New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-17
8ider yntsIligents.
cREscEsr OFFICE. No. 70C

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cHr'er'r w 1,ss No x 2 Camp !. street.,
GENERAL Remarks-The Weather-Busiuess
-Freights News from Above Letter
from our Correspondent-Arrsval Yes
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. To-day, etc., etc.
Yesterday was another warm day. Business on
both landings continues to be very dull. The John
Walsh, Diana and Capitol all left yesterday with
pretty good trips Of passengers. Our yearly emera
ton has commenced and we expect to see the boats
leave here full passengers for the next two months
Freights still continue dull and at very low rates.
to almost every point on the river.
The st. Louis Republican Of the 18th says:
The river here fell inches in the "a hours ending
ct dark last evening, and was receding slowly The
Illinois and Missouri rivers falling slowly and
the Upper Mississippi is reported rising, and very
high from st. Paul to Rock Island.
:, The weather continues very warm. Business on
the levee is dull.
The Natchez Courier Of the 14th says:
The river at Natchez for two or three days previous
to yesterday had been stationary. Yesterday it fell
half an iocb, making the total fall from the highest
point OF the year. three and a half inches
A gentleman just from Tensas, informs the Con
cordia that Tensas river is rising at the
rate Of one inch and quarter in twentyfour hours
and that the water is rising very fast in some places
as much as six inches in twentyfo hours.
The Harrisonburg Na.) Independent of May 18th
says:
The water at this point is little higher than it
was last year. and still the rise. Crops that are
above water have needed rain for the last two weeks
Inc ground until within the last few days had be.
come too dry for late planted cotton to come up.
The Vicksburg Wing of the 14th says:
The river was still recediug yesterday at the rate
Of one-fonrth of an inch in twenty four hours The
total decline here last evening was four inches and
halt: On the wharf yesterday business was pretty
We learn from Mr.. Shaw, clerk of the Dew Drop,
that the Yazoo at Greenwood is recedng and has
fallen some eighteen or twenty inches. At Yazoo
City 1t had fallen three nches and was still going
down slowly.
The Louisville Journal Of the 18th says:
The river continues to recede. There were six and
half feet water in the canal last evening BY the
mark. An immense quantity of mud has been ac.
cumuated at the head and foot of the canal by the
recent floods
The West Baton Rouge Sugar Planter of the l4th
says:
It is with great pleasure we can at least announce
falling in the river at this point Up to the time of
going to press it had fallen six inches and was still
on the decline. This fall slight as it is, has proved
great relief to our planters
At the time of our going to press last week. there
every reason to believe that the creyasse at Lob
dells would have been closed in day or two In
this hope we were disappointed. portion Of the
work 10 one of the most dangerous places gave way
on Friday night and operations were therefore great
ly retarded. Yesterday at 10 o'clock, we received
that the work had again progressed so far as to
leave only fifty or sixty feet to close. large force
was at work. and we may look for its closing by to-
night, or during the day to morrow. The water is
fast receding from the submerged fields and the rail-
road track is beginning to show itself above water
once more.
Our friend Sergeant Fathom, one Of the Oldest cub
pilots on the river, and now on the Railroad Line
steamer Trombone, sends us rather bad account
concerning the state Of the river. Sergeant Fathom
Is q "cub' of much experience, and although we are
10th to coincide in his view of the matter we give
bis note place in our columns, only hoping that his
prophecy will not be verified in this instance While
introducing the Sergeant, Eve consider it but simple
justice 1--WE quote from a friend of his) to remark
that he is distinguished for being, in pilot phrase,
close as we'll as superhumanly safe.'" 1t is o
welknown fact that he has made fourteen hundred
and fifty trips in the New Orleans and St. Louis
trade without causing serious damage to steamboat
This astonishing success is attributed to the fact that
he seldom runs his boat after early candle light. 1t
related of the Sergeant that upon one occasion he
actually ran the chute Of Glasscock's Island, down
stream, in the night and at time, too when the
river was scarcely more than bank full. His method
of accomplishing this feat proves what we have just
said of his "saeness-he sounded the chute first and
then built fire the head of the island to run by.
As to the Sergeants "closeness," we have heard it
whispered that he went up to the right of the
cold Hen" but this is probably pardonabe little
exaggeration, prompted by the love and admiration
in which he is held by various ancient DANES Of his
acquaintance, (for albeit the Sergeant may have
already numbered the allotted years of man, still his
form is erect, his step is firm, his hair retains its
sable hue, and more than all, he hath a winning
way about him, air of docility and sweetness, if
you will, and smoothness of speech, together with
an exhaustless fund of funny sayings and lastly, an
ever.howing stream, without beginning, or middle,
or end, of astonishing "reminiscences of the ancient
Mississippi. which, taken together, form tout en-
scmble which is sufficient excuse for the tender
epthet which is, by common consent, applied to him
by all those ancient danes aforesaid of "chearmng
creature!" As the Sergeant has been longer GU the
river and is better acquainted with it than any other
"cub' extant, his remarks are entitled to extraord-
nary consideration, and are always read with the
deepest interest by high and low, rich and poor from
"Kiho" to Kalnschatka, for be it known that his
fame extends to the uttermost parts of the earth:
R. R STEAMER TROMBONE
Ticksburg, Ma, 1850 I
The river from New Orleans up to Natchez is
higher than it has been since the niggers were exc
cuted (Which was in the fall of 1879 and my opin
ion is that if the rise continues at this rate the ,rter
rN be on the roof of the St. Charles Hotel before the
middle of January. The point at Cairo which has
not even been moistened by the river since 1873 is
now entirely under water.
However, Mr.. Editor, the inhabitants of the Missis-
sippi Valley should not act precipitatey and sell
their plantations at sacrifice on account of this
prophesy of mine, for I shall proceed to convince
them of great fact in regard to this matter, viz
That the tendency of the Mississippi is to rise less
and less higher every year with occasional yara.
ton of the rule), that such has been the case for
many centuries. and finally that it will cease TO rise
at all. Therefore would suggest to the planters,
as we say in an innocent little parlor game COM
monty called draw" that if they can only "stand
assurance that the old rivers banks will never hold
a "full'' again during their natural lives.
In the summer of l7G3 came down the river on
the old first Jubilee" She new, then however;
nese captain and Choctaw crew, forecaste on her
stern, wheels in the center and the jackstaf ''no