THE CANADIAN ELECTRIC TO QUEENSTON--AN OLD PORTAGE ROUTE REVIVED--HISTORY
OF THE TWO PORTAGES--THE TREK TO THE WESTERN STATES--CHIPPEWA
ARRIVES--NOTABLE PASSENGER MEN.
No wonder that after his recital of her prowess, much as we had esteemed
the bonnie ship, we now thought all the more of her, for as ill the times
of her previous owners, so now in ours, there appeared to be a sort of
living sprite within her frames, evidencing a spirit of life, and
consciousness, as that of a fond friend, as well as a faithful servant.
Perhaps it is this very affection which arises between a man and his ship
that has led to all vessels being spoken of in the feminine, and familiarly
as "she." Perhaps, however it may be that it comes from their kittenish
"kittly-cattly" ways, for you never know what a vessel will do, until you
have tried her.
1890 brought us still further on the way to success. The business was fast
increasing, under the more frequent services and the spread of advertising,
and solicitation. So much was this the case that the possibility of placing
another steamer on the route began to be debated, not only by ourselves,
but by other people who were looking on.
A small American steamer had been running between Lewiston and Youngstown,
and there was some talk of putting on another. Rumors also spoke of an
electric line to be built between these points to more closely connect the
troops of the American Garrison at Fort Niagara with the forces of the
State of New York. We thought, therefore, it would be as well to obtain the
dock at Youngstown, to which rail connections could be made, and also to
create an American company, under which American steamers could be owned
and operated by us, should it at any time be thought well to do so.
The "Niagara River Navigation Co., Limited," was then formed under a
charter obtained from the State of New York, and the stock subscribed and
paid up by members of the Niagara Navigation Co. families, the Board
being,--John Foy, President; Barlow Cumberland, Vice-President, and three
gentlemen of Buffalo, directors.
The Youngstown Dock, which had been privately purchased, and is the dock
down to which the railway track of 1885 ran, was taken over by this
American company, and some people, whom it had been suggested might put on
American steamers to run in competition with the Niagara Navigation
Company, were informed that we were empowered, and quite ready to meet them
under their own condition, so they drew in their horns and nothing more was
heard of the matter.
A policy was formulated which has ever since been maintained, of adding
steamers as the traffic, and new developments showed might be required and
to add them even in advance of actual requirements.
From the position of its ports, and the variable requirements of the
connecting lines, the Niagara River Line can be best handled by one stable
company, in full control of docks at all the landing places, and with a
number of steamers sufficient to meet all possible emergencies of sudden
demands of travel as they arrive at different times on the several railway
connections on both sides of the lake. The very flexibility of the service
ensures adequate provision to keep the largest excursion business moving
without delay, and with convenience from whatever quarter or connection it
may at any hour come.
In 1891 Captain McGiffin was promoted to command of _Cibola_ in succession
to Captain McCorquodale, who after having given fullest satisfaction and
faithful service, had died during the previous season. Captain W. H.
Solmes, of Picton, was now appointed to _Chicora_.
In this year began the project for the construction of the _Niagara Falls
Park and River Railway_ on the Canadian side, following the bank of the
river from Niagara Falls to Queenston and being the first electric railway
to be built in this vicinity on either side of the river.
Electrical traction was then in its infancy. No better evidence of this can
be given than the fact that although the Canadian Electric Railway Company
had ample surplus power in their development at the Horseshoe Falls, yet
the electrical engineers of the day, reported that the cost of wiring and
the loss in transmission of power for the only seven miles to Queenston,
would be prohibitive to commercial economy. An additional equipment for
development of electricity by steam was therefore installed on the river
side at Queenston to help the power current from the Falls in operating the
cars up the zig-zag to the top of the Queenston Heights.
This power house is shown in the view taken from the Heights and continued
to be used until 1898, when the improvements in electrical transmission
enabled it to be abandoned and full power brought from the company's water
power house at the Falls.
The zig-zag series of curves by which the double track railway winds its
way up the face of the Niagara escarpment from the dock to the summit at
Brock's Monument is considered one of the achievements of Mr. Jennings,
who was the engineer for the construction of this Canadian Power and
Electrical R.R. Company, and had previously done some notable work for the
Canadian Pacific Railway on the Fraser River and Rocky Mountain sections.
As the cars wind up and approach the summit, a splendid and far distant
landscape is opened to the view, one which the Duke of Argyle considered to
be one of the "_worthy views of the world_." Below are the terraces and
color-chequered fields of the vineyards, the peach and fruit orchards of
this "Garden of Canada." Through these variegated levels the Niagara River
curves in its silvered sheen to Lake Ontario where the blue waters close in
the far horizon.
