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Show 1029 Lees Ferry; we were about a week going over on the truck: we met several rain storms and sand washes. " About a week afterwards, during the first of August, the boat was launched." R. 2452. At the time he started out from Lees Ferry with the boat, it had a crew of two besides himself; some passengers and some supplies, to make a trip up the river. There were two boatmen besides himself; one of them was named Johnson, and the other named Knight. There more probably seven or eight of the Edison party, Including Mr. Dennis, and the observation crew; and all were employes of the Edison Company. R. 2452. The only supplies carried on that trip were those for the establishment of a camp, and enough food for the party was carried along. R. 2453. " Q Tell me the progress of that boat up stream. " A We didn't have very much progress, at first; the construction of the boat being a tunnel up in the sides, the propeller would kick all the water out, and it would settle on the sand and we would set there. We would get off, and drift back a ways. In less than a minute's time you would drift back as much as you would make in fifteen minutes going up. " BY THE SPECIAL MASTER: " Q What was the draft of the boat? " A I imagine about twelve inches when loaded; that is the first boat we bad. Then we had a capstan on the front of it, and five hundred feet of line; we would get to a sandbar we couldn't get across, we would put out the line and wind it off it four or five men would drag us over that bar." R. 2453. The capstan was run by a crank or handbar on either side, and lines were taken ashore every day, sometimes four and five times a day, in order to get the boat over some bar. R. 2453. |
