Ohio History Journal

NAVIGATION ON THE MUSKINGUM. IRVEN TRAVIS, MCCONNELSVILLE. [Mr. Irven Travis, the writer of this article, was born near Rox- bury, Windsor Township, Morgan County, August 17, 1849. His father, John Travis, lived in McConnelsville where he was employed in build- ing flat-boats in the summer and taking them to New Orleans in the winter. Mr. Irven Travis became a pilot on the river boats at the age of twenty, serving in that capacity on the steamers "Carrie Brooks," "Perry Smith," "Oella," "Gen. H. F. Devol," and "Lizzie Cassell." In 1887, Mr. Irven Travis became United States Storekeeper at McCon- nelsville, when the state turned the river improvement over to the national government, and has had charge of the river affairs at that place ever since. - EDITOR.] Our knowledge of the earliest navigation on the Muskingum

seems confined to rather narrow lim- its. The needs of the red man were probably satisfied by the use of the primitive canoe, its use being no more than the carrying of himself and his game when on hunting ex- peditions. However the time soon came when the white man encroach- ed on the hunting grounds of the oc- cupants of this valley and their progress in the way of civilization soon made better facilities for navi- gation necessary. We find the first attempt, in the way of improvement, was the

building of crafts, larger than the canoe of the Indians, but still called a canoe. In its construction often the largest trees of the then unmolested forest were used, their length being from 75 to 90 feet, their diameters from 30 to 36 inches at the top. The center of this huge timber was removed, leaving a shell of (408)

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Navigation on the Muskingum.           409

 

from 11/2 to 2 inches in thickness, affording a capacity of 10 or

12 tons. We find apples to be one of the first products of this

valley to be transported by this craft, the capacity in bushels

being as many as 200, after leaving space for the men (generally

two, one in either end), who pushed with poles instead of pad-

dling as was the custom with the Indian canoe. Such necessities

as could be had at that time were taken in exchange for their

cargo, very little money changing hands until the advent of salt

making in this valley. The drilling of salt wells having com-

menced as early as 1817, in the early twenties of the 19th cen-

tury, salt became the principal article of freight and continued

to be until the improvement of the river by a series of locks and

dams, which was commenced in 1836.

Larger and better crafts again became necessary and another

type of boat called a "Pirogue" came into use, the unique build

of which seems to make a description necessary. In its com-

mencement the lines of the canoe, already described, were used

and in fact until it was a finished canoe. It was then split through

the keelson from stem to stern, with the whip-saw in use in those

days. The two halves were then carried apart and cross keelsons

of such length as was the desired width of the new craft were

placed between. Then by the use of the whip-saw bottom plank

were prepared which ran parallel with the gunwale and was

pinned with wooden pins instead of spiked as to-day. The seams

were then calked with a refuse of flax called tow, no oakum being

in use at that time. What was called race-boards were then

placed along the top of the gunwales on which the men would

walk to and fro propelling the boat. The poles used were from

15 to 20 feet long and about 21/4 inches in diameter in the middle

and tapering both ways, the end which came in contact with the

shoulder, a trifle smaller than the other which was provided

with an iron socket. A silver dollar was considered a proper

pattern for the top end of the pole. The Pirogue is now fin-

ished and equipped with poles.

We will start her on her maiden trip. The crew, an equal

number on either side, facing the stern, set their poles on the

bottom of the river and push. The boat now moves under their

feet, tread-mill fashion, and when the boat has moved her length,

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all walk back to the bow dragging their poles in the water and re-

peat the operation. Where the current was rapid it was necessary

for a part of the crew to continue pushing while others would

head up and set again so that all would not cease pushing at one

time. In such cases the man at the helm would sing out "Head

two," when the two nearest the bow would return and set anew.

By this time the others would have reached the stern when you

would hear "Up behind," when the remainder of the crew would

go as far forward as could be without interfering with the others

and renew their set. In this way the boat would not lose her

headway as she would have done had all ceased pushing at one

time. With an experienced crew this manner of propelling boats

was rather interesting, for in order to have the boat run steady

the men on one side must set their poles at the same angle as

those on the other. If this was not done the boat would flank

or travel side wise and the pilot swear.

