Rafting Over Green River

Rafting Over Green River

NY IDA STEWART PEAY

One spring, a few years ago, two young engineers, brothers, took a government contract to survey the country known as Brown's Park, in northeastern Utah. This part of the state ac- quired considerable fame, under the nick-name of "Robber's Roost," and is a wild, mountainous, unsettled region which for dangerous, difficult traveling could hardly be surpassed. These two engineers, with a party of twenty-two men, reached the Green River when that turbulent stream was booming with the flood waters of late spring. To facilitate the work, one of the engineers took ten of the men, and half of the teams and wagons, and began to work down the stream while the other engineer was ;

to complete all the measuring on the south side of the river. Accordingly, the younger brother, Boss Jack, as he was famil- iarly and affectionately called by his men, surveyed east about twenty miles of the roughest country he had ever traversed; then, having finished his work adjacent to the banks, and being near the ferry, crossed with his men and outfit to the other side of Green River. Surveying back along the north side of the stream, he finally came to a point where he decided to make permanent camp, intending to get into communication, if possible, with his brother, whom he expected was somewhere in this vicinity on the other side of the river. By this time, the elder brother, who also answered to a pet name — -Boss Boc — had completed his assignment of labor, and was ready to join his partner on the north of the Green, where, in range after range of towering, precipitous mountains, lay the greater part of their contract work. After many trial bon-fires, and numerous hazardous trips down the perpendicular ridges which formed the banks, the brothers managed, at last, to locate each other. Anxious to reunite their forces as quickly as possible, the two parties lined up at the edge of the stream, on their respective sides, and began to try to make plans to cross the foaming water. The river at this point was about a quarter of a mile wide, and a roaring torrent. However, by calling to the top of their voices they were able to exchange a short conversation. Boss Boe, on the south side of the stream, was the first to shout a question. "What kind of a road to the ferry?" he veiled.

After the inquiry had been fairly screamed about one dozen times the answer came back faintly, — "No road at all ridges, dugways and death-traps." "How long will it take to make the trip to you?" next called Boss Boe. Many times the question was lost in the roar of the river but eventually it was, perhaps, partly heard, partly guessed, for the reply, also yelled by many voices, finally reached them, "Seven days." The engineer on the south side of the stream made some rapid calculations. He figured that it would take him about two days to build a raft and float himself, party and outfit across the stream, and surely it could not be much more dangerous than the circuitous route around the ridge-ribbed banks to the ferry. Besides, to raft over would save him five days of time and two hundred fifty dollars in money — his party's expenses being fifty dollars per day. "Why not build a raft and raft over?" he suddenly asked his men. "Just the thing," they responded, enthusiastically. They were nearly all boys between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one and seemed ready and anxious for the novel experience. In the space of a few minutes Boss Boe had shouted again across the booming water. "I'll raft over," he called, and the word came back, "We'll help all we can." So the two parties, only half realizing what a perilous task they were undertaking, began to prepare. The party on the south side of the river, headed by Boss Boe, set to work, first of all, to construct a raft. None of them were versed in ship- or boat-craft, but thev were scouts, and determined to be willing and resource- ful. Many large logs, which had drifted down the river and been washed ashore, were scattered along the bank. These, of course, had been water soaked, but, having dried out, the young engineer thought they would serve his purpose well enough. They were, therefore, hurriedly collected and nailed together and, also, se- curely bound by half-inch ropes. The raft when finished was twelve feet square, with two layers of logs, the top layer being- laid cross-ways of those on the bottom. Eleven oars or, more correctly speaking, paddles, were next roughly hewn from the fallen trees, so that every man in the party could help steer the craft. Now the new structure was launched by its proud and excited builders upon the big river, being quickly and safely tied to near-bv trees by great ropes to hold it in place until it was loaded. As the building of the big boat had taken until dark the hazardous trip across was scheduled for the following day. When morning came the young engineer and his men were out early Before the sun was an hour high they had their craft loaded, everv-

