The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-09-03
First Steamer on the Western Waters.

TlttsDurg 10 NatcheZ. She was ths flrSt steamer
built on the western waters, and the first tc
make trip down the Mississippi She left
Pittsourg in October, 1911, was in the vicinity
OF New Madrid at the time of the great earth
quake, and reached Natchez, her destination
in January, 1919. thus making the trip in about
three months, The boat subsequently run as a
packet between that point and New Orleans,
and was snagged after running about two years
She was a very small stern wheel craft, such
as would be considered very diminutive at the
present time when compared with boats of that
class. The following narrative is taken from
'Latrobe's Rambles in North America"
Circumstances gave me the opportunity of be-
coming acquainted with the particulars of the
very first voyage of steamer in the vest
The complete success attending the expert
ments made in steam navigation on the Hud-
son and adjoining waters, previous to the year
1909, turned the attention Of the principal pro
jecors to the idea of its application on the west
ern rivers, and in the month of April, of that
year, Mr.. Roosevelt, of New York, pursuant to
an arrangement with chancellor Livingston and
Mr.. Fulton, visited those rivers, with the pur-
pose of forming an opinion whether they ad-
mitted Of steam navigation or not. At this time
two boats, the North River and the Clermont,
were running on the Hudson. Mr. Roosevelt
surveyed the rivers from Pittsburg to New Or
leans, and as his report was favorable, it was
decided to build a 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 New Orleans, and intended to ply between
Natchez in the State ofMississippi,. and the city
whose name she bore. In October she left Pitts
burg for her experimental voyage. On this oc-
caslon no freight Or passengers were taken the
object being merely to bring the boat to her
station Mr.. Roosevelt, his young wife and fam
lily, Mr.. Baker, the engineer, Andrew Jack,
the pilot, and six hands, with few domestics,
formed her whole burden. There were no
woodyards at that time, and constant delays
were unavoidable. When, as related, Mr. R.
had gone down the river to reconnoitre he had
discovered two beds of coal, about 100 miles
below the rapids of Louisville, and now took
tools to work them, intending to load the YES
sci with the coal and to employ it as fuel, in
stead of constantly OBTAINING the boat while
wood was procured from the banks.
Late at night, on the fourth day after quit
ting Pittsburg, they arrived in safety at Louis
ville, having been but seventy hours descend
ing upwards OF seves hundred miles. The nos-
ell appearance of the vessel, and the fearful ra-
pidity with which it made its passage over the
broad reaches of the river, excited mixture of
terror and surprise among the many settlers on
the banks, whom the rumor of such an inven-
ton had never reached and it is related that
on the unexpected arrival of the boat before
Lon in tha Of fpo c4,n
light night, the extraordinary sound which fill
ed the air as the pent up steam was permitted
to escape from the valves on rounding to, pro-
duced general alarm, and multitudes in the
town rose from their beds to ascertain the
cause. / have heard that the general impress
sion amongst the good Kentuckians was that
the comet bad fallen into the Ohio river; but
this does not rest upon the same foundation as
the other facts which l lay before you, and
which may at once say had directly from
the parties themselves. The small depth of
water on the rapids prevented the boat from
pursuing her voyage Immediately, and during
the consequent detention Of three weeks in the
upper part of the Ohio, several trips were sue
cessfully made between Louisville and Cincin-
natl In fine, the waters rose, and in the csurse
of the last week in November the voyage was
the depth of water barely admitting
their passage.
When they arrived about FIVE miles above
the Yellow Banks they moored the boat oppo-
site the first vein of coal, which was on the In
diana side, and had been purchased in the in
term OF the state government. They found a
large quantity already quarried to their hand,
and conveyed to the shore by depradators who
had not found means to carry it off, and with
this they commenced loading the boat. While
thus engaged, our voyagers were accosted in
great alarm by the squatters of the neighbour
noises on the river and in the woods in the course
of the preceding day, and perceived the shores
that they had repeatedly felt
the earth tremble.
Hitherto nothing extraordinary had been per-
ceived. The following day they pursued their
monotonous voyage in those vast solitudes.-I
The weather was observed to be oppressively
hot, the air misty, still and dull, and though
the sun was visible, like glowing ball of cop
per, his rays hardly shed more than a mourn
Ful twilight on the surface of the water. Even
ng drew nigh, and with i. some indications of
what was passing around them became evident
And as they sat on deck, they ever and anon
heard rushing sound and violent splash, and
saw large portions of the shore tearing away
rom the land and falling into the river. ltwas,
Is my informant said, IAN awful day; so still
hat you could have heard pin drop on deck
They spoke little, for every one appeared thun-
lerstruck. The comet had disappeared about
his time, which circumstance was noticed with
awe by the crew.
Thes second day after leaving the ellowB Banks
he sun rose over the forests the same dim ball
If fire, and the air was thick, dull and oppres-
1--WE as before. The portentous signs Of this
errlble natural convulsion continued and in
'reased. The pilot, alarmed and confused, af-
irmed that he was lost, as he found the chan
,el everywhere altered; and where he had hith-
'rto known deep water, there lay numberless
rees with their roots upwards. The trees were
een waving and nodding on the bank without
wind, but the adventurers had no choice but
o continue their route. Toward evening they
ound themselves at loss for place of shelter
They had usually brought to under the shore,
'ut everywhere they saw the high banks disap-
'earing, overwhelming many hatboat and raft
rom which the owners had landed and made