Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

470 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-ISS6.
pilot her. The " Massachusetts " was the largest of the l)oats then
built. It could not go through the canal, and as the canal was still
covered with ice it would not have done to send any boat but the
"Massachusetts." The "Massachusetts" had a liigh ladies' cabin
built up on the rear of the deck ; the steersman stood on top of this
cabin (which accounts for Dickens's impression as to the insecurity of
the steamer), and Mr. Allen was stationed at the bow while shooting
the rapids, and the rest of the time he was in the cabin. When the}'
reached Hartford ]\Ir. Dickens asked Pilot Allen if he chewed tobacco,
and a few days later Allen received a package from Dickens enclos-
ing a tobacco-box.
B. M. Douglas, who was an active boatman of that day, and who
is occasional!}' seen nowadays upon the streets of Springfield, de-
scribes Mr. Dickens's personal appearance as follows: "The light-
weight Englishman wore a swallow-tail snuff-colored coat, short red
and white figured vest that was not long enough to reach his panta-
loons, which latter were of the true Yankee check, and looked as
though they had been bought from a Nortli-street Jew shop in
Boston. Another thing 1 remember, and tliat Avas his short, bell-
crowned hat."
AYe might remark here tliat two years before the visit of Dickens
the steamboat " Greenfield " had ex[)loded near Soutli Hadley Falls,
killing two men and wounding several others.
The boilers of the " Greenfield " and " Agawam " were made on
Mill River by Mr. Lancy, who was killed at South Hadley Falls when
the former boat exploded. Still another boat, the " James Dwight,"
was built by Charles Stearns, at the foot of State street. This boat,
in making a return trip from Hartford, hit a rock at the head of the
falls. Help was procured from Tliompsonville, and Dr. Osgood, Mr.
Stearns, and others waded into the water and worked the boat oft'
with levers. Samuel Bowles was on board, with a new font of type
for the " Republican."
This was the period, also, of the imderground railroad. Mj^steri-