About 120 barrels could be stowed away in a Pirogue in a

single floor tier, 3 barrels wide and about 40 barrels long. There

being few if any roads along the river, such supplies as the valley

then afforded were carried by Pirogue to the different salt works

where we find a number of families collected, many men being

employed in the manufacture of salt. Wood was then used as

fuel and we find that the first places where the timber was entirely

cleared off was in the immediate vicinity of the furnaces. This

furnished employment for wood choppers and teamsters in addi-

tion to those who pumped and boiled the salt water. When the

supply of wood was exhausted in the immediate vicinity, shoots

were built from the crest of the river hill where wood was

collected and carried down the shoot to the furnace doors. The

Pirogue continued in use until superceded by the Keelboat which

was of more artistic build, this taking place about 1827.

The Keelboat was managed in the same manner as the Pir-

ogue, but on account of its being much larger, from 60 to 150

tons burden, a larger crew was required, 25 men being necessary

for the larger. Even this apparently larger crew was insuffi-

cient in passing up stream through the ripples and chutes of the

Ohio and Muskingum. At such places as Luke Chute, Silver

Heels and Slippery Rock, ox teams were kept in readiness to

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Navigation on the Muskingum.            411

 

help through the chutes, often several attempts were made before

the boat could be brought up into the foot of the chute in proper

position. Frequently the boat would shear off obliquely across the

current. When this happened the cattle must be cut loose in a

hurry or the boat would pull the cattle instead of the cattle pulling

the boat. Such boats were not common until in the early thirties of

the 19th century when regular trips, or as regular as was pos-

sible, were made between Zanesville and Pittsburg. Salt con-

tinued to be the principal freight on their outward trips, and

manufactured iron, dry goods and groceries on their return, cod

fish and mackerel always occupying a prominent place on the

bills of lading. From three to five weeks was required in making

the round trip. However, one case is recorded of an up stream

trip between Marietta and Pittsburg being made in 5 days. Sails,

which were carried by all such boats being brought into service

on this occasion. As Keelboats made no attempt to run at night

this shows a run of 168 miles in about 60 hours which was con-

sidered a high rate of speed, as often hours were spent in warping

up through some of the island chutes. Keel boats generally bore

a marked distinction by their color, each owner painting all his

boats one color, leaving other colors for other boat owners. So

when a Keel boat hove in sight a skipper would know who was

the owner and if he wished to ship would generally have plenty

of time before the boat would arrive.

Mention should have been made of the flat boats or broad

horns as they were usually called before the Keel boats, as flat

boats were built as early as 1825. They were built as cheaply as

was possible as they were to serve for the one down stream trip

only, which was usually to Cincinnati or Louisville, carrying salt

300 or 400 barrels, depending on the size of the barrels. As there

was no standard size at that time, from 5 to 8 bushels were packed

in one barrel. This was probably a scheme as freight was col-

lected per barrel regardless of size. I speak of this as we know

oil barrels of later times were increased in size from 40 to as

high as 55 gallons in order to save freight. In 1848 a standard

was fixed by law, making 280 pounds net, a barrel. At this time

an inspector was appointed and all salt must pass his inspection,

the weight being the principal thing to be considered, as green

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salt decreases in weight by drainage quite rapidly. If the shor-

tage did not exceed 25 pounds the salt was 0. K. Jake Marquis

was the first salt inspector on the Muskingum. Salt boats were

managed with sweeps and gouger instead of poles. The sweeps

were large oars and were placed on the sides of the boat while

the gouger is simply a steering oar placed on the bow. The in-

board end of the steering oar and gouger was so high from the

deck that a scaffold called a "lazy board" was erected on which

the operators stood.