From Queenston Heights this electric railway skirts the edges of the cliffs
above the great gulf in the depths of which the Niagara rapids toss and
foam, and then circling around the sullen swirlings of the fatal Whirlpool,
lands the tourist within the spray of the great Cataract itself.
Our ownership of the dock and the waterfront at Queenston, purchased so
many years before, now proved its foresight and facilitated the making of
arrangements with the new Electric Railway for an interchange of business.
As a result it was now determined that a fourth steamer should be added to
the Niagara River Line, and thus provision was made for the new connection
and the increased business which would arise from its introduction.
This new connection apparently to the river was, after all, but the revival
of the old _Portage Route_ on the Canadian side, which had so long existed
between Chippawa and the head of navigation at this point, but not exactly
on the same location and had passed away upon the diversion of business to
other routes.
[Illustration: The CHIPPEWA in Drydock at Kingston, Bow. (page 184)]
[Illustration: The CHIPPEWA in Drydock at Kingston, Stern.]
As the steamer lies at the Queenston Dock, the eye naturally sweeps upward
over the cedar clad slopes of the Niagara escarpment toward the striking
monument which crowns its heights. The reminiscences are those of martial
strife, when on the 13th of October, 1812, contestants met in mortal
conflict. In fancy we can see the foemen moving upon the slopes, the
American forces gain the Heights, the heroic General Brock leads his men in
bold attack to regain possession, and falls at their head mortally wounded.
Reinforcements under General Sheaffe come from the west along the summit of
the cliffs, the contest is renewed; Indians are seen gleaming among the
trees, they drive the invaders over the brink to fall into the rapids
below, and at length the American forces with two Generals and seven
hundred men lay down their arms and are taken prisoners. But there are
other phases much more ancient of this head of navigation and its portages.
Under the hill there can be discerned beneath the shadow of the Height the
old road leading up from the lower level of the dock to the upper level
upon which, what is left of the Town of Queenston stands. It is marked and
scarred with the ruts of many decades and full of memories. Upon these
slopes the Indian made his way to the waterside at the Chippewa creek. Here
came the trappers with their bales of furs brought down from the far
North-West. Here came the _voyageur traders_ of France with beads and
gew-gaws for barter with the Indians, and later the English with blankets
and firearms.
In the earliest days two portages were available, one on each side of the
river, but during the French period and for long, long after the one on the
past side from Lewiston was mainly used, its terminus at Lake Erie being
called _Petite Niagara_ as distinctive from the great _Fort Niagara_ at
its lower end.
With the end of the war of the Revolution, Capt. Alexander Campbell of the
12th Regiment, was sent by Lord Dorchester to report on the portages. In
reporting in 1794 he mentions that the American portage was at a steep bank
just below the rapids, to the foot of which the batteaux were poled with
difficulty and the contents raised by winch and hawser to the upper level
some 60 feet above. On the Canadian side at Queenston the eddy was more
favorable and there were, he said, four vessels waiting to be unloaded and
sixty waggons working on the portage. In consideration of the expected
transfer of Fort Niagara he thought it would be better to improve the mouth
of the Chippewa Creek and adopt the all-Canadian side instead of sending up
supplies on the Fort Niagara side to _Schlosser_ to be boated across to
_Fort Erie_.
Mr. Robert Hamilton, afterwards Hon. Robert, sized up the situation and
built a new dock and storehouse on what afterwards turned out to be
Government property at the _Chippaway River_. He had early appreciated the
value of the portage and had established a large transfer business across
it. Becoming the chief personage of the neighborhood he had in 1789 changed
the name of its northern terminus to _Queenston_ instead of the _West
Landing_ by which it had previously been known.
With these increased facilities and to his own great profit he in time
secured the bulk of the portage trade.
In 1800 John Maude mentions that three schooners and 14 teams were lying at
the dock at Queenston on one day, and that from 50 to 60 teams a day passed
over the Portage, the rate for freight being 20 pence New York currency per
hundred pounds between Queenston and Chippewa.
When the great _trek_ from Maine and Massachusetts began to the Western
States of Michigan and Illinois, this Queenston road was mostly taken by
the wandering land seekers, it being adopted by them then as the short cut
across the Peninsula to the Detroit River instead of the long detour along
the south shores of Lake Erie, just as at present the Michigan Central,
Wabash and Grand Trunk Railways cross from the Falls on this shortest route
to the west.
The waggons with their horses, having come to Lewiston from Albany and
Rochester by the Ridge Road, were placed upon the batteaux to cross the
river, and although at first carried far down by the current on the eastern
side were easily taken by the eddy up the west shore to the landing place
at Queenston. Up this inclined road to the upper tier, in imagination one
can see the lines of immigrants, with their teams and canvas topped wagons,
in long extended line seeking the far West for their new homes and great
adventures.
