The Finder; Navigating the Mississippi

<v Speaker 1>This is National Educational Television. A program distributed by the Educational Television and Radio Center. <v song>Wherever I go, whatever I see, even at my own back door, I find a lot to interest me that go and find some more, some more. Let's go and find some more. Snakes and bugs and rocks and these games and songs galore, people and things and butterfly's wings. Let's go and find some more, some more. Let's go and find some more. Whoever you are and whatever you see, even in your own backyard, use your curiosity to find things is not hard. Not hard. To find things is not hard. <v The Finder>Hi, I'm a finder. Know why some people call me a finder? I'm curious about things. When I found out that I had a river almost in my backyard, I wanted to find something out about it. It's the Mississippi River. It's a very old river. I found out that it's been a highway for men in boats for hundreds and hundreds of years. Some men have been like Indian tribes going up and down it. Voyageurs, early explorers like LaSalle, Pere Marquette, raftsman, people taking big log rafts down the river. And steamboatmen. Steamboat men, roustabouts, slaves. All kinds of people, fancy people. The most important person that ever went up and down the river was a steamboat pilot. Things haven't changed much, really. Pilot is still about the same. The boats are different, though. Let me show you a picture of a modern towboat. They call them a towboat, you know, but they don't tow things, they push them. They're pretty long. In fact, a good big tow like this is as long as a modern aircraft carrier. Here's a towboat way back here. It's kind of like a freight train with a locomotive at the back. Here's where all the power is, and here are the barges. Our boat had six of them. What do they carry? Every kind of thing. They carry merchandise, grain, soy, soybeans, steel, coal, oil. Amazing thing about them, that when you get them all hooked together like this, it's really just one boat. They're fastened together so tight at these points. Cables and ropes, which are on the river, they call wires and lines, fastened together so tight that they can't possibly move this way. So you just have one long boat to go down the river. Well this is our towboat. This tow. Here we are right about here on the river. Just below Hickman point, Hickman Bend. About nine hundred and thirty miles from New Orleans. <v Speaker>[sound of waves crashing]

<v Speaker>[whistling song]. <v The Finder>Down the river, we will go, but we are not alone. There's a crew of 17 who call the Truman home, their home, they call this boat, their home. Now, there's sharp eyed Captain Jesse Marks and the pilot Smokin Joe. Those are the men who steer this boat just where she has to go. Now, out on the deck in the second mate's watch, four men of the crew. There's Whitey and Jack with a baseball cap. Blackelandes too. And Mickey your coin the best second mate from up the old Missou. Now Minnie Pearl was quite a girl, called everybody Sunny. And the chief engineer, Mr. Ira Huntchin, his engines are hot and they sure are noisy, but the engine room, that's the heart of the boat. Here's Archie Moore, great first mate, hollows the second engineer. Shorty Scardino with the motorcycle boots and a cigaret behind his ear. And of course, old Tom with the corncob pipe and the stories that I love to hear. Now there are 15 men, two women who live and work on the towboat, Harry Truman and master pilot Jesse B. Marks watches the river for them all. What do you watch? Well, you watch the buoys which mark the edge of the road. Red buoys on the left and black on the right, because the river is your highway. You watch the markers on shore. They show you where the channel bends. And on the Mississippi, there are hundreds of bends. The pilothouse is called the brainbox. You're on duty 12 hours out of every 24. There are always things to watch or to watch out for. On shore, a bridge helps you to get across the river, but on the river you wish it had never been built. Because a bridge can sink your boat. Scars on that concrete pier are five inches deep, where steel barges have scraped and downriver the Greenville Bridge, where the Naches sunk in 42. She's still there in 100 feet of water. Thousands of safe trips since then. But you still respect a bridge. The river looks clear up ahead. Nothing but a big old harmless sandbar on the left. It was a beautiful afternoon and I was the galley horse. I said, Captain, what kind of a cookie do you want? And then Jesse turned his back on the river. A sandstorm. Sandstorm on the Mississippi River. That harmless Sandbar wasn't harmless at all. A sudden wind blew half of it up in the air. And like the pilots say, we were running the river like a blind hog in the slaughterhouse. Visibility zero. But we didn't stop moving. We used our electronic eyes, radar. We could see the shoreline and a little spot of light, there was a boat up ahead. <v Speaker>[wind blowing and ship horn blows]

<v The Finder>Well, it was over, the sandbar looked harmless again, but I'd learned something. The river is the pilot's highway alright if he knows the rules. Sometimes it's his friend, and there's clear water and good days but it can be his enemy too. It's a changing river, different every time you run it. Captain Jesse Marks knows the rules. And the first rule is to watch it, watch it all the time. You've got to watch it, but that's not enough. You've got to do something else, you've got to remember what you see. You know, a pilot has to remember every bend, landing, crossing, town, everything, buoy and marker for a thousand miles of river from St. Louis to New Orleans. And there must be more than a thousand names to remember. <v Speaker>[music starts]