Steam boats of crude design were now making occasional

trips from Pittsburg into the Muskingum. The first to ascend

the Muskingum was the Steamer Rufus Putnam, in January,

1824. The first steam boats had but a single slide valve engine

which caused the wheel to revolve spasmodically with each stroke

of the engine as the energy ceased at the dead points. The feed

pumps for furnishing water for the boilers were attached to

the main engine. This was no serious objection when the boat

was under way, but if lying ashore the wheel must revolve if the

pump must run. The boilers were cylinder boilers, no flues being

used, so the smoke stack must be at the aft end. This gave no

heating surface except the lower half of the shell of the boiler.

The engines had no reverse attachment so the wheel revolved in

the one direction only. In making landings the engine was

stopped at what was supposed to be a proper distance from shore

and, if carrying too much headway when near shore, men with

poles would bear off. The late Capt. Davis related an experience

in this line which was of much interest to his hearers at the time,

which I will repeat. On passing down stream out of Symes Creek

lock, which is nine miles above Zanesville, with one of the boats

which had no reverse apparatus, the boat became unmanageable

and ran out above a rocky and dangerous reef, where there seemed

to be no help for her. The engineer took in the situation and with-

out bell orders from anyone, threw off the cam hook and reversed

the motion of the rock shaft, doing this by hand. The wheel

started in the opposite direction and by throwing this rock shaft

to and fro at the proper time the engine continued its backward

motion until the headway of the boat was checked and a disaster

avoided. The captain and his crew now crowded around the en-

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Navigation on the Muskingum.            413

gineer, to learn how it was done. The operation was repeated,

whereupon the captain on arriving at Zanesville laid his boat up

in order to have this new fangled arrangement put in place so

the wheel would revolve in either direction, but by a little mis-

calculation this failed and this improvement in engines was left

for another inventor. Later the feed pump was connected to an

independent engine which made a self contained machine called

doctor and the side pump was done away with. The doctor has

now been superceded by an instrument called an injector, so

small that it could be carried in one's pocket, while the doctor

was a heavy cumbrous affair weighing about a ton.

In this connection we may mention other improvements in

steam boats and their rigging. The swinging stage now takes

the place of two or three lengths of gang plank which were sub-

protected by tressels, clamps, etc., which took much time to place.

The stage is operated by steam, is always ready and reaches from

45 to 50 feet from the bulwarks. The balance rudder is another

improvement of much importance as boats can now round to in

one-third the width of the Muskingum, where by the old style

rudder the whole width was required and then many a failure

made if there was much wind. Many boats on the Ohio are now

steared by steam, but none as yet on the Muskingum. From

1824 until the beginning of the river improvement, steam boats

made trips between Pittsburgh and Zanesville whenever there

was sufficient water, usually in spring and fall. No inspection

of steam boats had yet been required by the government and no

license was required of the officers. So any man whom the owner

would trust could be his pilot or engineer. No steam whistles

were in use, but each boat was provided with a bell which was

used in making the necessary signals, when meeting or passing

other boats and a mutual understanding being that one tap of

the bell indicated that each boat must pass to the right and two

taps to pass to the left. Contentions arose and collisions were

not uncommon. This brought about legislation concerning the

management of steam boats, and as early as 1838 the steam boat

inspection service had its beginning, by an act of Congress ap-

proved July 7th. On March 3, 1843, an act was approved relating

to the equipment of vessels. By the act of July 7, 1838, pilots

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and engineers were required to take out a license which cost

them $10 an issue, their license having to be renewed each year.

Engineers to navigate any waters, the pilots on such waters as

they were fully acquainted with, their introduction generally had

been pushing on Keel boats. We learn from a letter written by

Mr. F. R. Hanna, a former citizen of McConnelsville, in reply

to an article which appeared in the McConnelsville Herald, Feb.

27th, 18905, that the steamer Defiance was the first boat provided

with a steam   whistle to reach McConnelsville.    I know of no

better way to describe the consternation of the people on hearing

the whistle than to reproduce the letter of Mr. Hanna:

 

ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, March 2, 1895.

EDITOR HERALD:--I received a Herald with the list of steamboats

since 1840.- There is also a notice in the paper asking for corrections

from memory from any source, if corrections can be made; with offer of

the paper.

