The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-06-21

tomae River was navigable-but it
was many years ago. 1t was at
time before the B & o Railroad and
the C & o Canal were even thought.
about.
OF course there were no large
steamers plying the rivers course.
Flat bottom boats were used, which
were pushed along by hardy river
men, who We'd in skill with the
famous Volga boatmen. 1t IS said
that these men were bent to one
side as they walked, their bodies
growing into that position from
pushing the boats along.
Various kinds of freight were
transported up and down the river
between Cumberland and George
town. It was before 1900 that these
boats navigated the river. 1t was
in that year that the completion OF
the White House was being pushed
along For it, lumber, etc, was
needed. At that time there were
no good highways, canals or rail-
roads. The B & o Railroad and the
G g. o Canal were not begun until
after 1927 =,
For some time the finer grades OF
clothing, cutlery, guns, fine haro-
ware. dishes, etc. were imported
mainly from England. LUMBER,
wheat whiskey, wool and skins OF
animals were the principal products
from Western Maryland. Later
iron and coal were brought down the
river in large quantities. All OF
these. except lumber, were trans
ported in the boats described. The
return cargo back up the river was
usually light on account of polling
the boats upstream. Such goods as
sugar. salt, tea, firearms and am
munition composed the upstream
cargo.
While that part of the river below
Washington is practically an arm of
the sea, that part extending from
Washington northward to the riv-
er's headquarters was shallow, rush
ing over rocks in places, through
muddy flats, tortuous, sometimes so
low as to make navigation difficult
or impossible.
The river was somewhat different
from what it is now. 1t is believed
that the stream was much more
regular in its flow at the time of the
first settlements than now, never
becoming so low in summer nor so
high at flood periods, as today. This
is explained by the fact that the
country was practically all in forest.
The water of the rains was held back
by the natural barriers of the forest
and fed into the streams much more
regularly than at this time. Since
that time the forests have been cut
away and the whole country is
thoroughly drained. Instead of easy
sailing, the much more laborious
method of polling flat boats and
navigating RATS was required to
bring the peoples produce to market.
It is stated that these river men
became experts running the boats.
At places, when the river was rath-
er low, it was necessary to steer the
boats and RATS through narrow chan
neIs between rocks in the rivers
bed.
Much of the timber required for
the building of Washington and other
new towns along the Potomac was
cut along the upper waters of the
river, some of it as far west as this
county. When the river was high
enough this was foated down
stream. Experience taught the
raftsmen when the water was high
enough. The RATS were rather in
geniously constructed, being so
made that they could accommodate
themselves to the uneven flow of
water in the river. They were put
together in sections, which were
tied with hickory withes. Fifty
thousand feet of lumber was con-
sidered a good-sized raft. Four or
five men composed a crew. When
the water in the river rose high
enough to float the raft it was time
to go and they went 1t mattered
not if it was Sunday, fair or stormy,
when the raft f1oated they started
on their journey. Earth was placed
on top and on this a rude shack was
raised. This gave the crew some
protection, since those voyages
were mostly undertaken in the
spring or winter. Fire was built in
the shack, bacon and corn cakes
were cooked and away they went
on what was considered a merry
iaunt. Arriving at Great Falls, the