The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-03-22
RIVER NEWS.


Tho Great Republic at Cincinnati.
The principal river news and gossip
at points below, centres in talk about
the Great Republic. AT Cincinnati,
where they have seen her, and at Lou
isville and other places where they
have not, the newspapers are largely
taken up with comments, criticisms,
enconiums and speculations, about the
huge leviathan. At Cincinnati the SEN
sation was very decided. The people
thronged her decks and cabins, and a
gay party were treated to a dance on
board on Tuesday night.
The Gazette is not altogether COM
plimentary to the outside appearance
of the Great Republic. Speaking of
her. in this respect, that paper says:
From an outside stand point she re-
sembles huge ark, and one would in
fer she was built to save a second Noah
and his numerous family. This is sim
ply n casual glance, and after the mind
takes the immense magnitude of the
structure, his superficial ideas vanish.
and he sees before him a steamboat OF
vast proportions, monument to West
ern skill and "a triumph to the indom-
liable Western energy and enter
prise. She looks clumsy, unsymmet-
rical. and AS if built at Pittsburgh: her
bow is sloping like tine hypothenuse Of
a right angle, all boats built at Pitts
burgh are, and her general appearance,
huge and massive, is unprepoSSessing
This idea of her may be dispelIed by
seeing her set on the water separated
from other boats"
The Gazette relates that two Louisville
gentleman went aboard of the Repub-
lie, and that the following conversation
took place:
"a couple of Louisville gentlemen
yesterday visited the Great Republic,
and after inspecting her thoroughly,
were asked how she would compete
with the Richmond. Richmond ex-
claimed one. why, gentlemen, the
Richmond can no more compete with
this boat in size or elegance, than a
donkey can in u race with thorough
bred racer. 1 would give So for the
privilege ofseeing Slut Meals face when
he steps his foot inside this cabin
This complimentary testimonial, from
a citizen OF Louisville, argues badly for
the Richmond as rival or competitor"
The Great Republic expected to 20
over the falls instead of through the
canal at Louisville, and consequently
on Wednesday, being anxious to get oil,
on account of the rapid fall in the
river, Capt Donaldson gave notice that
no visitors would be admitted, but that
business would be the order of the day.
Fhe rains yesterday, we should think,
Will quiet all fears about n falling river,
The streets of the city of Cairo are
over seven feet below the surface ofthe
river, and the wafer still rising; il is
within one to three feet of the TOP of
the levee, and is now as high as ever
known. The river is forty miles wide
at that point.
The MiSSiSSfppf rirar d -.
the st. Francis river through a cut a
few miles above Cairo. The town of
at the mouth of the Cum
berland, has been flooded by the high
waters, and half the inhabitants have
fled TO higher ground.
The Louisville Journal, in speaking
of the Great Republic, makes the fol-
lowing sensible remarks:
When she comes here all those inter-
eSted can compare her with her great
rival, the Richmond. When the two
are side by side it will not take long TO
decide which is the more elegant model
and all the other disputed points.
The law making appropriations for
the improvement of rivers and harbors
has the following, among other items:
Improvement of the Ohio river, $780,
900; improvement of the mouth of the
Mississippi river, 500, 600; building and
operating two dredgeS and suag boats,
to be used on the Mississippi river,
between Fort Smelling and Rock Island
Rapids, 500, 900; improving the naviga-
ton at Rock Island Rapids. SOC. 900;
improving the navigation at Desmoines
Rapids, according TO such plan us the
of War shall, on the report of
the Board of Engineers, approve, $780,
however, that any ca
nails that may be constructed around
said Desmoines or lower rapids of the
Mississippi, shall be, and forever re-
main free to tie navigation and com
meres OF said river, and no tolls shall
ever be collected thereon.