Show TREE WRECKS A STEAMER peril perlis of navigation on rivers of brit lh ish columbia illustrated ay an incident we often hear of people singing li for protection for those in peril on the sea but I 1 should like to put in a plea for the steamboat men who wrest their living ining from the inland waters of british columbia and more particularly the skeena river this river is fed by the snow from the mountains in the buckley 1 valley country and the watershed is confined to such a small stretch of country that the rise and fall of the river is abnormally swift I 1 happened to be on the steamer operator when she met with a peculiar mishap from this cause the stream had risen over three feet during the night washing away the earth from the roots of a great tree about a yard in diameter As A s the seamer was working her tortuous way up the river having to go within 20 feet of the bank in places to find the deep water there commotion overhead was a sadden the he huge tree crashed down and cesk instant the good ship was a helpless derelict floating down the treacherous river er with lifeboats smashed engines disabled and steering gear out of commission wide world maga |