard. It was
n unt1l the fourth voyage that
Msss was more trouble. That 'tinns
a's vessel was hreA aoff going
sngEs the gorges, A shaIl sossbui-
ssss 81 ytiTo@a zssss ~