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thing being soundly lashed and bound to the logs in case the water for any uhforseen reason should sweep the deck. When all was in readiness, the horses, about ten in number, were driven into the water that they might be compelled to swim across first. Before they had gone a dozen yards the ground slipped from under their feet and they began to swim. They moved along easily enough until they struck the current towards the mid- dle of the stream this proved to be so terribly swift that the horses ;

were quickly in a panic. The leaders whirled and started back. Instantly, the engineer and his men began to throw rocks and shout at them threateningly. The frightened beasts turned about but becoming bewildered began to mill. When horses begin to mill it is usually considered a fatal procedure. It certainly chilled the ardor of the young scouts to see their dumb friends swimming desperately around and around in a hopeless circle. But, now, the other engineer, who was waiting on the north bank with his party, ready to do anything necessary to help in the venture, brought a bunch of horses to the edge of the stream as a bait. The horses on shore who were expected to lure their companions over seemed to realize their mission, for suddenly a fine mare, mate to the leader in the water, raised her head high and neighed plaintively. Then as if in compliance to her call the horse in the water made a last might} effort, lunged into the middle of the current, was swept -

quickly downward but persistently pressed forward and soon, with the whole band close at his heels, reached the opposite shore. This little incident gave the venturesome young men some idea of the force of that boiling stream but, considering they had — gone too far to turn back, especially since they were now without horses — they stripped off their clothes, to be prepared for any accident, strapped them to the raft, and cut the ropes. As the log-craft swung into the dark, muddy, seething, flood- waters of the Green River, eleven solemn-faced boys, none of — them were much more than boys even including the engineer seized their oars and began to paddle for dear life. Before the ropes were cut, it had seemed like it might not be such a great task for eleven men to row that tiny craft the quarter of a mile across the stream, but, now, that they were being pushed and swayed by the occasional eddies that swerved from the great central current, they all began to wonder ominously what the next few minutes would bring to them. Before launching, the banks for some distance had been reconnoitered and the spot they had just left selected because it was fully a mile above the rapids. This thought was now in the minds of all. for though they rowed vigorously the little craft sagged slowly but surelv down the stream. The young scouts redoubled their efforts, but when they ncared the great river's middle current, thev were transfixed with

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awe and horror as they got a close view of that head-long", rushing, roaring central torrent. Suddenly they were caught in its mighty grasp ! In a flash the small craft shot down stream as if it had been a mere chip. Every boy paled to the lips, every paddle dipped desperately, if vainly, into the swollen waters, every heart was moaning. "And the rapids not a mile below us!" In that awful, fear-enthralling moment the engineer, who had undertaken this feat, became the pilot. With marvelous calm he looked around at his men. He knew something was wrong, though every man was rowing with all his power. Great beads of sweat stood out on every brow. In an instant the pilot took in the situation. There were four men among the crew who could not — swim. And those who could swim- what chance would they have against that ruthless current? It was inevitable they were panic stricken every man was rowing not with but against his neighbor ;

The little raft was actually spinning' around, first one corner then another was dipping deeply into the angry, undulating water, the cargo was rapidly becoming soaked. Loudly, sternly Boss Boe spoke to his men calling their attention to the difficulty, and soon they were all stroking together again, frenziedly, it is true, but more hopefully. With their efforts united they managed to steer the craft into the middle of the river, but still they were being borne down, down, down to what seemed certain destruction. The other engineer, Boss Jack, and his party, on the opposite shore, were waiting and watching with bated breath. In Boss Jack's party were also eleven men and these were scattered along ;

the bank for a considerable distance. Each man was stripped of his clothes, to be prepared for any possible emergency, and each held two or three long, heavy inch-ropes ready to throw out to the rafters to help them land. When Boss Jack saw the raft swing into the current, and in spite of the strenuous paddling of its eleven steerers, start head-long down the stream towards the rapids, he was almost beside himself. Catching a mule, lie jumped upon its back and whipped the beast on to the run dashing down the bank, ;

until even with the racing raft, he urged the animal far out into the water and threw a rope. The frightened rafters missed the rope, and as the other end of it was held by the men on shore it flipped quickly back and wrapped around the mule and rider just as they, having gone beyond their depth, suddenly dropped out of sight. A moan of horror escaped those on the raft, and those on shore, as they saw the younger engineer, tangled up in the rope with the mule, go to the bottom. There was a tense moment, then the brave young transit-man, fighting like a trojan, rose to the surface and, extricating himself from the rope in some miraculous way, struck out determinedly and with all haste for the shore. In another minute the mule was following. As soon as Boss lack