As I glanced over the list and found not the name, my memory ran

back to boyhood on the banks of the "beautiful blue" and to one certain

quiet, pleasantly warm, fall evening--it must have been during the fall

of the later part of the 1840 decade--dark, because there was no moon

and 'twas before the days of my noble old friend, Tom Nott's oil lamps

or your later day electric lights, when the whole village as though by

one sudden impulse driven, rushed down Center street to John Edwards'

corner to see a new steamboat. Just as we were well arranged all over

the wharf and admiring the brilliant red lights shining through the glass

front, with red calico curtains of the cabin and the myriads of sparks

flying from the smoke stacks, on her sweeping way from the head of

the canal to the "landing," we were greeted - no, overwhelmed, by the

most unearthly screech that had ever pierced our ears or penetrated

the jungles and rocks of "Red Brush" or "Rocky Glen," till we "little

tads" and many of the large, older and wiser, (?) thinking surely the

"Old Fellow" had come for his own, ran for the upper street in tumultu-

ous clamor, tumbling over each other in our headlong speed to "git out

o' the wilderness." It was the Str. Defiance carrying and using the first

whistle up the "Jim Crank."

I know I ran for home and although always considered one of the

speediest runners among the boys, "Pierre" Gaylord distanced me on

the first quarter in his rapid flight for near the parade ground. And

his lung exercise so far exceeded the defiance blown out by the steamer,

that she never made another trip up the river.

Yours truly,             F. R. HANNA.

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Navigation on the Muskingum.           415

 

Before mentioning the improvements of the Muskingum by

the state, we must remember the prior improvement at McCon-

nelsville, where by an act of the State Legislature, February 22,

1830, Robert McConnell was granted permission to build a dam

and lock. This work was completed in 1832 or 1833, the dam

being built of brush and rubble stone, the lock of cut stone ma-

sonry, the inner wall of the lock chamber answering for the outer

foundation of the old McConnell mill. There is still at this writ-

ing enough left of this wall to mark the place and to locate the

old lock, most of the stone however has been removed, some of

them within the last 60 days to be used by the Elk Eye Milling

Co., in repairs about the present mill. In a recent conversation

with Capt. I. N. Hook, I asked: "Do you remember passing

through the old McConnell lock at any time?"  His reply was

"yes, I have special reason to remember. I was locking up stream

on one occasion when the head of my canoe caught under the arm

of the upper gate as the lock was filling and the canoe capsized

spilling apples, mellons and boy into the water. This was noth-

ing serious as the apples and melons floated and were recovered

and I am here to tell the story."

In March, 1836, the improvement of the Muskingum was

authorized by an act of the State Legislature and an appropria-

tion of $400,000 was also made for the purpose. In August of

the same year proposals were called for to be opened at the Court

House in McConnelsville on the 20th of the following October.

Nine or ten dams and ten or twelve locks were to be considered.

This sale continued from the 20th until the 24th. On the 11th

of November of the same year, the names of the successful bid-

ders were published in the Peoples Advocate, of McConnelsville.

The editor's card reading thus: "Advocate, printed and pub-

lished every Friday by John W. White. Office on Center St., two

doors west of the Baptist church." Which would be the building

now occupied by Mr. Betz, the saddler. How soon active oper-

ations began, I am not able to say. But it is to be supposed not

until the spring of 1837. From the time of the commencement

until its completion navigation on the Muskingum was practically

at a standstill. The contractors, many of them as shrewd as those

of to-day, considered $400,000 the amount available for this work,

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416       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

inadequate and fearing that the next legislature would fail to

make another appropriation, thought to bring pressure to bear

by beginning this work in such a manner as would cripple navi-

gation continuously until the completion of the entire system,

which they practically succeeded in doing. However, the energy

and persistence of the Keel boat men was shown in an effort to

arrange their boats so that at least one would remain in each pool

so that freight could be transferred from one to another over

the unfinished dams. Three years was the allotted time in which

this river improvement was to have been completed. But on

account of the contentions concerning the size of the locks which

were to have been 22 x 120 feet and were finally changed to 36

x 160 feet which they still remain. Another cause for delay was

the change of location. One instance was after excavation had

been commenced in the bend of the river below Hooksburg. This

location was changed to the present site of Windsor, the citizens

of that vicinity subscribed $3,000, one-half the amount necessary

to make this change. Again, high water interfered so that 5

years elapsed before navigation was opened. A number of steam

boats now made their appearance and most of them plying be-

tween Pittsburg and Zanesville.

