Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-22
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT ON THE OHIo
RIVER,

"ennd some interesting particulars regard
Ing the navigation Of the Ohio river by steam
boat in !" Western Annals by James r. Al
bach, OF Pittsburg from which il appears that
citizens OF New York we're chiefly instrumental
In promoting what was then considered an ad-
yenturous and doubtful experiment. The au-
thor quotes from Mr. Latrobe:
The complete success atte ending the expert
ments in steam navigation on the Hudson and
the adjoining waters, previous to the year 1909,
turned the attention Of the principal projectors
To the idea Of its application on the western
rivers; and In the month of April Of that year
Mr.. Roosevelt of New York, pursuant to an
agreement with Chancellor Livingston and Mr.
Fulton, visited those rivers with the purpose of
forming an opinion whether they admitted of
steam navigation or not. Mr.. Roosevelt sur
veyed the rivers from Pittsburgh to New Or
Iean5, and as his report was favorable, it was
decided to build a boat at the former town - D.
In October, 1911, the " New Orleans was
launched and sent out, boing intended to DIV
between that city and Natchez-not as statsd
in the extract from ThurstOn's book, between
Pittsburgh and the falls of Ohio.
Latrobe again: Mr.. Roosevelt his Young
wife and family, Mr.. Baker the engineer, AM
drew Jack, the pilot, and six hands, with a few
domeStics formed her whole burden. There
were no wood yards at that time, and constant
delays were unavoidable. Late at night. on
the fourth day after quitting Pittsburgh they
arrived in safety at Louisville. having been
but seyenty-four hours descending upwards of
slx hundred miles. The settlers on the banks
who had not even heard the rumors of such a
scheme, were struck with " surprise and terror
at the appearance Of the snOrting monster "I
have heard that the general impression among
the good kentuckianS was that the comet had
fallen into the Ohio. The small depth of water
in the rapids prevented the boat from pursuing
her voyage immediately; and during the conse.
hRfa nf
were successfully made between Louisville and
Cincinnati. The waters rose in November and
IN the last week Of that month the voyage was
resumed -
After being nearly overwhelmed with the
earthquakes, the New Orleans reached
hatcher the first week in January, 1872
Neither Mitchell nor his telescope was on
the banks Of the Ohio in those days, and il was
no more strange that the honest farmers should
imagine the steamboat to be q comet. than are
the vague apprehensiOns of the present time
that We are In danger OF collision with one Of
those eccentric bodies. Singulary enough
there was then, now a widely-spread story
that the earth was to be smashed like a
felt hat, and - One-third ofmankini' destroyed
in the operation. A thief in a Virginia prison
prOfessed to have been entranced, and to have
had revelation fOretelling the event, which was
10 take place on the fourth of June, ISI2-a
remarkable coincidence of dates. pamphlet
with sundry Yankee pictures of horrible sights.
pOrtraying the dire calamity
As Counterpart Of this s'a ;mboat-comet
story we remember one that was told about
the people of u certain village who assembled
TO see the first locomotive pass by ON the rails.
Not one Of them had the slightest idea what
sort Of an animal it was, and they were busy
with all kinds Of cOnjectures. a smoking and
roaring monster was seen In the distance, with
an unaccOuntably long tail behind it. Nobody
supposed this to be a travelling invention, and
as it approached, the good people were con-
founded and desperately puzzled. Fortunate
ly there was n - John POdgers" in the village.
and he was called on TO explain it. John wiped
Lis glasses and looked over his nose with a
profound all-kuOwing gaze. After due obser-
vatian. oh said he, yes That's it at
last, gentlemen; that is the thing that has kept
the Congress of these United States in such a
h-ll Of squabble for the last three months.
That is TIE t1riFr'