The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-06-21
connrsrospEHoE o. rnf CALrpoEiaE,


AhtAaA ARAH " bAHN " row.
1he,numeroua Steamboat disasiers Which
have occurred on the western rivers within
The last few month"; does not render a pas
cage Of ssvurHt lays on one Of those boats
very pfesfrabls pleasure trip, A one steps
on board be looks with suspicion at the enor-
nous boilers, the frea raging in the several
iues, the black smoke rolling FROM tlie chin
neys, and the occasional fierce and angry
PgG from tho steam-pipea, and he ID very apt
to think Of the chances Of an explosion, a col !
lision, or Ore, which may result In the loss
Of some scores ofliYes Of those on board. II !
not Of his own, before he reaches his point Of
destination. / confess that some such thoIs
passed through my misd a. went on board
boat al Sc. Louis, bound for Cincinnati, but
happily none Of tie anticipated disasters be-
fel Us, and We were transported in safety 70
our destined port sl.s''s 200 1ailss 10 fssF
days The Steamboats, on the western Tiy-
ers are very differently constructed from
those on our eastern waters They draw
but four or five fest Of water. The lover
deck IL occnpled by the engine and the deck
passengers. The cabin Is elevated ~ or 10
feet above the lcWer deck aud consists Of a
saloon the whole length Of the boat,surround-
ed with Stale-rooma, Over this il second
story containing the state rooms for the OH
GERS Of the boat; and surrounding the whole,
a spacious room for the pilot who stands at
the wheel and guides the boat Ia the con-
struetion Of these boat, more attention u paid
10 show than To strength and durability, and
those accustomed 10 our eastern vessels, must
regard them exceedingly ffail. There are
probably 1900 or 1000 Steamboats, now ply
ing on the waters Of the Mississippi and its
tributaries, and the amount Of passengers,
merchandise and produce, which are constant
ly floating in them, Is immense.
Before leaving 81. Louis, the cholera had
made its appearance, and new cases we're oo-
curing daily, some Of which we're fatal.--
One case occurred on board our boat the day
after We started, whieh terminated in death,
within % boup. The captain made An oGora
To have the corpse inferred at Louisville, but
was prevented by a municipal rogulation,and
hc was forced TO carry IL 80 miles farther up
the river, just at twilight he landed at
Ieavls i4a'-'- ''e.sls opposite AAd4sSa,-Ihs
corpse enclosed ia rough box, was carried
ashore by the crew, and buried few feot
from the waters edge, just deep enough To
eoyer il from observation. This is tho mel
Ancholy fate Of hnRdreds who arr now tray-
cling on tho wastGrn nyera, and scpulture Is
lrsuallY refused, except on some unh,habitcd
island or in the unbrokAn Wilderness. have
just noticed that two boats Lost forty-fye
passengers by cholera, in tho passage from
New Orleans TO ST Louis. The fatality is
mostly among the deck passengers, who are
Foreigners, or the. most filthy and irregular
portion Of the western population, and very
much addicted. To intSinpNHRce. Alsr the
, death and burial ahove alluded to, tho dock
passengers Iteni fifnsa Of the night ia earoas-
ing in the most noisy and obstrepcroua man
ner and the first noise heard in the morn
ing was the -ongs and yells Of tl,oBaoehanhl-
! ians. ..s .-.-~
Tho cause OF temperance makes but allow
progress in the western States, and tho free
and habituai use OF ardent spirits, Is unquas-
tionably the occasion Of much of the cholOn
which has proved 70 fatal IN that region. i
-ras tnisi by an iHtaiiiFpat rFvutigmnH
OF the most productive counties in Ohio, that
FROM one third'to ono half Of the whole corn
crop of the County, was consumed in tho dis
tllerics; and think the same might -bo- said
Of all the Ohio valley. Distillerics without
! ..tp,l..r -, .,tN.,r.stn,,. .n
70 or 100 barrels OF ~hiskey atay and scarce
ly boat moves on the rivers which is not
freighted in part with that article, In pass
ing the different towns and villages the prom
inent sign on stores is Liquors & Groceries"
and in some places every store has thai invit-
ing inscription. The price SIS to 20 cents
! per gallon, IND Of coarse but a email sum is
required 10 keep a man constantly intoxica-
ted. Various causes are in operation to re-
tard the progress of tho temperance reform /;
such as the large profits OF tho manufacturer
and vcnder, the heterogeneous aud unsettled
character Of the population the wan. of fixed
moral principle, and the comparatively large
proportion Of foreigners which constitutes ov-
cry community al tho est; and II is evident
that many years must elApse before this no
BILE cause VIII occupy position so favorable
10 ultimate triumph, as it now docs in Now
England.
The passage from st. Louis to Cincinnati,
is not particularly interesting. Leaving the
former place in the e-~sing, we reached the
month of the, ohio, ! 10 miles below, the next
morning. Tie country on either side OF the
Ohio, for 1 90 or 200 miles from its mouth, Is
low and heavily wooded with sycamore, cot
ton-wood, cypress, &C. Highcr up, the land
is more elevated and occasionally cultivated,
while at long intervals small village makes
its appearance. From Louisville TO Cincin-
matt, the Country assumes m older appear
ancc, and is mostly aettled the high bluffs
rising sometimes directly from the river, and
sometimes a sufficient distance from Il 10 nj.
low of fine farm on the interval affords
yarvinny and tnicturranun Krennrx ,,htck -, |