Soon after the erection of the new flouring mills, which was

in the early forties, until as late as 1860, regularly each fall flat-

boats or broadhorns were loaded at different mills on the river

with barrel flour destined for New Orleans. As many as 5 or

6 of these boats were built on the river front between the foot

of Main street and the head of the canal, at McConnelsville, each

summer, most of which were loaded here also. A corresponding

number of such boats were built and loaded at other points where

mills were located until the number going out of the Muskingum

in the fall would reach 20 or 25 boats. - There was great rivalry

among the crews of these boats, each striving to be first to reach

New Orleans. It is said that trips of this kind have been made

without tying a line, as boatmen would say, that is, without

landing after leaving Marietta until reaching the eddy at New

Orleans.

In this connection I quote another pioneer boatman, who

now resides in our midst, Mr. John Travis, who as pilot on one

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Navigation on the Muskingum.            417

of these flour-boats, left Marietta in the fall of 1852, making the

run to New Orleans in seventeen days and eleven hours, thirteen

hours of this time being lost at islands Nos. 1O1 and 102 on the

Mississippi by rough weather. This being the only landing made

in this long run of 1,794 miles, gives an average of over five

miles per hour. In five weeks and two days the crew had re-

turned to start on a second trip. On this particular trip a light

load was taken, being 1,200 barrels. The dimensions of the boat

being 18x90 feet, the usual size being 18x100 feet, capacity about

1,400 barrels, depending on the depth of the hold.-Flat-boat

pilots received as wages on such trips $1.00 for each foot in length

of his boat and acted as "Major Domo," when the owner was

not on board. Others of the crew, 6 or 7 in number, received $20

each for the trip, the return expenses of all being paid by the

owner of the boat. This class of boats continued making trips of

this kind until the Civil War interfered, though in the last few

years with less vigor. On many of the later trips the cargo was

of general produce which was disposed of on the lower coast

among the planters. The last trip of this kind was made in the

fall of 1860, when the situation become so alarming on account

of national disturbance that a part of the crew returned from

Baton Rouge rather than take the chances of being detained at

New Orleans.

Having finished a long and probably tedious story concern-

ing flat-boat navigation, we will now return to steam boats of a

later date. As we have already stated most of the river traffic

prior to 1852 was between Pittsburg and Zanesville. About this

time daily packets commenced running between Parkersburg and

Zanesville. In 1856 the Str. John Buck and Charlie Bowen were

making three trips per week in this trade, which was kept up by

different boats until the building of the 0. & L. K. R. R. in 1886

and 1887.

Throughout this entire article salt has been mentioned as the

principal freight. But this long delayed work of the river im-

provement effected a material change in this respect. Many of

the salt works had gone down and their owners with them, finan-

cially ruined. The splendid water power afforded by the now

permanent dams caused larger and better flouring mills to be

Vol. XIV.-27.

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418       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

erected, and wheat and flour soon became the principal items of

freight. Here I wish to mention another product which to-day

would add to the freight list but at that time it was considered

of no value and consequently bran was spouted into the river, or

in some cases was used as saw-dust for street crossings in the

vicinity of the mills.

Although steam boats were now quite common, the Keel

boat was by no means discarded. They being built to carry bulk

grain, were now used to carry wheat from points on the river

where warehouses had been erected by the mill owner for collect-

ing wheat. Roxbury 13 miles below and Gaysport 14 miles

above McConnelsville, were the two principal warehouses, both of

which furnished wheat for the mill at McConnelsville. One cent

per bushel was the freight by Keel boat. This extremely low

figure was brought about on account of the facilities of handling

the wheat at the ware houses where it was received, as well as at

the mill where it was discharged.

