Ohio History Journal

MUSKINGUM RIVER PILOTS.

THEIR DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS.

BY IRVEN TRAVIS.

The first pilots to navigate the Muskingum river were men

who handled floating crafts. This was before the advent of

steamboats, and also before the improvement of the river by a

series of locks and dams such as we now have kept up by the

federal government.

In the handling of such crafts, the pilot was guided very

much by the draft of water, by which at such places as island

chutes and other ripples the "best water," as they termed it, was

plainly indicated to an experienced eye. Especially at the head

of a chute is this true. The glassy appearance of the surface

of the water and the funnel shape of the current when entering

at the head of an island, made the pilot quite confident; but at

the foot of the chute this was not equally certain, as in the choppy

water this natural chart was lost.

Reference is made to down stream trips, and with the best

management boats often were aground. And it is worthy of

mention that the crew of such boats were not helpless by any

means, and when aground one of the first things to be done was

to lay a line ashore in the proper direction and rig a Spanish

windlass, which was quite powerful as well as dangerous. All

that is necessary for the machine is two handspikes and the line

-and to know how to use them.

The steering apparatus was an oar placed on the bow of

the boat and another of similar pattern on the stern, the latter

called a gouger. To get a boat in position to enter an island

chute it often happened that the entire crew would operate the

two oars. Much care must be taken in operating the gouger, for

if the blade should be dipped in the water too deep it would

catch on the bottom and you would soon be minus an oar, and

(477)

478       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

probably some of the crew in the river. The late Capt. I. N.

Hook was seriously injured in an accident of this kind.

PILOT'S AND CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY.

The first pilots of steamboats were those the captain or

owner would trust, as no license was required until by an act

of Congress, June 7th, 1838, both pilots and engineers were re-

quired to have licenses. The fee was $10.00 for each issue, license

having to be renewed each year. Still it was not difficult to ob-

tain a license, for if you could have three men of experience,

such as captains or pilots, vouch for you, the license would be

issued. Now that the pilot carried a license issued by proper

authority, his importance was greatly increased, he having made

affidavit he would manage any craft on which he might be em-

ployed, according to his own best skill and judgment. This di-

vision of authority between captain and pilot was somewhat com-

plicated. For instance, if it seemed dangerous to take the boat

out on account of storm, high water, fog or ice, etc., the pilot

could hold the boat and refuse to take her out. On the other

hand, if the captain thought it dangerous to leave port for any

reason, the pilot could not take her out. So to leave port both

must agree. But when the lines were taken in and the pilot in

the pilot house, he at once became the Major Domo and had

full control. If during a storm the captain ordered the boat

ashore and the pilot thought it safer to stand out and ride the

storm, which was often the case, he would refuse to obey; and

if the pilot wished to land, the captain could not prevent it. So

it was the pilot who tied up in such cases. However, there is

another authority that must not be questioned-that of the

engineer, and when he notified the pilot to go ashore, his order

was obeyed at once.

This mention of mixed authority between captains and pilots

might lead one to believe that much friction would ensue, but

this was not the case. There was quite a complete system of

"Preparedness" and "safety first" even in those days. When

near time to leave the port, the captain would ring the boat's

bell; this would be about ten minutes before the time of leaving.

The engineer would now notify the stoker to close the furnace

Muskingum River Pilots.             479

doors. This was done by the ringing of a bell which was located

near the furnace. At this time it was the business of the pilot

to examine the steering apparatus and to see that no freight came

in contact with tiller or tiller rope or rudder. A few minutes

later the captain rings the bell again, this time three taps. This

is called the ready bell. The pilot now goes to the wheel, and

the engineer rings his gong indicating that he is ready. The

captain now rings one tap of the bell, when the lines are taken

in and the command given. "All gone, sir." From this time

until the boat was again tied up, the pilot was in full control.

SOME EXPERT HANDLERS.

