MY FIRST YEAR RAFTING 59 



son closed, the captain and chief engineer became 

 pleasant and agreeable. 



The "Belle's" oak hull was one hundred and twenty- 

 five feet long, twent>'-two and one-half feet wide, and 

 drew twenty-eight inches light. She had two boilers, 

 and engines fourteen inches bore by four-foot stroke, 

 applied to a stern paddle wheel. She was a nice, easy 

 boat to steer and handle, and was real fast when run- 

 ning light, but slow when loaded down with coal. 



When we reached Savanna Bay, the next morning 

 after I "shipped," we found that the raft had been laid 

 up so long that the rope booming was all rotten. We put 

 in the whole day rebooming it and getting it ready to 

 run. 



That night we had a snow storm, and it was late the 

 next day when we got the two pieces dropped down 

 through Sabula bridge, and coupled up below Dark 

 Chute, after dark. Here I got into my first trouble. I 

 took red lanters to hang on the outside corners of the 

 raft next the channel. 



As walking logs was a new thing to me, I took a 

 bright lantern to light me back to the boat. I hung my 

 red lanterns all right and was carefully picking my way 

 back to the boat, when a piece of rotten bark, covered 

 with snow, gave way, and I fell, hurting one knee. My 

 bright light got wet and went out. I had to crawl back 

 on my hands and one knee. The other was stiflf and sore, 

 but I managed to avoid exposure and gaffing. 



When we delivered the raft at Burlington, Mr. E. D. 

 Rand paid me in full and gave us an extra one hun- 

 dred dollars on my explanation about the delay and 

 extra work in getting the raft ready. This settlement 

 pleased our manager when I reported to him about col- 