At the warehouse the boat come along side and the wheat

was spouted into the cargo box. At the mill there was a pro-

jecting section of the building directly under which the Keel

boats could be moored. An adjustable elevator could be lowered

into the boat and the wheat carried up into the mill by water

power, where it could be distributed on any one of the floors and

at any point desired by a series of conveyors. This elevator was

so constructed as to suit any stage of water and by a countre bal-

ance followed up as the boat was relieved of her load. The pro-

jection of the building remains, but where the boat could lay un-

der drawing 31/2 feet, there is now a bank 4 or 5 feet above the

normal water level.

I now have occasion to refer to another of Capt. Hook's

stories. He having a contract of carrying wheat from Roxbury

to the McConnell Mills and Mr. McConnell thinking one cent per

bushel "a little high," the latter bought a canal boat, the May

Queen, paying $1,600 for her, hired a crew and proceeded to boat

his own wheat. Captain Hook being thrown out of employment

by this move, made the following suggestion to Mr. McConnell,

that he, Hook, would boat the wheat for 90% of what it would

cost by the May Queen and asked McConnell to keep an accurate

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Navigation on the Muskingum.         419

 

account of the expense. The May Queen carried the wheat for

one season, when McConnell accosted Hook in this manner:

"Ike, if you will take the May Queen out of my sight so I will

never see her again, I will renew the one cent contract." "I ac-

cepted."

During the Civil War, the salt industry was revived, and in

1865 as many as 23 salt-works were in operation on the Mus-

kingum between Hooksburg and Zanesville, where there is but

one to-day. The price of salt reached $3.00 per barrel, most

of which was shipped up stream; much of it by smaller steam

boats, called "Propellers," which were of canal size, 14 by 80

feet, and heavy carriers on account of their large cargo box and

their depth of hold, about 500 barrels being their capacity. The

principal reason for shipping with boats of this class was that the

larger boats could not pass up through the canal at Zanesville,

which the salt must do, in order to reach the railroad without

transfer.

After the close of the Civil War, quite a business was started

by one of these propellers, called the "Barnhart," which towed

a canal-boat of her own size, called the "Tipton Slasher," making

regular trips between Port Harmar, at the mouth of the Muskin-

gum and Cleveland via Ohio Canal and this river, carrying cedar

logs on her south-bound trips to the large bucket factories, then

operating at Point Harmar. On her return trips, salt was taken

to Cleveland. Transient boats made many trips on this route,

bringing down iron-ore from Lake Superior region, for points on

the Ohio, between Marietta and Cincinnati. Lake ice was also

taken to Ohio river towns in this manner, there being no ice plants

thought of at that time. I have known boats to pass south twice

without going north on the Muskingum.

The Parkersburg packets were now carrying tobacco, wool

and live stock to Parkersburg, where it was re-shipped east by

the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In 1860, an oil excitement struck

this locality, which gave an impetus to business on the river. Oil

refineries were built - one at McConnelsville, one at Windsor and

another at Beverly, and several at Marietta. There was then no

net-work of pipe line over the country, so all crude oil must reach

the refineries by river, or by teams, from the local fields. Steam-

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boats carried crude oil in barrels for a time, but soon the local oil

