The Rowing Invention That Changed the River
A Snohomish local debuts a mechanical rowing gear that allowed boaters to steer and power their craft with ease, signaling a shift in daily river navigation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There is always someone who likes to try new things and be up with the times, and it is our friend Dr. Folsom. Some time since, he saw in the semi-monthly Patent Office Report a diagram and description of Bylert & Co's 'balance-gearing' rowing gear. For small boats and errands on the Snohomish River, he saw for the first time a set of this ingenious gearing in operation. He at once sent for a pair, and with the assistance of W. H. Ward, Esq., applied them to his own boat. He claims a gain in mechanical power over the use of common oars, as it dispenses with the need of someone to steer for the person rowing; besides, it lacks the twisting and turning necessary to see where a person is going. In using the common oars, the person rowing sits in facing the bow and pulls the oars; with the small lever and the gearing reversing the stroke of the oars as it strikes the water, the person rows facing the direction of travel. Another advantage is that they are perfect on rapids and self-balancing. They will work equally well in still water, in the current, and in rough seas. In every other respect, they are considered by those who have tried them superior to the common oars.
“It is a great saving of the fatigue of rowing. Any parties who should desire further information concerning this ingenious and useful device, we trust can be gratified by addressing the Dr.”
Long before the Snohomish River became a recreational playground, it was the primary highway for local transit. Dr. Folsom’s 1878 attempt to upgrade human-powered navigation mirrors our modern, constant pursuit of 'efficiency' in how we move through the landscape.
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