<v The Finder>You've got to remember the funny light at Sycamore Hurdle and the ferry at Saint Genevieve's bend. Crazy water off Ellis grove and watch the buoy at Dogtooth bend. Run two hundred yards off Cherokee landing, pass Hot Iron at night. Shave the blacks at catfish point, hop joe upper like, remember the river as you go by, the white and the black and the chapel eye. The Arkansas, Howl, and Tennessee, they join our river out to sea. City of Crystal, one called Mount, like Zora, Caruthersville, Osceola, and Friars Point and Natchez under the Hill. Kero, Vicksburg, New Madrid, Memphis and Baton Rouge. Possum point, Heinberg Hurdle, Greenberg Bridge, Counterfeit Rock, Half a creek, Tea table isle, Brandywine island, Potato bend, horse shoe landing, paradise light, Shopin Beacon, River Styx. And there are hundreds more. There's a reason why a pilot has to remember these names because a towboat runs day and night and at night it's a different river. You have to have the river in your head because you can't see more than four square feet at a time. You have to know where the buoys and the markers are or to be like hunting for a dime on a football field with a flashlight. And on the river there's no time for a second guess. There it is, the buoy that marks the channel. The shore looks unfriendly at night. You check to make sure that there's enough water between you and those rocks, even with a search like radar, you can't see enough. You have to rely on the map of the river that's in your mind. <v The Finder>Yes, that's true. Do you really have a map of the river in your mind?

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right, Steve. When you get your license, you must you must be able to draw a map from memory for the steamboat inspectors and before they will let you grant your license over the river. <v The Finder>That must take a long time. How long you've been on the river Jess? <v Capt Jesse Marks>I've been on the river with Federal Barge Line for 20 years. And previous to that time, like I said, three or four years previously. <v The Finder>you can't just go into some place and study to be a pilot, huh? <v Capt Jesse Marks>No, that's right. You have to have the actual experience and witness the river as it is. In order to learn it. You must be employed in that capacity. <v The Finder>Work right up. Huh? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right. I started this back and, uh, oh 20 years ago for the federal bard line and worked about three or four years backhand and then went to make. And, uh, I was make for several years and then went on to stairman and pilot. <v The Finder>Well, what's about the hardest thing. Would you say about, the most important thing anyway, about being a pilot?

<v Capt Jesse Marks>The most important thing about being a pilot is learning to handle the pull. You must be able to handle the pull if you're going to maneuver through these closed places safely or the... any size tull at all. <v The Finder>Actually, actually gets so you really know your boat. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right. Steve, you must know your boat and you must be able to handle it all if you're going to be a successful pilot. <v The Finder>What gets me is you'd never have the same boat really. That is it's the same towboat, but it's hooked up to all different kinds of tows, isn't it? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yes, that's right, Steve. But, uh, they nearly all answer to the same sort of handling from the boat. <v The Finder>You get used to it. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right. <v The Finder>That's the main thing. I guess that's why they have you do all that work before you can get to be a pilot, so you get used to it. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right. You become acquainted with the different duties and the different way things handle and maneuver while you're standing in your apprenticeship and running mate or attack and either one. You must observe how the work is being carried on. <v The Finder>Yeah.

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Profit that. <v The Finder>Well, you remember how it was the very first time you were ever in the pilot house and had the boat to yourself? That is, ran the thing yourself? <v The Finder>Yes, very, definitely, Steve, very definitely. I remember I thought at the time I got my license that I was going to bust right out as a very good pilot. But the first dark night, uh uh, that I was had the control of the boat completely by myself. It was altogether different. It was sort of like running your first solo. You was uneasy and you looked around and there was no one there but you and to talk a lot more doing where you used to not need. But maybe one headlightor not at all. You needed all the light that you could possibly get. <v The Finder>I know after being up in here. And I get down and get hit in the bunk sometimes I think about it up here a good deal. <v Speaker 4>W Eighty six, eight, six, five steamer Cacoda the Colony South on traffic, as well as [inaudible]. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Excuse me <v The Finder>Go ahead.