fields failed to furnish enough for so many refineries, and the flat-

boats did service again in carrying bulk oil from the Pennsylvania

oil fields, leaving the refined oil for the steamboats for a time only,

when "Mr. Flat-boat" took it also, distributing it along the Ohio

river, as far south as Cincinnati. I must now relate my exper-

ience on trips of this kind, in order to show how much work had

to be done to reach Cincinnati. This was in 1864, when two

trips, in close succession, were made - one of them with two boats

lashed - the other with a single boat, the Ohio being low in both

cases. In the pools, as the river is called between islands, there

was no current scarcely, so we must pull headway, wishing for

an island-chute so we might rest while the current would carry

us along; but when the swift places were reached we usually went

a-ground, good and hard; then we would wish to be in the pool

again! Sometimes we would a-ground so hard that the boat

would show out ten inches below the water-line. Then we would

unload the oil out of one boat - in case we had two - into the

other (there was no trouble about her carrying it, as both had

good foundations). In this way, one boat could be freed and

dropped down in deep water; then we would build a boom, a frame

work, to keep the barrels from separating, and cast the barrels

into the river, inside the boom, continuing this until the second

boat would float. Frequently the barrels themselves were

a-ground when inside the boom, but this did not interfere with

their navigation, as the strong current would roll them on their

bottom, and when over the bar, we would transfer them to the

boats again, unless another shoal place was near when they re-

mained in the bottom until it would be passed. Two transfers

of this kind were made on one of these trips, and one on the other.

As the price of carbon oil, at that time, was so much more than

to-day, I must say that it was 85 to 90 cts. per gallon, by the

barrel.

During the rebellion many soldiers were transported down

the Muskingum and some of the steamboats from this river were

pressed into the government service and taken to the Tennessee

and Cumberland rivers. Having mentioned several classes of

boats we must not omit the gunboat which did service on the

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Navigation on the Muskingum.            421

 

Muskingum. When Gen. John Morgan made his memorable

raid through Ohio, the side-wheel Str. Jesse Edington was then

our ferry boat between McConnelsville and Malta. In a hurried

manner she was transformed into a gun-boat, her principal gun

being our old Fourth of July cannon. As Morgan was expected

to cross the Muskingum at Eagleport (where he did), the gun-

boat with a crew and several gunners started for the scene of

action. On their way up the river the several gunners proceeded

to load the principal gun to kill and cripple, using some powder

and much scrap-iron, and on arriving at Eagleport, they found

that Morgan had crossed the river and gone. The gun-boat re-

turned, and on her way down the river, it was decided to discharge

their principal gun, which was mounted about midship. After

the smoke had cleared away it was found that the gun came as

near going overboard at the stern as the scrap-iron did at the

bow. This can be explained by the load being nearly as heavy

as the gun, consequently the gun shot away from the load instead

of the load shooting out of the gun. However this gives us one

gun-boat in service on the Muskingum.

In March, 1866, one of the finest steam boats that ever before

or since navigated this river, was completed and brought into

service between Parkersburg and Zanesville. This boat the Car-

rie Brooks was built by the Darlingtons of Zanesville. They hav-

ing sold the Jonas Powell, had neglected their trade while building

the new boat and a Portsmouth built boat, the D. M. Sechler, had

taken charge. So when the Carrie Brooks was ready to enter

the trade, so, also, was the Sechler ready to remain. A most

lively opposition ensued. These boats seemed to make no effort

to do business. The only desire of each apparently, was to pass

up and down the river ahead of the other. I have known these

boats to arrive at McConnelsville at 6:00 a. m., which was about

the time they should have left Marietta. In 1863, Capt. Monroe

Ayres, of Zanesville, who then owned and ran the Str. Emma

Graham in the Pittsburg and Zanesville trade, transformed a

model barge into a side-wheel steam boat and established a trade

between McConnelsville and Zanesville, the Str. Falcon making

daily trips, where she continued for about one year, when she

was sold and left the river.-The Str. Zanesville, Capt. Wm.

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422       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Davis, which had been making three trips per week between

McConnelsville and Dresden, now dropped into the place made

vacant by the sale of the Falcon. This place has been continually

filled up to and including the present, the Str. Valley Gem now

filling the place.

Since the beginning of navigation on the Muskingum by

steamboats, disasters have been few and the loss of life small,

comparatively speaking. The first accident of a serious nature

was the disastrous explosion of the Str. Buckeye Belle, which

occurred in the head of the Beverly canal on March 12, 1852,

when 26 lives were lost. The Buckeye Belle was one of the few

side-wheel boats to ply on the Muskingum, as the width of the

locks, 36 feet, was not sufficient to allow proper width of hull,

after deducting the necessary space occupied by the two wheels.

Stern-wheel boats were preferable. At the time of the explosion,

the boat was engaged in carrying the U. S. mail between New-

port, on the Ohio, sixteen miles above Marietta, and Zanesville.

