THE NOTED RAFT-ROAT "SILVER WAVE" 117 



We promised to remember his good advice. When 

 we reached the upper end of town the new, fast "City 

 of Winona" came out of the foot of the Slough above 

 Youmans's mill and was soon headed up for the Beef 

 Slough. She was gaining a little on us. Captain Sam 

 was eagerly watching and soon asked Mr. Stedman, the 

 engineer, how much steam he was carrying. 



I answered, saying, "I have given orders not to carry 

 over one hundred and twenty pounds tonight. Until we 

 get these chains off her head, she will dive when she 

 strikes a deep place if we drive her any." 



By this time the "Winona" was close up to our wheel 

 and gaining a little. Captain Sam could not stand it any 

 longer. He said to Mr. Stedman and me - "Why this is 

 a fast boat. It's a shame to hold her back this way. Let 

 steam come up to her allowance and I will try to keep 

 the water off her head"; and he got the crew to help 

 him move some chains back; then he banked coils of 

 cross lines around her bow with tarpaulins over her 

 head and we kept ahead and gained a little even with 

 slowing her down to mount the reefs in shallow water; 

 but when near Fountain Cir>' the water came over her 

 bow so strong that Captain Sam and his false bulkhead 

 were washed back off her head. We then concluded we 

 had had fun enough, slowed down, let the "Winona" 

 go by, then cleared up the forecastle, put her back on 

 one hundred and twenty pounds and turned in. "Rac- 

 ing" was not discussed when the captain came aboard 

 after that. 



Sometimes, however, we raced down stream with 

 rafts in tow. I remember one such when on the "Le- 

 Claire Belle" in 1878. 



We had fourteen strings of logs for Fort Madison. 

 The "J. W. Van Sant" (first) with fourteen strings of 



