The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-06-22
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Frenchman's First Steamboat
Race.
BY JOHN H. UNDERWOOD.

The steamer Washington was shooting
down the Ohio with her usual motley
crowd of passengers on board, wnen sud-
denly rival boat the Comet, swung out
from her wharf and ranged up alongside
with the evident intention of inviting to
race.
The challenge, if such was meant to be
given, was tacitly accepted, for word was
promptly passed to the engineer of the
Washington to " "rosin up"
Great excitement Immediately pre-
vailed among the passengers. Old women
screamed, young women tainted OF went
into Mysteries, and few timid gentlemen
ventured to expostulate with the captain,
but on being assured by him that there
was 9" no danger. boilers new and strong,
and steam not half up her proof" they
became less fearful, and as the speed of
both boats increased, so also did their in
terest in the race, till nearly every pas
senger on board felt quite as anxious as
the captain himself to ge, ahead Of the
Comet.
There was one exception however in the
person of little Frenchman, to whom a
steamboat.race was something new under
the sum- though from his questions to the
officers, it was evident that he had cor
rect knowledge of steamboats, and their
machinery.
He was in fact, French engineer, but
having always been accustomed to the
low pressure, slow going arks of his own
country, he was perfectly Mortified at the
reckless manner in which things were done
on board the Washington.
He rushed about the deck, asking every
body where he could find " Monsieur lie
capitaine,' and when he finally encoun-
tered that officer, he exclaimed,-
Mon dieu capstaine, what for you
90 to run so faster like Won vot you call
chain lightning, eh ? You will blow up,
explode, burst in tousand pieces %
think so 2" asked the captain, in q
contemptous tone.
Yes sar and by tonnezre, | sail
leave de boat. You stop him, sar, and
let me get of !"
" But instead of complying with the re-
quest of the irate little Gaul, the captain
stepped into the pilot house, and cool!y
slammed the door in his face.
Disappointed in this quarter, the
Frenchman descended to the main deck
and with some trepidation approached th'
engine room,
On low stool in the mids: of the rap
idly revolving machinery, with eccentri'
rods vibrating, valves, lifting, and connec
tions reciprocating all around him, sat tn
engineer, his shirt unbottened and throw
open at the bosom, his sleeves rolled up
his hat tipped back on his head, and puf
7 fng cigar as unconcernedly as if boile
explosions and steamboat accidents wer
r things unheard Of.
Monsieur accosted him, and after fey
moments conversation, the engineer per
ceiving that his questioner fully under
stood the construction and management @
u steam engine resolved to make littl
5 sport by playing upon his fears, Politel
inviting him into the engine room, he Of
0 iered him stool and cigar, and im
mediately began to expatiate upon tn
speed of his own boat, and the numerou
races in which she had been victoriou
According to his account many goo
boat had blown up alongside Of the Wasl
ington in yainly trying to get on steal
enough to pass her.
His anecdotes were not calculated
soothe the agitation of nervous indiviC