So great was the traffic in this direction that, in 1836 a "horse boat" was
employed on the ferry and the first Suspension Bridge at Queenston was
promoted in 1839 to accommodate the movement from the East towards the
West. At present except when a Niagara Navigation Co. steamer is alongside,
all is so quiet it seems scarcely possible that this landing place could at
one time have been the centre of such busy movement.
The re-opening revived also the memories of an oft told narrative of a
little family, which years before had arrived over the portage route, at
this same dock at Queenston, and made their first acquaintance with the
Niagara River and its navigation.
Mr. Fred W. Cumberland, our late Director, and his wife had come to the
opinion that the position which the held on the Engineering Staff, in Her
Majesty's dockyard at Portsmouth, did not represent such a future as they
would desire, and therefore they determined to emigrate to Canada. In the
spring of 1847 they took passage on a sailing ship, bringing with them
their ten-months-old baby. After a voyage of six weeks they reached New
York, from where they came by Hudson River steamer to Albany, where they
spent the night. From here they came by steam railroad at the unexpected
speed of "twenty miles an hour." And again, as was usual, for there were no
night trains, broke their journey and stayed over night at Syracuse, 171
miles, where there was a fine large hotel, and the following day leaving
8.00 a.m., arrived at Buffalo at 9.00 p.m. Leaving Buffalo next morning
they came by steamer down the Niagara River to Chippawa, where they took
the "horse railroad" for Queenston to join the steamer for Toronto.
The terminus at Queenston of the horse railroad was at the end of the
"stone road," near the hotel above the road leading down to the steamer.
Just when arrived at this, the car went off the track, and while Mr.
Cumberland was endeavoring to extract their belongings, Mrs. Cumberland,
the baby, and a young clergyman, the Rev. G. Salter, who had crossed the
Atlantic on the same ship with them, were carried off on the steamer for
Toronto, and the father was left behind. It was amusingly told, how, after
they had landed at the foot of Church Street, and were walking up into the
town, Mr. Salter, who had been consigned to an appointment under the Rev.
Dr. John Strachan, then Bishop of Toronto, wondered what his Bishop would
say if he should chance to meet his new curate with another man's wife and
carrying a baby as he entered his Diocese. The baby was Barlow Cumberland,
who then made his first steamboating on the Niagara River, on which he was
afterwards to be so actively engaged.
It was determined that the new steamer should be a further advance in size
and equipment to prepare for the increased traffic now to be fed from both
sides of the river. Additional capital was therefore required, of which
part was provided by the Niagara Company, and part by the introduction of
new stockholders, including Mr. E. B. Osler, and Mr. William Hendrie.
Here, in 1892, the purely family relationship of the first members of the
Company closed, the stock holdings being more widely spread and the Board
increased from five members to seven.
The services of Mr. Frank Kirby, of Detroit, the most accomplished designer
of passenger steamers, were engaged, the plans made, the tenders of the
Hamilton Bridge & Shipbuilding Co. accepted for the hull, boilers and
upper-works, and the engines contracted for with W. Fletcher Co., of New
York, the builders of the fastest marine engines on the Hudson and the
Upper Lakes. Mr. Geo. H. Hendrie left the next day for Scotland to arrange
for the materials.
_Cibola_, Capt. McGiffin, and _Chicora_, Capt. Solmes, conducted the season
1892 with good success. Work on the new steamer was commenced at Hamilton.
Again the question of a new name arose, and this time it was considered
that the name should still be Indian, but of Canadian origin. Thus the name
_Chippewa_ was selected as that of a renowned Canadian tribe of Indians
which had flourished in the Niagara River District, and also as a renewal
of the name of H.M. sloop _Chippewa_, upon which General Brock had sailed
on Lake Erie. It will be noted that the name is not that of the village
and postoffice of Chippawa, but is spelled with an "e," being that of the
Indian tribe. A fine carving of a Chippewa Chieftain's head, taken from
Catlin's collection of Indian portraits, is placed on the centre of each
paddle box, similarly as a rampant Buffalo had previously been placed on
those of the _Cibola_. On 2nd May, 1893, the steamer was successfully
launched in the presence of many of the citi-townsman, Mr. William Hendrie,
and of a number of visitors from Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal. The name
was given and the bottle gallantly broken by Miss Mary Osler, daughter of
Mr. E. B. Osler, and Miss Mildred Cumberland, daughter of Mr. Barlow
Cumberland. _Chippewa_, the _Indian Chief_, was the first of our vessels to
be constructed of steel. Her tonnage is 1,574 tons. Length, 311 feet; beam,
36, and is authorized to carry 2,000 passengers in lake service. The
interior arrangements were more convenient and spacious than any
previously, and an innovation was the addition of a hurricane deck, upon
which ample space for passengers is provided. The _Chippewa_ had
satisfactorily passed through her trial trips, and in May, 1894, the
steamer, completed in every respect, sailed from Hamilton to take up her
station on the Niagara Route. A goodly number of railway and steamboating
officials and friends were on board under the leadership of Sir Frank
Smith.
