High Water on the Pend Oreille
Spring runoff threatens Newport's ferry, scatters log rafts and tests the piers at Jurgens boom while boatbuilders race to float the Ruth.
The Ruth is progressing as rapidly as possible. About 10 men are at work under the supervision of Capt. Lannean. All of her ribs have been placed in position, and the work of planking the hull was started on Tuesday. The new boat is about five feet above the water at present. It is expected that the water will rise sufficiently high to float the boat when the time arrives.
The ferry will have to discontinue making trips in a few days if the water continues to rise. The next nearest ferry in operation is at La Clede. A rowboat service will be maintained for foot passengers at this point.
The river is rising steadily and bids fair to nearly equal the stage arrived at last season. There is a great deal of driftwood running, and this makes it dangerous to operate small launches after dark or in the swift water.
One of the piers at the Jurgens boom is about ready to tip over. It is thought that the pier was driven in the rock and did not enter it far enough to hold.
“The ferry will have to discontinue making trips in a few days if the water continues to rise.”
In 1908 the Pend Oreille was Newport's highway, and high water could strand passengers, scatter logs and threaten the booms that fed the mills. Modern Newport still watches the river in spring, though the traffic now is more likely to be kayaks and fishing boats than steamers and log rafts.
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