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touched foot to solid earth, withoul wasting a thought on his own narrow escape, he rushed frantically on down the stream. The other men on shore had been running energetically after the hurrying raft constantly throwing out ropes, but thus far every rope had been missed. When Boss Jack was even with the rafters, he threw again and this time some fellow caught the rope. A loud hurrah went up from twenty-two throats, but the rejoicing was of short duration. Quicker than one could wink the lad who had seized the rope was >anked off into the water, so swift was the river's raging current. The hoy in the water happened to he one of the four who could not swim; he floundered and gasped, then began to sink. "Hang on to the rope!" commanded the men on land, and as the young man did so with commendable tenacity, he was quickly pulled to shore by eager, trembling hands. Another rope was now thrown out by those who were racing wildly on down the bank. Again it was caught. This time as before, the man catching itwas jerked instantly into the stream, and was hauled to safety. he, too, In this way ten men were rescued from the madly hurrying raft, and only the engineer, Boss Roe. remained. By this time the old drift logs were water-soaked again, and the ill-fated craft was slowly but surely sinking. The lone transit- man was standing knee-deep in water. The breathless runners on the bank now threw a rope to him which he succeeded in grasping, hut he, too, was plunged into the boiling river. As the raft was dangerously near the rapids, those on shore were relieved and re- joiced to have him in the water and began to pull him in as they had the others, but to their amazement and to the dismay of the younger brother, he let loose of the rope and swam back to the raft. To the shouts of the men and especially to the pleadings of his partner, Boss Boe called, "Fifteen hundred dollars worth of property on this raft. Throw me another rope !" "Can't you see the rapids are only a hundred yards below you ?" cried Boss Jack, running into the edge of the water to throw a rope. Boss Boe looked down the stream and nodded grimly as he deliberately stooped and braced himself between some piles on the raft, so the next rope he caught would not pull him off. He lifted his head in time to grab the rope his brother had just thrown. There was a breathless silence as the engineer was jerked roughly forward hut suddenly a wild shout of "bravo" rent the air, as he ;

raised himself up, every muscle tense with the strain, as by the force of a desperate purpose he hung on to the rope and stuck to the raft. As he quickly tied the rope to his sinking craft a dozen men

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hurried to wrap the other end of it around a giant tree on the land. But alas, just as soon as the rope was taut, though it was half as big around as a man's wrist, it snapped in two like a twine string and the runaway raft went madly on. For a brief second horror stupefied the men on shore. Boss Boe's younger brother was fairly paralyzed ; but, rallying his stunned senses, he seized another rope and ran into the water im- ploring wildly as he threw it, "Get off that raft, this instant ! You're in the edge of the rapids. No man can swim them. We'd tear you to pieces on the rocks if we tried to pull you out. Let the stuff go! Jump !" he shouted. "For the love of heaven, save your life!" "Jump! Save your life!" yelled all the men on shore, as they stumbled and pitched onward to keep up with the raft. Suddenly every man stopped running. Boss Jack halted one tick of the clock, in the edge of the water, then straightened him- self out and began to swim towards the current and his brother. The raft had struck the first rock in the rapids Just as it did so, the man who wouldn't "give up the ship" caught the last rope thrown him. With the command to jump ringing in his ears and the craft jarring against the rock, he braced himself as before, and with a superhuman effort held his place on the raft while he hung on to the rope and fastened it. Then rais- ing a determined face he shouted "Keep the ropes coming!" The water-soaked, sinking raft was now displacing about three hundred forty feet of water and was traveling at the rate of ten feet per second. It struck the rock —which was far below the surface of the stream — with such force that it slid upon it, where, for some unaccountable reason, it caught and hung a moment or two, dipping deeply first one way then the other with the lashing of the thwarted current. During this brief interval, the plucky pilot caught and tied eleven ropes which were hastily secured to big pines by the men on the shore. By this time, helped over the center current by the ropes, the younger engineer had reached the raft and, clamoring on to it, raised up beside the gritty sailor. The eyes of twenty men on shore suddenly moistened as they saw him gratefully grasp the hand of his beloved partner brother. To be sure they were not out of danger, for any moment the treacherous current might sweep the raft from the rock and snap the ropes, but they felt a momentary safety. Falling swiftly to work the brothers unloosed from the improvised boat the most valuable of their possessions and started by means of the ropes for the north bank. The men of the party, divining their purpose, struck out, also by the ropes, to help. In a shorter space of time than one could credit, the raft was unloaded.

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Just as the last man was safe on shore, the current hurled the soaked logs from the security of the rock, and every one turned toward the river intent upon seeing what straining powers the ropes would exert. Kor a few seconds they held, then as a mighty central current sucked and tugged venomously, they snapped one by one like so many threads, and the abandoned craft went reeling and thudding cumbrously down through the tearing, foaming, writhing rapids. A sigh of relief escaped the pale lips of these young scouts who were much wiser now than they were a few hours before. Of course, the blisters, from heels to chin, on every mother's son of them, whose naked bodies had been exposed to the water and sun for eight unmerciful hours, have nothing to do with the rafting over Green River, even if they did keep the incident fresh in the minds of those boys for many days to come. PROVO, UTAH