Les with the raft
Chicago to New Orleans, June-July 1964
On the way 1 2 3
Preparations
On the way
Arrival
Daily Log
Where are they now
Click on images to enlarge
Ready to go!
Ron at the motor
Ron paints a sign
Ron and WIRL's "Big Red"
Sprehe family to the rescue!
Ray Fritch and assistant
Les at Missouri River junction
Les, waiting to lock through
By the end of the day on Monday, June 9, 1964, everything was in readiness. However, high winds and thunderstorms forced the rafters to delay their departure. Clearing weather on the morning of Wednesday, June 10th, was the signal to go. The trio fired up their old Johnson motor and set out for New Orleans.
The first part of our route—from Chicago to St. Louis—followed the Illinois Waterway: the Calumet Sag Channel, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Des Plaines River, and the Illinois River to Grafton, Illinois, where the Illinois River joins the Mississippi.
A motor is required to navigate the Illinois Waterway, as the entire route is backed up by a series of dams in order to create enough water depth for barges and towboats. Because of the dams, there is little current, and if the wind was coming the wrong way, we could have been blown upstream. At each dam, there is a set of locks, which allow boats to go up or downstream. We soon learned how to request to be locked through and how to negotiate our way in and out of the locks. We were often tucked in at the back beside a towboat. As we worked our way downstream, we passed numerous towboats. We saw the same ones several times, and everyone was consistently friendly to us.
The excitement of leaving Chicago was quickly dampened, however, by trouble with our old outboard motor. In the first two days we had to have it repaired twice. (Eventually, to keep it going, we had to clean the sparkplugs several times a day.) Repairing the motor used much of our remaining money, so we had only a few dollars left among us, at one time as little as $5.65.
Discouraged by motor troubles and a lack of money, we aimed for Peoria as a place to seek some assistance—or to end the trip if we failed. Our first goal was to get some publicity. As we approached the city, we were contacted by a television news helicopter—a good start. We landed and made a few phone calls, including one to a local radio station, WIRL. They sent out their mobile unit, “Big Red.” Soon we were live on the air telling of our plight. As good fortune had it, a Concordia student, Carol Sprehe, was listening to WIRL while on duty as a lifeguard at a local pool. Carol called her mother, who contacted us via the nearby Detweiller Marina. Our prospects quickly turned for the better. The Sprehe family gave us supper, money for gas, and boxes of food. Mr. Sprehe, a Lutheran teacher, contacted a member of his church, Raymond Fritch, who operated a sheet metal shop. Mr. Fritch fabricated and installed metal cones for the front three barrels to make it easier for the raft to go through the water; he also gave us some cash. The stop in Peoria was unforgettable.
In the days that followed we received more donations of money, gasoline, oil, and food, and eventually money wired from home, but Peoria was a turning point.
With renewed spirits—and resources—we headed south. After 11 days and 304 miles, we reached the Mississippi River on June 22nd. We were now on what is called the Upper Mississippi River, which begins at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and ends at Cairo at the southern tip of Illinois. Just north (upstream) of St. Louis, we went through the last lock on the Mississippi. Soon thereafter, the Missouri River flows into the Mississippi. At the junction of the rivers, we saw a fascinating sight. The Missouri was higher than normal because of heavy rains in the west. It was muddy and filled with branches, stumps, and a few whole trees. Where the two rivers met, the Missouri was about a foot higher than the Mississippi. For several hundred yards, there was a small cascade where the Missouri flowed over and onto the Mississippi.
A few miles later we reached St. Louis, where we were greeted midstream by a U. S. Coast Guard patrol boat. They asked for “permission to come aboard” and then checked our registration and asked us about the required equipment—life preservers, whistle, and fire extinguisher. Everything was in order, so they gave us a “Report of Boarding” that said we were “commended for maintaining a safe, well-equipped boat.” They wished us well as we headed toward the levee in downtown St. Louis. (A copy of the Report of Boarding is here.)
Special Thanks
The stop in Peoria was a turning point in our journey. Had we not received assistance and encouragement, our adventure might well have ended prematurely. Instead, we had the help of WIRL and the good luck to be found by Carol Sprehe and her family: Mr. and Mrs. Sprehe, sister Joyce, and brother Ron. Things like a steak dinner, a warm shower, overnight lodging, and an outpouring of supplies, gave us new hope. The metal cones supplied by Raymond Fritch undoubtedly saved us many hours of travel and many gallons of gasoline. The warmth and generosity of our friends in Peoria set a tone of optimism for the rest of the trip.
On the way 1 2 3