The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-06-29
QUAKE LEVELS BIG COAST CITY
TRIO CROSSING UNITED STATES
MM0T0RBOAT STOP IN BISMARCK
Vcyagueurs Making Water
Trip From Astora, Ore, to
New York City

New York City
With "Bound for Heaven. He'll or
Hoboken," inscribed on the bow of
their motor boat, three voyageurs
and their dog mascot. "Spy," arrived
in Bismarck via the Missouri river
late Saturday afternoon. The party
had left Astoria. Ore, May 20 and |
when they docked at the Benton
Packet company landing near the
filtration plant. $500 miles of their
transcontinental trip had been
chalked off.
In the party was John Edwin Hoag,
skipper and promoter of the unique
trip. He is writer and novelist of
Los Angeles. Frank Wilton. master
of the cameras, is looking after the
filming Of the adventures. He is a
we'll known figure in the Hollywood
studios and an admrer Of Bill Hart.
Tom Mix and the other western
types. Bringing up the rear was Val
Woodbury.. Los Angeles business
man. with coat Of tan and hide
impervious to the flea, the woodtick
or the mosquito. He Is out just for
a lark. while the other two are on
definite assignments.
Take Pi"tures Here
Getting in touch with The Tribune
upon arrival, they were piloted to
the different points Of interest about
Bismarck and Mandan. they we're
interested chiefly in Lewis and
Clark lore and took several "shots"
of Sakakewea on the Capitol grounds
and Roosevelt's cabin. Lewis Craw-
ford. of the historical society, was
visited and Joseph Devine, immgra-
tion officer, told them of his trip
through the Bad Lands and exhibit
ed a fine collection of pictures
touching on the region which it is
hoped to set aside as Roosevelt
National Park. Capt. l. P. Baker,
one of the best informed men upon
the Missouri river and the Slope
sections, also conferred with the
navigators.
The trip is being made in motor
boat 18 feet long with five feet of
beam and is four and one-half feet
deep at bow. 1t is built along the
general lines of life boat. At
night when no hotel accommodations
are available the men camp out.
They have complete outfit, air
mattresses, cooking utensils and a
radio to keep in touch with the
world. The boat is being driven by
two four-horse Evenrude outboard
motors. They hang over the stern
of the boat.
1t is hoped to make the entire trip
to New York without resorting TO-
railroads. Only 400 miles, and that
over the Continental Divide, were
made by train.
Party Leaves Tomorrow
The party leaves Tuesday morn
ing. They planned stopping a few
hours at Fort Yates to confer with
some of the Indians and probably get
some "shots" Of Red Tomahawk and
,, other outstanding types of the
Standing Rock reservation.
When they reach St. Louis, the
boat will be "nosed" up the Missis-
sippi to the Illinois river as far as
Ia Sale; Ill.,, and thence over the
canal route into Lake Michigan.
Hugging the shore of Lake Michigan
straits into Lake Huron. following
the Canadian side of the lake into
the southern end of Jordan Bay and
on to Port Severn. Ont. There the
party will take to the Trent Water
ways, a system of natural rivers and
lakes, reaching, finally, Lake Ontario,
and then on to the St. Lawrence
river, Richelieu river and Lake
Champlain. 1t will be simple
journey then by canal to the Hud-
son river and on to the objective,
New York City.
Not an unimportant member of the
party is the bull pup Spywapato.
That name was fastened on him to-
gether with a collar by the women
of Astoria, Ore. According to Hoag.
Spywapato is the Indian name of a
, tuber which furnished valuable food
for the Lewis and Clark expedition
when food stores were very low.
Second Stop in State
Bismarck was the second stop in
North Dakota for the party. At
Williston two days were spent. The
Commercial Club of that city took
the party in charge and some feet
! of films. were made. The business
| men staged coyote hunt and Wilton
filmed it. The picture probably will
be shown before societies and prob
ably in theatres over the nation.
Unless the party runs into a bad
spell Of luck, they hope to reach the
| bright lights of Broadway sometime
in September. They found naviga-
tion of the Missouri rather hard, as
! they encountered many sandbars. It
is cheaper per mile. to go by water
than automobile. but when time is
taken into consideration, the cost of
the trip will be more. They found
the Missouri very low at Fort Benton
with just enough water to get down.
The Yellowstone river they found at
4 ckn Th~ SC
Is miles an hour and the daily run is
| timated that when the final log is
written off, the little craft will have
gone 5000 miles over the various
waterways system of the nation.
After New Data
| Mr.. Hoag hopes to secure valuable
data for new book jand material for
lectures before geographic societies
and scientific bodies. He has been
an associate editor of the Popular
Science Monthly and has been with
a number of daily newspapers in the
west and the middle west. During
the war he served as an aviator and
has taken several trips with the
| United States navy as a press OBJ
server FRANKIE" Wilton, the movie
Shooter" has spent several months
in Africa chasing interesting views
and has done considerable work with
the First National movie corpora
tion.
The party was enthusiastic over
the scenic beauty around Bismarck
and especially the view over the
Missouri river. They reported the
drops through the state the best
they had seen on their journey SO
far.
PLENTY LEFT YET