<v Capt Jesse Marks>W 8 91 seventy one to Harry Truman back to Cacoda. Come in Bill <v Speaker 4>uh. What's your position Jess? <v The Finder>Yes, Well Bill. I'm southbound here at the Port of Sunrise tull head, with six loads and one half day over. <v Speaker 4>I'm just now passing Randolph love down here. Got twelve coins and it ain't moving along ver fast night. Uh oh. I'll meet you in 11 on Hatchet Barred lane. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah. Got you. OK, I got you. OK, Bill, what side would you prefer? <v Speaker 4>Well I'll be all just staying on the shore, here and catch you on West when you come down here outside of that. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Okay Bill. I'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll catch a blocks and come on around. How's the river down below? <v Speaker 4>Well, everything in pretty good shape. Yes, she's getting kind of low now at flatland crossings and uh down here at uh, at uh, from the redland die lake down over the pond and there he got them off a strong draft on the black boy. And by the way, Jess, Tennessee's behind me, they're about three miles. He's about fourteen barges and you can meet him before too long. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah. Gotcha. OK, well I said I'll change the channel up here at the fort at sunrise toy up Bill. And instead of going out to Hatch Island Bar, you come right straight on down the shore. It's kind of narrow. And now the dredges still digging and he moves out on the red boat to let you by and you want to kind of watch him with a little draft on him. And it's kind of close in there. And Alice Engum is, oh, a few miles up above Craig. And he'll be the next thing you're meeting and farther than that, that's about about all the information I got to say that I know.

<v Speaker 4>I got you. old key. Yes, I got your key. There I'll get in the call as you get that. Yeah. No, By the ways. Yes, I better watch out across nine [inaudible] strong and put on a light there that barge is building out there and an awful strong draft on the red buoys and kind of watched that one shot down there too fast, you guys are very easy going over the top and we'll go with you. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, I got you, ok. And I shall be on the lookout for that Bill. I shall be on the lookout for it and uh. And I'll be watching that place we go down and that's about all I have unless you have. <v Speaker 4>That's about all I have I guess. I'll say good- uh good evening there. And good luck to you on your trip down [inaudible] the trip back.

<v The Finder>Yeah. OK, Bill, thank you a lot. And W91 7 on the air Truman. Clear with the Cocota, good luck, good evening. <v Speaker 4>W 86 86 45 for clearance number 4, <v The Finder>you know, he kept saying he'd pass you on the- he'd say pass you on the red? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah. On the one west <v The Finder>what's that mean? <v The Finder>Well, that that means that we're both hold our course to the right and bring our port sides together. <v The Finder>I see. Port side I, I never can get that straight. Which is port now. Which is starboard. Yes. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, the port side is the left and the starboard side of the right. <v The Finder>Uh huh. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Steve, that's commonly known by one engaged in uh <v The Finder>So you're both pass with the port side together. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yes, that's right. <v The Finder>Uh huh. And there's another he said there, said there's a draft off the blacks. I thought that the draft was how much water, how much our boat was sunk in the water. A draft off the black buoys, he means? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, yes, Steve. Commonly known, that's that's the way it is. But in the lingo between pilots, a draft is a crosscurrent. That's usually where a channel is trying to change and move down. And the, the draft carries you sideways in the channel. So you've got to hold up on the upper side in order to compensate for this draft that you get when crossing these points where the draft is trying to carry out of the channel.

<v The Finder>Well do you always stick to the channel? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Oh, no, no. Yeah. In high water its just impossible to stick to the channel to get up the rivers, Steve. You just can't do it. You the current is too strong. And for that purpose, why most all about pilots came from a bar book that give you the height of the barge that they've checked during low water stages or the water just began to recede from high water to go down and and they check it when they just start to come dry and they record that in their book that and then when the high water comes why they couldn't get farther out of the channel than, than anyone else. And the farther you get out of the channel, the faster you come up the river. <v The Finder>Does everybody use the same same method of getting up the river, then?

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, no. <v The Finder>In high water? <v Capt Jesse Marks>No not not everyone Steve. A lot of pilots have different channels that they call, they call it slackest water. They all vary where they go and what they determine as the slackest water. But they all feel that they're doing the best with their boat. <v The Finder>What happens if you see somebody over on one side and you know that it's better where you are, huh? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, I sort of look over out and wonder what it's doing on [inaudible]. <v The Finder>Maybe. Maybe that's what he does to you. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right. That's right. <v The Finder>Well, you can see to it. That this is a brainbox and you can see why they call it that. Why don't you and I go down to the engine room? Captain, I'm going to go down to the engine room. I'm going to see Ira honey, you think you can navigate without me for a while? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah. OK, Steve, I'll see you later. <v The Finder>I'll see you. Bye. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Bye. <v The Finder>216 horsepower diesel at the heart of this boat. These engines sometimes idle, but they never stop. Down the river, the pilot needs power on tap, ready to go, if they should ever stop in a few short minutes, the current could throw you against the bank and wreck your tow. It's hot job. Up to 140 degrees on a summer's day. Just as the pilot must watch the river. The engineer has to listen to his engine. Has to listen for the slightest variation in the rhythm or pitch. He has to look out for a click where there should be a clack and make sure that the power is there when the pilot needs it. And the place where you need the power most is a place like the Greenville Bridge. The current is tricky. The bridge doesn't give. This is the place where the natches went down. Struck that pier and is down there still in 100 feet of water. Yes, I wonder if he can tell us why this Greenville bridge is a problem, there's a big bend up here. Could you show us that?