After the improvement of the Muskingum the dams seemed

to have made navigation much more dangerous, and it was a

man's job at times to get into the locks when on the down stream

trip, especially at such places as Taylorsville, Eagleport, Stock-

port-Windsor then, Luke Chute, Beverly and Devol's Dam,

as at these points the lock was built at the end of the dam, so

if you missed the lock there was no place to maneuver and this

made it necessary to get in even in a rough manner at times.

It was this practice where the boat must be handled quickly that

gave Muskingum river pilots a reputation as expert handlers,

as good management was termed, and many of the early pilots

from this river became distinguished New Orleans pilots. One

of these was Tice Ridenour; another John Weed. This was so

early that I knew nothing of them except their reputation.

During the civil war steamboats from all rivers were likely

to be pressed into government service. In such cases a boat

would be hailed in if passing a government station. This was

done by firing a shot across her bow. If this was not heeded

another would be fired, this time at the pilot house. This usually

brought them in. Parkersburg, W. Va., was one of the ports

where boats were collected in this manner for government ser-

vice, and I remember a case when the second shot struck the

Texas just under the pilot house. In such cases the boats were

promptly unloaded, the freight being dumped in any old place

convenient, and the boat loaded with troops or government sup-

plies, and started down river, the crew as well as the boat pressed

480       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

into service. In time of peace no one would expect the pilot

to take his boat to strange waters, but in time of war, it being

known that he could handle the boat, they trusted to luck so far

as his knowledge of strange rivers was concerned.

It was at this time that many Muskingum boatmen were

forced into such service and taken with their boats to the Ten-

nessee and Cumberland rivers. Among them three brothers who

were Muskingum river pilots became celebrated, for the time

at least. These men, Aaron, Milt and Jim McLaughlin, were

raised in McConnelsville. The latter, however, was an enlisted

man in regular service. It was he who ran the blockade at

Vicksburg with a gunboat, having offered his services when

volunters were called for the job, the details of which I am unable

to give. The other two, Aaron and Milt, were pilots of the

steamer Jonas Powell, running between Zanesville and Parkers-

burg, and were taken with the boat to the southern waters, and

at Nashville, Tenn., Aaron gained a reputation for daring that

made all other pilots envious.

A large fleet of government transports made up of steam-

boats of all classes and from many rivers, were lying above the

bridge in readiness for a down stream trip. The river being

unusually high made the passage through the draw of the bridge

quite difficult and dangerous on account of the strong current

which did not run parallel with the piers, and one might say

that a boat would not go where she looked, but would travel or

flank, sidewise and collide with the pier. This had happened with

the first and second boat, and the officers had decided to wait

for more favorable conditions. When Capt. Jim Darlington, of

the steamer Jonas Powell, said to the officer in command: "I

have pilots that can take your boats through the draw safely,"

referring to Aaron and Milt McLaughlin, it was decided that

they undertake it. The boats that had started and met with

disaster had been dropped down slowly and carefully, too much

so, in the estimation of Aaron, so he took the first boat up river

about a half mile, rounded to and came down under full steam,

knowing that the higher the speed the quicker the boat would

answer to her rudders, and consequently better control would

be had. Aaron took the first boat through safely, and landed

Muskingum River Pilots.             481

below the bridge, was sent back and brought another, till six

boats had been safely landed below the bridge, Milt McLaughlin

having taken two of them. These Muskingum river pilots were

now the heroes of the day, and Milt was stationed there as post

pilot, whose duty it was to take boats through the bridge only.

It is not strange that Muskingum pilots were more proficient in

handling boats, for at that time the Muskingum was the prin-

cipal river to be improved by locks and dams, which gave op-

portunity for handling boats quickly in space much more limited

than on rivers where there were no locks and dams.

