The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-02-20
OBJ 9ailg gotrtraL
(From Latrobeas Rambles in North Anne erica-I
FIRST STEAMBOAT IN THE WEST.

=; the very HrSt Y0yag6 OF d sGeiInef IN lne W es
The complete success attending the expert
f ments IN steam navigation made on tne .Hud
: son and adjoining waters, previous to the yea
$500, turned the attention Of the principal pro
jectors to the idea of its application on tn
western rivers, and in the month of April O
that year Mr.. Roosevelt, of New York, pur
lsuant to an arrangement with Chancellor Liv
Eingston and Mr. Fulton, visited those rivers
with the purpose of forming an opinion wheth
Ter they admitted of steam navigation or not
Al this time two boats, the North River, ano
the CIermont were running on the Hudson
Mr.. r. surveyed the rivers from Pittsburgh to
| New Orleans, and as his report was favorable
lit was decided to build boat at the former
| town. This was done under his directions,
and in the course of 1911, the first boat was
launched on the waters of the Ohio. She was
called the s.New Orleans y and intended to ply
between Natchez in the State of Mississippi,
and the city whose name she bore. In Octo-
Der she left Pittsburgh for her experimental
voyage. On this occasion no freight or passen-
gers were taken, the object being merely to
bring the boat to her station. Mr. T., his
young wife and family, Mr.. Baker, The engineer,
An lrew Jack, the pilot and six hands, with
la few domestios, formed her whole burden
There were no wood yards at the time and
constant delays were unavoidable. When, as
related, Mr. r. had gone down the river to
Ireconnoitre, he had discovered two beds of coal
about 120 miles below the rapids at Louisville
and now took tools to work them, intending
to load the vessel with the coal, and to employ
it as fuel, instead of constantly detaining the
boat while wood was procured from the banks
Late at night on the fourth day after quit
ltng Pittsburgh, they arrived in safety at Louis
vile, having been but seventy hours descend
ing upwards of seven hundred miles. The
novel appearance of the vessel, and the fearful
iapdity with which it made its passage over
the broad reaches of the river, excited a mix
ture of terror and surprise among many Of the
settlers on the banks, whom the rumor of such
aninvention had never reached; and it is related
that on the unexpected arrival of the boat be-
fore Louisville, in the course of a fine, still,
moonlight night, the extraordinary sound
which filled the air as the pent-up steam was
permitted to escape from the valves on round
ing to produced general alarm, and multi
tudeS in the town rose from their bed to ascer-
tain the cause. geI
have heard that the general impression
among the good Kentuckians was that the
comet had fallen into the Ohio; but this does
not rest upon the same foundation as the 9TH
er facts, which lay before you, and which
ties themselves. The small depth of water in
the rapids prevented the boat from pursuing
her voyage Immediately, and during the con-
sequent detention of three weeks in the upper
part of the Ohio, several trips were successful
ly made between Louisville and Cincinnati. In
fine, the waters rose, and in the course of the
last week in November the voyage was re-
sumed, and the depth Of water barely admit
ing their passage. tas
When they arrived about five miles abovef
the Yellow Banks, they moored the boat op-
posite to the first vein of coal, which was on
the Indiana side and had been purchased in (
of the State government. They |
found a large quantity already quarried to /
their hand and conveyed to the shore by dep I
redators who had not found means to carry it /
off, and with this they commenced loading the
boat. While thus engaged, our yoyagers were
accosted in great alarm by the squatters of the
neighborhood, who inquired if they had not
heard strange noises on the river and in the
woods in the course of the preceding day, and
perceived the shores shake-insisting that they
had repeatedly felt the earth tremble
Hitherto nothing extraordinary had been
perceived. The following day they pursed
their monotonous voyage in those vast soli-
5udes. The weather was observed to be OPP
presslvely hot; the air misty, still and dull;
md though the n was visible, like glowing
Oall of copper, his rays hardly shed more than
mournful twilight on the surface of the wa
-er. Evening drew nigh, and with it some in
ticat1ons OF what was passing around them
became evident. And as they sat on the deck
hey ever and anon heard rushing sound and
7iolent splash, and saw large portions of the
shore tearing away from the land and falling
nto the river. 1t was as my informant said,
AN awful day; so still that you could have
heard a pin drop on deck" They spoke little,
or every one appeared thunder-struck. The
comet had disappeared about this time, which g
was noticed with awe by the
crew.
The second day after leaving the Yellow
Banks the sun rose over the forests, the same
linn ball of fire, and the air was thick, dull !,
md oppressive, as before. The portentous
igns of this terrible natural convulsion con
inued and increased. The pilot, alarmed and
confused, affirmed that he was lost, as he found
he channel every where al,ered and where
lie had hitherto known deep water, there lay
lumberless trees with their roots upward. The
reeS were seen waving and nodding on the
)ank, without a wind; but the adventurers had
10 choice but to continue their route. Toward
vening they found themselves at loss for a
,lace of shelter. They had usually brought tol
lnder the shore, but everywhere they saw the
high banks disappearing, overwhelming many
flat boat and raft, from which the owners had
anded and made their escape. =
A large island in mid channel which was 4
elected by the pilot as better alternative,
vas sought for in vain, having disappeared en-
irely. Thus, in doubt and terror, they pro- =
eeded hour after hour till dark, when they
ound small island and rounded to- noorinc
themselves to the foot oft. Here they lay keep
ng watch on the deck during the long autum-
al night; listening to the sound Of the waters