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Yes, Steve, there's several problems in getting through Greenville's bridge and at a low stage of water, of course, they're different than others. But this particular stage, the current, of course, you see, runs down this particular way. And over over in here, there's a great big eddy that you-.

<v The Finder>An eddy? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yes, that's right. That you have to stay clear of. <v The Finder>What makes that eddy there? It means something going around around looks to me. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's that's right. That's that's the action from the water and the current coming off of the shape of this bar and hitting slacker water which causes it to whirl. And it'll give you considerable trouble if you get in it. <v The Finder>What would happen if you, if you get your nose in there? <v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, if the eddy was working strong enough, it would break your tow, it would break your tow all up and and possibly sink some of your barges. But, yeah, go on down. The current comes on down this way and right in this position here along in here, we'll have to flank around this, this point because it's rather close in there and it would be impossible to steer around here with the current course more or less setting you down on the bank this way. <v The Finder>Kind of pushy you mean? Trying to push you into bank.

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Yeah, that's right. Pushing the end of the revetment along that bank is all revetted. And you have that contention until you get down there about ?evolocluse? light where the current straightens out and carries you on down to the bridge and this sort of direction here. <v The Finder>Now you mentioned they said something about you're going to have to flank it. I wonder if you could actually show us how you're going to flank it. Yes. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, yes, Steve. This model we're coming off of of myelinated for lower light right here, and we must slow our boat down in order to have enough headway out of the boat to flank it when we get down to flanking position, now as we- <v The Finder>How do you slow it down? Just turn the engines down. Just shut the engines down some? <v Capt Jesse Marks>That's right. You slow your engine down first and then stop them. And then when necessary, you start the back end. You must hold your for-. <v The Finder>For brakes.

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Yes, that's right. You're using them as a brakes to stop your headway in your forward motion. You must keep the head of your toll low enough to keep it out of the eddy and also the stern high enough to keep it off the bar. As you come in this way on Charlie more light while you're getting in flanking position with your stern down towards the red buoys and the head up next to shore. That causes the current-. <v The Finder>Looks to me like you're going to go right down the river sideways. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, you have your head way held out pretty well here, Steve, and the current is hitting you. And that's sort of direction you can say as you proceed out toward the head of the tull, the side current becomes more direct, which carries the head of the tull down the river faster than the stern. And as you you killed your boat out and now you're just drifting with the current the current carrying the head of the tull faster than the stern and so the tow is gradually falling around to take the shape of the shore below. <v The Finder>Looks to me like this is why you have to know your boat like you were saying over there.

<v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, you must be able to handle a boat. As I said, it's one of the rexer things of becoming a successful pilot. <v The Finder>They wouldn't put these buoys too far out there. Maybe they'd have more room. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, those buoys indicate, Steve, the navigable part, part of the water. There's not enough water to float your toe outside of these red buoys. So therefore, you must keep it in to the inside, the channel line. Your boat shapes around and finally takes the shape the shore below the bend. And at this point, you come full ahead on your boat and take the swing out of it. You stare back toward the shore and all as to stop it swinging and sets you out a little bit. Then you progress on down the straight current on down into the Arkansas span of the Greenville bridge. <v The Finder>Suppose it looks like there's more room here. Maybe you could get through there. <v Capt Jesse Marks>Well, Steve.

<v The Finder>this way. <v Capt Jesse Marks>In this stage of water when you have the buoys out above the bridge, the. Main blast here, the current travels through the Arkansas span, which causes to be a stronger draft and stronger currents are there if you try to shove out this way. You see what would happen. Here's your current all coming down here, against you. And after you come around that buoy you shove out the whole toll would have a tendency to drop down on this Arkansas pier of the channel span. Unless you was lucky enough to shovel far enough and it makes a lot of guesswork out of it. <v The Finder>Well, let's not make any guesses then, huh? Let's go right on through that Arkansas span. When you pass the Greenville Bridge, everybody feels fine. Store boat came out and brought cigars and soft drinks. Now you can settle back and watch the towns go by. Only three hundred miles to go. Three hundred miles to New Orleans. Well, we met almost everybody on this boat, the cook, everybody. But there's one thing that's the pilot is the main guy. Mississippi is his river, his highway, his friend and sometimes his enemy. <v song>Down the river we will go, but we'll not go alone. We carry a crew of 17. They call the Truman boat their home. They call this boat their home. Wherever I go, whatever I see, at my own back door, I find a lot to interest me. Let's go and find some more, some more. Let's go and find some more. And wherever you are and whatever you see in your own backyard, use your curiosity to find-.

<v announcer>The preceding program was distributed by the Educational Television and Radio Center. This is National Educational Television.