A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

Good judgment and quick decision are very important fac-

tors in the handling of a steamboat, and many an accident has

been averted when a few seconds' hesitation would have been

disastrous. To illustrate, will relate an instance when the steamer

Carrie Brooks was on a down trip, running in ice. The engineer,

Cliff Crane, was on watch. When passing Douda bar he had

gone out on the fantail to oil. The spray from the wheel had

frozen till a solid coat of ice covered the fantail, and Crane

slipped and fell overboard. This was a trying situation, since

the boat did not stop. He knew that he had not been missed.

The boat was thus left steaming down the river without

an engineer. His cries for assistance were heard by Mr. James

Loughridge, who found him clinging to the willows in an ex-

hausted condition, having swum probably two-thirds the width

of the river in the running ice. The safety of the boat was

apparently the only thought of Crane. He was detained at the

Loughridge home long enough to change his clothes, and in the

meantime members of the Loughridge family were hitching up

a team, of which they kept the very best, and soon the race

began, the engineer thinking of nothing but disaster which cer-

tainly would come at the first attempt the pilot might make to

land. The boat had gone as far as Hooksburg (about four

miles) before having occasion to land. The pilot now rang the

alarm bell which is to give notice to the engineer that a landing

is to be made. This is done in order that the engineer can ar-

range to control the steam by opening the furnace doors or the

Vol. XXVI -31.

482       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

bleeder as a waste pipe is called. The pilot had now headed in

and rang a slow bell.   This not being answered promptly

the stopping bell was rung, and when this was not answered

not a second could be lost, as the boat was heading for shore.

Quickly the pilot jumped on the wheel, climbing it similar to

a squirrel in a cage. The boat began to answer and it was soon

apparent that her head would come out and miss the shore, but

what about her stern swinging in and raking the shore? But

the engines were still driving her, and by good fortune her

stern missed the rock by a hair's breadth, and she was soon out

in the open. By this time one of the deck hands, Calico Wil-

liams, throttled the engine, which was a mistake, as the steam

now ran up on the gauge, causing another danger. By this time

the engineer off watch had been called up and took charge. It

was now positively known that Crane had gone overboard, so

the boat rounded to and came up within a mile of where the

accident happened, but could find no trace of the lost engineer,

so turned and went on her way. All this time the Loughridges

were so much employed caring for the unfortunate engineer that

they had not heard or noticed the boat, although she came in

sight of their home. It was the trip back that enabled them

to get started in time to overtake the boat when leaving Wind-

sor lock, and a joyful reunion took place when the boat came

back into the lock and Crane was on board. The captain in

charge of this boat was Harvey Darlington.

MUST NOT BE COLOR BLIND.

It is now 76 years since the improvement of our river was

completed, and so far as I am able to learn, about one pilot for

each year of that time would be the number of licensed pilots,

some few of whom were licensed for any and all rivers, as I

have known the license to read: "Mississippi river and tribu-

taries." This wholesale business was in the beginning, but soon

positive proof of your acquaintance and knowledge of the river

was demanded, and examination of applicants was more rigid,

and in 1876 or 1877 a new regulation required an applicant for

a pilot's license to pass an examination for color blindness, which

at first was not a difficult matter, as you could usually get this

Muskingum River Pilots.              483

certificate from your family doctor who was not prepared, as

a rule, to give a proper test, as my own experience will show.

I presented myself to the doctor for examination for color blind-

ness, when he asked, "How can I tell whether or not you are

color blind?"

I said, "I don't know. That is your business. All I want

is a certificate."

I then suggested that he have me name the colors of the

wallpaper in the room. This plan was adopted. The doctor with

a pointer and I at the head and foot of the class, the recitation

commenced. The doctor pointed to a certain flower or figure,

saying, "What color is that?"

"Purple," I replied.

"No, that isn't purple," said he.

I said, "Yes."

He said, "No."

I then said, "Doctor, you are color blind and you had better

give me a certificate before it is generally known."

And the certificate was issued. One examination only was

necessary, and when a new license was issued this certificate was

stamped on the back.

FEES, AND OFFICERS' LICENSES.

