ONE FREAK AND A PAIR OF TWINS

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    With the building of many raft-boats during the period 1870 to 1900, and by so many different 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 Lumber 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 feet wide and had 'dowler wheels,' somewhat on the order of a screw propeller, but the wheels were ten feet 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 toward each other and threw a very strong current against the balanced rudder.

     The '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 engine 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 successful raft-boat.

     During one season of good water and plenty logs, S. and J.C. Atlee had more work than their steamer 'LeClaire Belle' could do alone, so Mr. Sam Atlee made a

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few changes in the large center-wheel ferry boat 'Keokuk' and with Captain Asa Woodward in charge as master and pilot she made several trips.

     When dismantled, her fine engines were put in the new 'Sam Atlee' an excellent towboat.

     In only one instance were two boats built in duplicate. My old friend Captain Fred A. Bill of Saint Paul tells us about them as he was in the general office on the Diamond Jo Line when Mr. Young of W.J. Young and Company of Clinton, Iowa, and Mr. Fred Weyerhauser of Weyerhauser and Denkmann of Rock Island, had these two boats built in 1881, using the same specifications for each and when finished they drew cuts to decide the ownership. Mr. Young named his boat 'D. Boardman,' and Mr. Weyerhauser named his for his partner, 'F.C.A. Denkmann.

     Their hulls were one hundred and thirty feet long and twenty-eight feet wide. Their engines were fourteen inches by six foot. They were splendid boats and gave excellent service many years till the log supply was exhausted.