New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-06-15
Western Steamboats, Scenery and Cities
outl.c mississippi.
Mrss,s:rrri Rrrsr, June ,, 1873.

! L
or Louisville is probably Travelled with more case
and comfort than the same distance IN any other
mart of the United States. The first class boats,
( such as the Missouri, Alex Scott, Harry OF the
! West in the St Louis trade, the Duke OF Or
leans. Grey Eagle and Vicksburgh in the Louis
Vile trade, and several others in both, arc more
pleasant and comfortable than any other boats in
the country. no comparison can well be made
between them and the best boats at the North, as
they are constructed with different design and
in a different manner The Northern boat IS
built to carry crowds and make short trips, the
Western to perform 4 voyage and carry large
freights. AS few who have never seen Western
boat have correct idea of it, VIII attempt dc
scrption: The hold (or hulD Of course varies in
length and depth according to the size Of the
boat but rarely exceeds eight feet in depth in the
largest boats, and is used exclusively for freight
from stern TO stern. The guards are built low,
and are so near the waters edge wlen light that
when loaded they arc IN the water, except fore
and aft. On the deck or first floor of the boat,
within a short distance from the bow. varying
from 80 TO 60 feet, arc the boilers laid side by
side and connected By masonry. From two to
EIGHT arc used SIX, however, is the usual num-
Der used by the largest class These are gene
rally about ten or eleven feet II circumference
and 20 or IS in length. In the rear of these is
the machinery, extending TO the whccls-a1t OF
which, in the stern, is generally room for steer
aye passengers Or the stern is enclosed and berhs
built up s and 10 tiers high. From a few feet
in front Of the boilers 10 the stern the whole boat
is covered with an upper deck, the passage to
which is by stairs on each side, directly in front
Of the whechousc and also on many boats by
stairs i'll front OF the boilers to what is called the
boiler deck, which comprises generally from 10
10 20 feet in front Of and around the chlmncys.
From the boiler deck 10 the stern runs the cabin,
which is divided into three parts tie social hall,
rcnt!cmcn's CABIN and ladies' cabin. They all
connect, however, by folding doors, and during
the day they are thrown into one cabin and pre-
sent an appearance Of splondor which few would
imagine EXISTS on the Western Waters. The
floor is covered with Brussels carpet, beautiful
chandeliers hang from the ROOF, arm chairs are
used at table. and mirrors are used on either side.
In the ladies' cabin may be found u centre table,
rocking chairs, and on few boats piano and
sofa. On each side of the cabin It's whole length
are statc-rooms containing two bcrths cach.-
These in the ladies' cabin are very spacious on
the best boats, being full five feet in width and
on one boat have noticed bcdstcads introduced.
The rcn,lemens bcrths are sufficiently wldc for
comfort and the state-rooms large enough to wash
and dress il. These statc-rooms all open intc tho
cabin and outside to the guards, which IL II space
OF the deck left on each side outside OF the cabin
In The social hall, which is the smoking room oil
the boat. is the bar and clerks office. lnght and
mir are admitted into the CABIN by projection OF
the roof directly over the cabin over that which
covers the state-rooms, in which arc placed small
windows its whole length. On the upper roof,
called the hurricane deck, is the pilo-house, To-
Gated a few feet aft the chlmncvs. Every boat
has two chimncys, ard, If a doubc-cnglnc boat.
(and most now built arc.) two escape pipes which
are a short distance in front OF the wheels. All
Western boats arc ingh pressure, and at every re-
yoution Of the wheel pulls oil the steam IN most
amazing manner to nervous people whose minds
arc dwelling constantly on danger: but one in
short time becomes so accustomed to it that he
ceases 10 hear it. Some of the doublcenginc
boats escape the steam from the whccl-housc,
which is never hcard-and such boats move along
as noisclcssly as a low pressure boat
The fare is now so low, being only $50 on the
best boats, either to st. Louis or Louisville, that
the accommodations, although still excellent, are
not as GOOD as they were few years since. The
tables, however, are well kept up. Formerly,
libraries were quite common but now publica-
tons arc so cheap and portable that every one
carries his own rcadmg-and 1t Is astonishing,
even to one who has witnessed the progress, to
see the number of works now circulated Go
where you will, in city or town, stage, car or
steamboat, and you find copies of the New World
and Brother Jonathan publications travelling
has almost become unsociablo. Formerly, con-
yersation and card PLAYING occupied most OF
ones time on boats: now, every body Is engaged
in reading work Of some sort, and has no time
10 play. But little card PLAYING is now seen on
the Western Waters, and gambling has almost
entirely ceased.
1t is fortunate for travellers on the river that
they have comfortable boats, as there is but
little to interest or admire on the river with
the execution of the first $50 miles from New
Orleans, which is truly beautiful IN the Spring,
when the river is high. On each side the land
is perfectly level and low, and is protected from
overflow by an embankment or cvec. 1t Is en-
,irely cleared back from the river from hall Il
mile to mile, and all under OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
iul residences surrounded by highly cultivated
wards filed with orangc-rees, iig-trees and varl-
Gus kinds Of shrubbery, pass your view contlnu-
ally; and on large plantations the Numerous
neatly whlicwashcd ana painted negro CABINS,
placed in rows and well shaded present the APP
pea-ancc Of g small village and a show OF com
tort which the poor OF the North might Wen
envy. On each sugar plantation, surrounded by
cane which looks much like corn, may he seen
the sugar house in which the cane is pressed and
sugar made These are generally large and built
OF brick From short distance above the ba-
ton Rouge. or perhaps | should say above Bayou
Sara, the nlonotcny of the wooded shade Is only
broken here and there by 4 cleared plantation,
with occasionally pretty residence and the towns
on the river banks, which are located at distant
intervals. Natc;lez, which is a very fine CITY, and
has the pretticst suburbs OF any Southern city Is
located on 50 high q bluff that 1t Is unseen from