One Freak and a Pair of Twins 



With the building of so many raft-boats during the 

 period from 1870 to 1900, and by so many dififerent 

 owners, it is somewhat strange that so few were failures 

 and I recall only one real freak, that came out in 1872. 



On her side bulkheads we read: "Eau Claire Lum- 

 ber Company's Iron Raft Boat J. G. Chapman." 



She was neither a side-wheeler, a stern-wheeler nor a 

 propeller. She was about one hundred and ten feet 

 long and twenty-two feet wide and had "dowler 

 wheels," somewhat on the order of a screw propeller, 

 but the wheels were ten feet in diameter with only one- 

 fourth part submerged. The lowest part of the wheels 

 were not below the bottom of the boat which drew 

 three feet at the stern. The wheels when working ahead 

 revolved towards each other and threw a very strong 

 current against the balance rudder. 



This "J. G. Chapman" was a good strong shover and 

 had good rudder power going ahead, but was almost 

 useless in backing and she was very slow going up river. 

 She was later changed to a regular stern-wheeler with 

 engines fourteen inches by six foot, but having no hog 

 chains, her iron hull broke in two coming up river, and 

 she sank near Iowa island. Her engines were used in 

 the second "J. G. Chapman," which was a very success- 

 ful raft-boat. 



During one season of good water and plenty logs, S. 

 and J. C. Atlee had more work than their steamer "Le- 

 Claire Belle" could do alone, so Mr. Sam Atlee made a 