The Str. Dan Converse was also engaged in this trade on alter-

nate days, but just prior to the explosion of the Belle, had been

succeeded by the Allegheny Clipper. It is said that these boats

made this run in daylight. This seems rather remarkable, as

with all the improvements in steam boats, their engines, boilers

and other apparatus, boats of to-day could do no better. A sin-

gular coincidence was the sinking of the Dan Converse, a short

distance below Pittsburg on the day previous to the destruction

of the Belle and at about the same hour. The late R. L. Morris,

of this place, was a passenger on the Converse at the time of the

sinking, and on his return found navigation obstructed at Bev-

erly by the wreck of the Buckeye Belle. Therefore he walked

to McConnelsville, arriving in time to officiate as pall bearer at

the funeral of Milton Whissen, one of the victims of the explosion.

It is rather remarkable that 27 years elapsed before another

serious accident occurred on the Muskingum. Not until Febru-

ary 15, 1879, when the Str. L. C. McCormick exploded her boilers,

near the foot of Dana's Island, where she sank. One body, that

of the fireman, was never seen or heard of, and this was the only

life lost by accident. Several were scalded, but none seriously. -

Capt. I. N. Hook took charge of the wreck, raised the hull so far

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Navigation on the Muskingum.           423

 

as to recover her machinery, which was placed on the Str. Gen.

H. F. Devol, which was immediately built by the owners of the

Str. McCormick. The hull was then let go when she sank again

and was abandoned.

We will now mention a few minor casualties of later date.

On June 11th, 1886, the Str. Lizzie Cassel struck an obstruction

in backing out of Taylorsville canal. This was not known at the

time, as the timbers of the stern rake were so old and rotten that

no shock was felt by any of the crew, consequently she filled with

water without warning. The first intimation of anything going

wrong was the wheeler revolving slower than usual. The mate

then went below to investigate and did not return. The pilot

thought best to go ashore and see what the trouble was, but on

pulling down toward shore the boat careened and the tale was

told. She soon sank, the water coming just high enough to ex-

tinguish the fire in the furnace and drown some hogs. This

accident was not serious, as the boat was raised in ten days,

docked and continued in service. The George Strecker burned

at Beverly in 1887. This occurred at night in port when no

passengers were aboard. The S. R. VanMetre burned at Lowell

in 1889. Both belonged to one man, Capt. Stowe, of Beverly.

Each was a total loss. The most singular thing in the estimation

of the writer is the fact that in all the years since the river has

been improved, no steam boat has ever accidentally gone over

a dam, notwithstanding many a close call is remembered.

In conclusion I might mention the steamboating of to-day

in comparison with the foregoing. One would imagine that with

the river in the hands of the general government whereby it is

kept in good repair and nothing to interfere with navigation,

except ice in the winter season, and occasionally high water,

that boating would be a good business, especially when no tolls

are collected, as was the case when the improvement was gov-

erned by the state. But with all such advantages, we find but

three boats which attempt to run regularly--the Str. Sonoma,

daily between Beverly and Marietta, the Str. Valley Gem, daily

between McConnelsville and Zanesville, and the Str. Lorena,

weekly between Zanesville and Pittsburg. The latter is laid up

much of the summer season on account of low water in the Ohio.

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424      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Such changes have taken place, that in order to make business, the owners frequently buy the larger part of the cargo in going out of the Muskingum, which consists of produce and live stock and poultry. In conclusion, I must say that no improvement in boating on the Muskingum can be looked for until the advent of a water way from Lake Erie to the Ohio river via the Muskin- gum, the initial steps of which were taken as early as 1838. A recent appropriation of $200,000, with a string to it, was made by the state for the purpose of reclaiming the practically aban- doned Ohio Canal. If this appropriation should become available and the Ohio Canal made navigable again, together with the improvement of the Ohio, which is now under way, and the "on to Cairo" movement with 9 foot which is sure to come, some of us may live to see the Muskingum a national water way of vast importance.

• 17