Our steamers were that year running from Geddes' (now the City) Dock, as we
had again, for the fourth time, been turned out of Milloys. Mr. William
Fletcher, the builder of the engines, had come up from New York and was in
charge of the motive department. It was a Saturday afternoon. _Chicora_ was
occupying the face of the dock, so _Chippewa_ had to come in on the west
side. By some mischance she was not stopped soon enough and made her entry
into Toronto by driving her nose some five or six feet into the wooden
timber of the side of the Esplanade. The steamer seemed scarcely in motion,
yet cut into the heavy timbers as though they had been matches. When backed
out no damage was done excepting the loss of a little paint on the bow. The
party landed, the Buffalo and New York visitors with Mr. Fletcher going off
on _Chicora_ amid hearty exchange of greetings.
The introduction of a third boat on the Main Line made an exceeding
difference in the frequency of the services, and again was at first a good
deal in excess of the demand, or of business offering.
A new trip was introduced by the _Chicora_ leaving Toronto at 9 a.m.,
staying over at Lewiston and returning in the afternoon, making one round
trip. The whole departure being five trips; 7.00 a.m., 9.00 a.m., 11.00
a.m., 2.00 p.m., 4.45 p.m. This 9.00 a.m. trip was not a success during its
early years, but gradually gained in importance.
_Chippewa_ (Capt. McGiffin), _Cibola_ (Capt. W. H. Solmes), _Chicora_
(Capt. Jas. Harbottle), closed the season of 1894, in which much more
activity was produced, and good evidences given of growth to be expected in
the future.
In effecting its growth the route continued to be exceedingly assisted by
the energies and assistance of the connecting Railway Company's officers.
_Mr. D. M. Kendrick_ had succeeded Mr. Meeker, and he in turn, in 1887,
followed by _Mr. Henry Monett_. A most notable advance was begun during
this regime, an entirely new idea being evolved. The reputation of the New
York Central Railway for the regularity and character of its trains and
service had been well created, but up to that time the Erie Railway, by
persistent advertising, had been established in the minds of the public as
"_the only scenic_" route between Buffalo and New York. Mr. Monett
instituted a series of descriptive and illustrative announcements
developing the _Mohawk Valley_, through which the New York Central runs, as
being "_the really most beautiful_" route, passing through the scenery of
the romantic valley of the Mohawk and the mountain heights of the Hudson
with all the advantages of _"a water-level line" following the coursings of
the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers_, and so giving a perfect night's rest.
It was a novelty and an inducement which caught the public idea, and added
attraction to efficient service.
Owing to the early death of Mr. Monett in 1888, _Mr. E. J. Richards_
followed as Acting General Passenger Agent to 1889, with his intimate
knowledge of the passenger requirements he gathered in and secured the
business which Mr. Monett's methods had begun to attract. During his period
_Cibola_ was added to our line.
With the career of his successor _Mr. George H. Daniels_, (1889 to 1905)
there was a still further expansion of the advertising method of attracting
business to the great railway, whose train service was of the highest
development. The celebrated pamphlets known as the "_Four Track_" series
under Mr. Daniels led the way in railway advertising publications,
introducing methods which since then have been so extensively followed and
applied by all the principal railways. As an instance of widespread
advertisement, no less than four millions of the one issue of the "Four
Track" series which contained "_The Message to Garcia_" were distributed to
the public, the demand for copies exhausting edition after edition.
_Chippewa_ and _Corona_ were both added during Mr. Daniel's term.
During the later changes in the Head Offices the local passenger
representation in the Buffalo and Western district had been held in
succession by _Mr. E. J. Weekes_ and _Mr. H. Parry_. No railway was ever
better served, nor its patrons more firmly secured in friendship.
Equally successful assistance was given by _Mr. A. W. Ruggles_ and _Mr.
Underwood_ of the Michigan Central Railway, which with its quickest route
to Buffalo direct from Niagara-in-the-Lake was specially developed.
Thus in a series of years, steamer after steamer had been added, each of
the highest capacity, so that by mutual energy the good reputation of the
route had been advanced and traffic gradually created, for, as each steamer
was put on it created at first a surplus of accommodation, and an increase
of running expenses until later the passenger trade had again worked up to
the capacity. It is beyond question that the character and satisfaction of
the steamers provided on a combined rail and water route have more to do
with the attracting of business than even the land facilities on the
railways. It is to produce this result that the railway companies steadily
support the established steamboat lines in private ownership which have
been developed in connection with them, as being the best way to secure
fullest facilities for the public, and efficient service for themselves.