Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-02-12
Ice boat for the Northern Riyers-New
e.. - lNyenllOm. go

that Norman Wizard, Esq, Of GAINESVILLE
WISCONSIN. has been engaged with the en-.
thusiasm characteristic Of inventors in per.
fecting plan for an ice boa, to be propelled
ny steam, to navigate our northern rivers
Like many others we confess to a prudent
skepticism in regard to the psacticability o
tho project but whatever views we or the
public may entertain, the plan is soon to be
quito the test Of practical experiment. ID
During the pas: winter NJ. Wizard has
BEEN in New York, and by the aid Of some
Of tho largest and most intelligent capital.
lists in that city, has constructcd an ice. boat
which is now being put together at, Prairie
du Chen. 1nftwo or three weeks it is. OK.
Pected that all will b. ready for the trial up
the Mississippi. ',.l'' - ~, o. =.
" The boat is built of iron And is sever seventy.
two feet long BY twelve feet broad, with
nat bottom and two Eeels running the whole
length. If it breaks through the ice or on.
counters an. air hole, machinery is prepared,
which 70 few minutes, puts it again on the
ice, ready for onward progress. The driving
wheel is near the stern, and the inventor
calculates the ordinary speed on the leo al
twenty TO forty miles an hour and will, clear
solid ice, he believes he can easily attain ia
Aspeed of eighty miles an hour. The cabin
y -tweive by forty feet, and the capacity 81
the boat is rated At one hundred passengers
and five tons Vt. freight The entire boat
whom loaded with passengers and cargo is
calculated to weigh thirty-two tons. 1ns.I
The managers of,tha ST., Paul and Fon du
La. and tho Milwaukee and Mississippi
Railways we learn, have both manifested
. great iaterest in the success Of the enter.
prise. The Milwaukee and Mississippi
Road have furnished the motive power tol
to test the value OF 'the new invention. lfi,
succeeds, It will very essentially promote
tho interests Of the roads Terminating or
the upper Mississippi, during five months
Of the year. Every possible effort is being
made fully to test the .vakle o. this novel in
vention during the next. few weeks, and Il
successful, the New York capitalists, will
ct once contract for eighteen boats Of simila,
character and construction, 70 be ready "a,
10 mess as soon a. the river closes next win.
re1. 1Eay Z h. 92..la9 9li5 ni H.anI
a1fsvenr moiety OF the plans and hope.
ofshS projectors Of his enterprise are realized
it, value to ths Northwest can. scarcely, b,
oyerestimated.. l. will at onca connect
with this city the :, ynst and importan,
tracts q country lying north and west Of US
much more directly and perfectly in winter
than in summer. As soon a. the ice is form
ed in, November Or December, the "Ica
Boat" will have uninterrupted navigation
for at least four or five months 6om Prai
ne dui Chen or La Crosse up the Mississip.
pi and Minnesota rivers to Big Stone LAks
thence down the Red River Of tho. North
anil up the Saskatchewan to the base o
the Rocky Mountains, ~. ,..,s -;
This ride" from tits city could not b,
less than thirty five hundred miles. Onl,
think ofA pleasure party starting from Chi
cag0 ~ rail to prnirie du CHEN, and thor
by "Ice Boat to the Rocky, Mountains,
trip 81 thirty Ave hundred miles, the Who'll,
With the return voyage to occupy from tel
tstwelvo days. or II Tie Captain has : 'tast'
for : more northerly tour, tiei can "steer,'
down, McKcnzie's River Tor the 2Arcti,
Ocean, and in 4 few days or weeks II mos
launch his adventurous craft "upou the sea-
discovered by Dr.. Kane, and after 8 few
days sail nailtbe glorious '.stars and stripes
tothc "north pole'' Of = mother earth her
ssl:: Ca w.. ssN2,; 1.''s 1'an'eas3a's afi
Bat seriously the North West has a mos
important interest IN the success Of thi
"lce Boat project. We shall take grea
pleasure in. recording It's success. That !
hss been. seriously undertaken BY the in
telligent, and practical gentlemen who hav
It in charge il an earnest Of its future ri
Ckie..go Tribune s.,9s''9 % - -;
Gt5.Ni. Ten Brock has purchased fort
Col. Je1FstNSlls. Of Louisiana, the no.oarae