Dov Bar's Volchin - Transportation

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Dov Bar's Volchin

Transportation
My family used horse-and-carriages. Usually the carriage was drawn by one horse, but sometimes two were harnessed.

Crossing the Bug to Janów Podlaski
Shmuel Englander told me: To get to Janów Podlaski from Volchin, a distance of about 10km, one must cross the Bug River -- today a border between Poland and Belarus. In the old days, there was a ferry sufficient to carry a horse and carriage.

From Volchin (Polish: Wołczyn) to Janów Podlaski.
Pr. (underlined by bright green) denotes “ferry”.
Portion of a 1937 1:300,000 scale map,
courtesy of mapywig.org

The ferry traveled on an iron chain attached to each side of the river. It was moved by rotating a cog-wheel on the ferry; its teeth would stick in the vertebra of the chains and pull the boat along. Thus the ferry moved slowly back and forth, with a gentile powering the cog-wheel.

During periods of low water, it was possible to walk across the river; the water would reach only to one's waist.

Regarding a railway at Janów Podlaski, perhaps the closest rail connection for Volchin: I don't know at what time a rail line was added was there. Maybe the Russians built it [during WWII].

Editor's Notes: This 1:100,000 pre-war map courtesy of mapwig.org gives more detail of the Bug River crossing and confirms the ferry opposite the small town of Wygoda was vehicle-capable (przewóz dla wozów).

Page Last Updated: 28-Mar-2012