The money received for pilots', master engineers' and mates'

licenses accumulated to the amount of $600,000, after paying

the expenses of the department, and as no provision had been

made for its transfer to any other fund a marine journal pub-

lished at this time, to gain popularity with the craft which

were its principal subscribers, advocated the refunding of this

fee except an amount sufficient to defray expenses of the de-

partment. This was closely watched by the readers, and I

counted on about $120, but have not yet received it. However,

some good was accomplished as the fee was reduced to 50 cents,

and later abolished entirely, and the license issued for a term

of five years instead of one.

The first issue of officers' license was a very lengthy docu-

ment and written entire, as no printed form was then used. Had

I undertaken this writing, prior to our flood of 1913, I could

484       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

have produced one of this kind, but unfortunately it was lost

in the flood as were many other papers of equal value to me.

The first license must be kept by the officer and produced if

his authority was questioned, but later when the form was

changed and a smaller form used, it was framed and hung in

the cabin of the steamer, for the inspection of passengers.

MUST STAY OUT OF PILOT HOUSE.

From the beginning all passengers were allowed perfect

freedom on board, and could spend the time in the pilot house

or engine room, at the option of the officers however. But later,

probably in 1880, a serious disaster took place at Mingo, a few

miles below Steubenville, O., when the steamers John Lomas

and Scioto collided. The latter, carrying a great number of

excursionists, sank immediately, and 65 lives were lost. It was

reported that quite a number of people were in the pilot house

of the Scioto, and a woman was permitted by the pilot to make

the signal for passing. It was said her foot slipped off the lever

which operates the steam whistle, and she repeated the signal,

thus making two blasts of the whistle instead of one as intended,

and the collision ensued. The pilot, Keller by name, who was

proved to be accountable for this great loss of life, was sentenced

to ten years in the penitentiary, served his term, probably not

the entire sentence, and was again licensed and employed as

Ohio River pilot on the Steamer Lorena. Immediately legisla-

tion took place which excluded passengers from the pilot house

when the steamer was under way. This was a severe blow to

the pilot whose principal business seemed to have been to enter-

tain the passengers, and they must now close the door to their

most intimate friends, who, in some cases, ceased to be their

friends. Thus what had seemed one continual round of pleas-

ure suddenly changed, and some of the most lonesome days of

my life were spent in the pilot house.

WHAT A PILOT SHOULD KNOW.

As the caption of this paper indicates, I am to report what

a pilot should know. This is an easy matter, as I must say he

should know everything pertaining to river boats and navigation,

Muskingum River Pilots.             485

and the nearer he accomplishes this difficult task the better his

rank as a pilot. But it is quite difficult to explain how such

knowledge is acquired. However, in an effort to do this, I

must say in the beginning a cub pilot is the most insignificant

being on earth in the estimation of the old pilot who has under-

taken to "learn" (teach is not right) him the river, so the cub

did not have much to say when in the presence of this dignitary

of apparent royal blood. But the cub had his inning when off

watch, as he could look wise and ignore the flunkeys and would

even answer questions for passengers when the old pilot was not

present. The flunkeys seemed to have formed a dislike for the

cub pilot, as he was now to be known, which increased in inten-

sity each day as the cub could swing the attention of the girls

from the flunkeye any and all times. But this is not learning

the river.

The cub now takes the wheel with fear and trembling, the

old pilot standing by, full of revenge, probably having in mind

the days when he made his first attempt at steering. "Get on

the other side of your wheel. You must learn to stand on the

bend side." The cub moves at once. In a short time the boat

has reached the point and the bend changes, but the cub

has not discovered it.                    "Get on the other side of your

wheel as I told you."                     The cub moves without hesitation

or apology. The next interference is likely to be: "Hold

her steady.            You wiggle around here like a blind horse

plowing corn.       Look at the track you are making.    Now

watch the nighthawk and when it begins to move, ease up."

