Cabins on the boats of the Lehigh and the Delaware Division Canals were smaller than those on the boats of any of the other canals visited. They measured only 8 by 10 feet and were entered by means of a ladder. Two wooden bunks, one above the other, were built into the side of the cabin; a cupboard was constructed across one corner; a folding shelf or table also constituted a part of the stationary equipment. Such other articles as were needed were provided by the boatmen. Several families managed without chairs. The coal or oil stoves were kept in the cabin during the cool weather but were set up on deck when it was hot. Some of the families explained their lack of a washtub by stating that the washing was done at home on shore. Normally the two bunks in the cabin provided a sleeping space for two persons; yet with one exception the boating groups were made up of three or more persons, two captains each had their wives and five children with them. One captain had constructed an extension to the lower bunk to accommodate himself, his wife, and 8-year-old daughter. The man who helped him with the work slept in the upper bunk. Another family reported that they made up beds for the children on the floor. This does not, on the whole, represent any greater congestion than on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. There were, however, no partitions in these cabins as there were on the Chesapeake and Ohio boats, and no attempts at privacy. Toilet facilities, as on the boats of other canals, were entirely lacking.
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