New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-31
River News,

The RIVERS - The PROSPECTS AHEAD.-The
river ut this point, as well as the Ohio and
all the upper streams, are steadily falling, and
| prospects are more favorable at the present
time than ever before this season, for extreme
low water We have not had q shower Of rain
for several days past, nor is there least prospect
of one. The weather, for several days past, has
been intensely bot, and the earth has become so
parched and dried in consequence, that were the
rain TO fall for twenty four hours without inter-
mission, it would all be absorbed before reach
| ing the rivers so as to be of any benefit On
the llth inst, some considerable rain fell in the
| vicinity of St Paul and the Falls of St. Antho-
| ny, on the Upper Mississippi, but it did not in
the least affect the river. With the exception
of that rain, we have heard Of none falling any
1 where for long time past. The Mississippi
| from this point to Cairo, cannot have channel
depth of over eight or nine feet at present, and
probably not that; while the Ohio, from the
mouth to Portland has less than four feet on
| the principal bars. Between Louisville and
Cincinnati, and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, all
the large and good boats have been compelled to
| lie up, and their places have been supplied by
| those small stern wheel " dinkers" that always
| come out at the approach Of low water, as thick
| as toads after rain storm. Low water is q
| god-send to them, and they never fail to take
| advantage OF it, in whatever stream they may
chance to be engaged.
/
| season, and is now in fair navigable order, but
| is going down steadily. At last accounts, there
| were five feet water to Brunswick and four and
a halffrom there to Council Bluffs This stage
| Of water would do pretty well if freights were
more plenty and the prices for carrying little
better The Mississippi, from here to Keokuk,
| has been high during most Of the past season,
but is fast recedng, and it is with difficulty that
boats are now enabled to bring out much more
| than half loads. On the Lower Rapids, thirty
to thirty two inches are all that boats can find
and the expense, delay and trouble in crossing
and Tightening eats up all the profits Several
| of the last boats from Galena and st. Paul have
brought down large loads Of grain and lead, but
| they have all been compelled to have tow barges
| in which their freight was put, which necessar-
| lily caused expense and delay. From the head
of the Lower Rapids to st. Paul there is three
to four feet water, and the packets belonging to
the trade are still running and carrying more
| or less freight; but at present the prospect is
fair for very low water there. The Illinois is
in what may be called fair stage, and boats in
the trade could do pretty well if there was any
thing to do, but as the old crop of grain has
nearly all been brought out, and the new not
yet ready for market, business is extremely
dull, and boats are compelled to withdraw and
lie up until trade becomes better. The water
however is rapidly falling. At the present time,
according to steamboatmen's reports, not more
than four feet can be found from Lasalle to the
4 mouth. -%+l-+
STEAMER BANNER STATE SUNK-The Polar
Star, in from st. Joseph last evening, brings us
the intelligence Of the sinking of the Banner
State, on Saturday last, in the Missouri river
twelve miles above ST. Joseph. The Banner
State was bound from this city to Council Bluffs
and had on board cargo of assorted merchan-
die for that and intermediate points. She was
owned by Capt. Holland, her commander and
| Mr. VIM Tirrel ma valuoH of OH
600, insured for SIG, 900 in Offices in this city.
The Polar Star, on hearing Of the accident,
went up to where she was lying, and found her
sunk in six feet water They took off her deck
load, and brought it to st. Joseph and stored it
there. The freight in the hull will be lost or
badly damaged.
The officers of the Polar Star, on the wav
down, heard that the Banner State had been
raised and got back to St. Joseph-but that was
only q rumor.
STEAMER ILLINOIS SoLD-The steamer Illinois
was sold yesterday for $50 900. to the following
named gentlemen, each purchasing ne-quarter !:
Captain j. d. Fulkerson, d. 7. Carter, Charles
Hogman, and the Messrs. Lakeland Captain
Fulkerson will take command, and Mr. Hogman
will assume duties on board as chiefcerk. The
Illinois is one Of the largest we'll as one of the
best boats belonging to the trade Of St. Louis
She is only about two years old, and has been
running in the St. Louis and New Orleans trade
| almost ever since she was first launched, and
| during that time was commanded by Captain
smithers. She has always been lucky boat,
never having met with an accident of serious
nature during her lifetime, and report says she
has made au immense amount Of money. Cap
, tain Fulkerson, her new commander, is well
known, and popular as a steamboat captain, and
we hope the Illinois may, while in his charge,
have a continuance of her good luck. The lii
, nois got up steam and came over from the Illinois
shore last evening, and will commence loading
for New Orleans to-day. [St Louis Republican,
; The river at this point continues to recede
slowly, with about three feet water in the canal,
and four feet on Portland bar At Pittsburg,
last evening, there were only about twenty
inches water in the channel.
The mail boat Tisbsmingo exploded one of her
cylinders, short distance below Vevay, on last
Wednesday afternoon. Mr.. Levy, the engineer,
had one of his legs broken, and the striker was
severely injured. Mr.. Anderson, the Mail
Agent, narrowly escaped being killed The
Tishemingo has laid up for repairs
A LONG TRIP.-The steamer Genoa arrived at
st. Louis few days ago, having made the trip
to the mouth of Yellow Stone river and back, a
distance of over four Thousand miles, in 43 days.
: A long memorandum of the trip, made out by
her officers, informs us that a 6 bar" was killed
on the way up; that they saw good many buff
: faloes, elk, and mountain Sheep and that ths
hands had to cut wood on several occasions, there
being no yards along the river in the out of the
way, semi-cVilized part of creation to which the
) boat had made her way. The Indians were not
troublesome in the least louisville Democrat
PRETTY NEAR THE Mark was in company
the other night, number of ladies being pres
ent, when young man proposed conundrum
which he said he had read in the papers Il
: was this: g When is lady not a lady ~ There
was apause: ssGiye it up, said all round, when
to the infinite horror of the whole party, the
querist exclaimed, g When she's little buggy
No body laughed-some were denure some in
dignant, and some, no doubt, inclined to scratch
the querist's face little. He was disappointed
! Fumbling in his pocket he pulled out paper
= which, consulting for moment, he calculated
go, l beg your pardon, ladies, made mistake
. The answer is, &C when she is a little sttlky p
L knew it was some sort of carriage
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.-Cin July 81
> The locomotive of the Chicago express train, OF
the Lafayette and Indianapolis Railroad OF
Tuesday, bound for Indianapolis, struck on
saw-log, which, it is supported, was placed de
signedly on the track, near curve The loco
L motive turned complete somerset, landing in
y corn-feld. The baggage and express cars wer
partly torn to atoms. The engineer was slight,
: . injured. Mr.. Stephens, the express agent, wa