It is probable that the cub never heard of such terms, and by

this time he has begun to think his chances to learn the river

are remote. But if he can stand the kind of treatment he is

subjected to for a short time, he will have learned to steer when

out in the open daylight, and the old pilot will allow him to

do all the work possible, while he rests.

The cub has now been shown marks in profusion in order

that he may begin to steer at night. For instance, he has been

told to hold on a certain gap in the hill with stern jackstaff

on some other hill top or prominent tree. "Hold her there un-

til a notch in the hill opens up on your left," and he will have

486       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

practiced this in daylight until he could run this place to the

satisfaction of the old pilot. But the first time he undertakes

it at night it is positively certain that he will not run it right,

for it takes more nerve than he has yet acquired to pitch down

into a deep bend when it seems like you are surely going into

the woods. But with constant practice in time this fear leaves

him, and he becomes a pilot, but still has much to learn that he

is not then fully aware of.

The wind and current must be considered and never cease

to be a study. For instance, the current below some of the

locks and dams is quite different at the same stage of water,

depending on whether the river is rising or falling. In run-

ning a bridge on entering a lock, if the wind is blowing one

must calculate the effect and brace up to the wind in such a

manner as sometimes causes anxiety to passengers. In fog I

must say that there is much guess work; but very few pilots

try to run in fog in the night time, but after daylight few boats

tie up on the Muskingum. But on the Ohio it is different, as

the width of the river is such that you can easily get lost or

turn round.

Where a boat carried a double crew each is on watch usually

six hours, one crew being on the forward watch, the other on

the aft watch. In a regular trade like Zanesville and Parkers-

burg the watch changes every Sunday. This change is more

necessary for pilots than for others, for if this change was not

made there would be certain parts of the river that each pilot

would not see in months. To engineers this would make no

difference. There is another method called a dog watch, making

three parts of the night. This changes the day watch every day.

Changes and improvements in the apparatus have made

steamboating much more safe, pleasant and easy than in the

days of which I am writing. The swinging stage, improved

rudders and the electric search light are some of such improve-

ments, the latter the most notable, as you can now light up the

whole valley, when in early times an old torch was used. This

was an iron torch basket in which pine knots were burned, and

later, when this supply was exhausted, saw dust and rosin was

used, and sometimes with oil and saw dust. No unnecesary lights

Muskingum River Pilots             487

were allowed on board, and blinds were provided for the sky

lights forward of the pilot house, and on unusually black nights

all lights in the cabin would be extinguished. On such nights

when the watch would change, the pilot coming on watch would

not step in and take the wheel suddenly, but would look on a few

minutes in order to be sure of his bearing. In the meantime

something like the following conversation might be heard:

"How's the water?"

"Five feet 7, falling. How about the packets?"

"Met the Hibernia at the head of Repert and the Andes

at the foot, and just saw a green signal through the timbers. I

think that the Chesapeake rounding the point."

It was the business of the pilot to see that the signals were

kept burning, which at times required considerable attention,

especially in extreme cold weather, when it was difficult to keep

them burning. This was a matter of much concern to the pilot,

who could not see the signals, as they were hung on the for-

ward side of the chimneys, but the watchman would be called

often to report their condition. Electric current now furnishes

light in signals, which is more certain.

A great help to pilots was the establishing of beacon lights

in about 1876. Before this, any light from factory or plant or

from a dwelling house, if it happened to be at or near a point

such as an island chute or bar, would soon be noticed and used

in running this particular place. But such lights could not be

depended upon, and when the government lights were established

and were kept burning at all times between sunset and sunrise,

all pilots seemed to fully appreciate this government aid. If

any change in the river took place that would necessitate the

changing of location of any such lights, it would be done

promptly by the light tender, a government steamer which passed

up and down inspecting such lights and furnishing oil and sup-

plies for their maintenance.

There is much that could be said, but as the days of steam-

boating seem to have passed, all things pertaining thereto must

pass also and cease to be of interest, therefore, we will await

further remarks until a revival of steamboating.