Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-04-23
The First Boat Arrived!

Wednesday morning at halfpast o'cloc
an unusual concert of steam whistles, tn
booming of cannon, &C., in the direction G
the bend of the river announced the arriva
of the First Boat through the Lake. Sool
there was general rush towards the Lowe
Levee, and the Key City, Capt. JONES Won
DEN, the lucky boat this year, came in witt
flags flying, perfect calliope of steam whis
ties blowing, cannon firing &C., while tn
steam whistles of the Saw Mills, Foundrie
and other establishments gave back an an
mering roar, interspersed with responsive te,
de joie's of artillery, and enthusiastic cheer!
from the dense crowd assembled on the Levet
to welcome that annual harbinger of our busy
season." the First Boat" Such an excite
ment, however, has seldom before been ere
ated by it. ...-
The following memoranda of the trip has
been furnished US by GEO. S. PIERCE, Firs'
Clerk of the Key City:
Steamer Key City, Jones Worden, Captain
left Dubuque on Monday, the 1Sth-passed
Fred Lorenz and St. Louis at Alma-arrived
at Lake Pepin at P. NJ, on the 18th. After
battling the ice for eight hours, we finally sue.
ceeded in getting through about 10 o'clock,
P. M. Left the " Favorite " and st. Louis "
in the ice, struggling to get through: The
ice varies in thickness, from 8 to Is inches.
Arrived in St. Paul at half-past 8 o'clock on
the Goth, and received the hearty congratula'
tons from the citizens as the First Boat OF
1859.
The Key City brought quite lively load
of passenge, S, though, as she started out on
Monday morning, had not so many as other
wise. Her freight was principally -four, we
learned, as we could not get copy Of the
manifest.
We give below the usual tabular statement
comparing this seasons opening of navigation
with that of former years, which we have COL
lated from our files. 1t will be interesting, as
showing the relative time for the opening of
the river and the arrival of a through boat for
the last ten years.
1s51-The ice broke up opposite st. Paul
on March 10Th (same date as in 1859 and
the lake opened on the 31st; but the first boat,
the Nominee, did not arrived, until April 4th.
1s52-The ice broke up in front of st. Paul
on March 29th, and the Nominee, the first
boat arrived here on April 10th in the evening.
1s53-Ice broke at ST. Paul, April 1st.-
First boat, West Newton arrived April 18th
in the morning.
1Sfh oc Moroh
First boat, Nominee, arrived at st. Paul on
the morning of April 9Th.
1S55-Ice broke on March 31st, river clear
on April 9th. First boat, War Eagle, arrived
April 18th, in the evening.
1856. Ice moved on April 4th; first boat,
Lady Franklin, arrived on the evening of the
18th.
1867. Ice moved on April 10Th first
boat, the Galena, arrived May LIST, at o.
clock, Am.
1858. Ice moved on 10Th of March; river
clear on the 18th; first boat, Grey Eagle, ar
rived March 25th, at " o'clock, An.
1859. The ice first made break below
the bend on March 18th another move oppo
site the Lower Levee on March 21st, moved
from below the bridge on March Odd and
above the bridge on the 25th; on the Goth
river entirely clear; Time and Tide went
down at nine o'clock, A. NJ. on that day. The
first boat, the Key City, Captain WoRDEN,
arrived on the Goth April, at $50, A. M.
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