The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-09-01
River InseIlIaenee,
OFFICE OF THE SouTH- WESTERN,
SHE Eennrt Gnrainnni nr. j a

pretty fast, and from all appearances we shall soor
hear the cry Of low water
From this point to Cypress bayou we have difficult
low water navigation: Thirty inches at the Gate Pos
and twenty inches in potatoe Bend, Cypress bayou
The boats have to tighten through the lakes,
The officers of the Lotus No. report fair low water
navigation between this point and the falls at Aexan
dra. OK bar is said to be worst and that afforded
! FIVE feet in the channel.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 25---The little blowhard Mary
! Ellen, Capt. Milton, sailed to-day for Old river with a
good trip. r.M u-
THURSDAY Aug. 26.-The Lotus No.2, Capt. John
Lewis, Thos Jacobs, clerk, came in to-day from the
city on time with the best trip of the season for boats
of her capacity. She refused freight and passengers
before leaving the city Thanks the clerk for farors
Late in the night the large sternwhee steamer Enter
prise. Capt. P, c. Montgomery, He Heat clerk left
for the city with ali the Texas cattle she had for
and fair list of cabin passengers.
| FRIDAY Aug. 27--Late last night the Lotus No. 2
Capt. John II. Lewis, Tom Jacobs, clerk got off for
jefferson with all the freight she could " hey'' the
water She relieved the Enterprise Of her Dallas street
Taylor Turnip Turn, Jimplecute avenue. The captain
thought he would have to leave the latter at the Gate
Post and double trip it. Alas poor Y orick!
SUNDAY Aug 29-Late last night the Pioneer Era,
Capt Geo. Wilkinson, came in from Cypress bayou
with four bales of new cotton and two bdls. hides
Soon this morning the steamer Lotus No. 8,
Capt d. d. Dannals in from the city, four and
half days out with full load and good list of pas
sengers She had 1900 packages for Jefferson, which
goes forward on the Lotus No. o Thanks to the clerk
for late papers
MONDAY, Aug 30.--The L. d. came and went We
know more. .5%
TUESDAY, Aug Stat MONDAY the sidewhee steamer
Early Bird, Capt Jasper Russ J. B. Mitchell clerk
in from the city with full freight and her cabin
full of people. She will probably leave for Cypress
bayou sometime in the night. Thanks to the clerk for
late papers. A-=
For New ORLEANS, SarURDAY.-The light draught
sidewhee steamer Early Bird Capt Jasper Russ, J. B.
the cars from Marshall.
FRE1GHrs.-Up freghts have settled down on high
water card raes75c @Sl per Dbl No settled rate for
cattle down, though prices are improving. Passage
$40.
For New ORLEANS FRIDAY Sept 3.-The light draught
steamer Era No. ., Capt Martin II. Kouns, Charles
Drown, clerk, will leave as above, the arrival of
/ the from Marshall.
For New ORLEANS, FRIpAY, Sept S.-The elegant
regular ten-day sternwhee packet Richmond, Capt.
VIM. T. Boardman, Charles J. Boardman, clerk, will
leave above, the arrival of the cars from Mar
shall.
from Exchanges.l
We already mentioned the fact of the Helen Brooks,
steamer of only fifteen tuns burthen, leaving Balti
more for voyage round the country. She goes to
New York, up the river to Albany where she enters
the canal, and takes the lake at Buffalo From thence
she proceeds to Lake Michigan enters Green Bay, and
comes down the St. Crox river to the Mississippi, and
will pass st. Louis on her way South ..s .
A RACE FOR L1FE-A Railroad Engineer Chased By
NoiANePo~i"S"~> Va
the Grand Rapids Michigan Eagle.
4 To make it an Ineligible matter to the
reader, let say that the Buffalo, Cory and Pitts
burg road nersects the Lake Shore road at this place
The station at the junction is named Brocton Now let
it be understood that from this point Mayville at
the head of Chatouqua Lake "a distance of only
miles, train is carried elevation of 700 feet.
From the station to the summit the grade is about so
feet to the mile with which increase the dis
lance by four miles 1t is this road that immense
| quantities of petroleum are brought ..g g. "
On Tuesday evening, about 9 O'clock train,
ssting of six oil cars reached the summit its way
to the junction. Here, by some cause as yet unex-
planned of the oil tanks took fire. The passenger
cars were at once detached and the brakes stopped
them. Next the oil cars cut off, and the locomo
tive, tender, and box car, containing two valuable
horses and two men, passed down the road the engi
neer supposng that the brakemen the oil would
arrest the of those but what his horror on
looking back, to the six in pursuit of him
down the grade, enveloped in flames. They not only
pursued but overlook him, striking the box car with
uncomfortable force, knocking the horses and men fiat
upon the floor and yet almost miracuously not throw
ing the engine from the track.
1t was now with the engineer race for life and he
gave the engine every ounce of steam Looking south
from the place fmy residence at that terrible uncture
one of the most magnificent spectacles was witnessed
that sees in q lifetime A sheet of intensely
bright flame, sixty feet high, was seen coming down
that southern slope, apparent with the speed OF
meteor and really very near the speed of hurricane
eighty miles an hour; for pursued and pursuer flew
ouTes Che rate OF more than 70 niisa an hesar as
the engineer declares, and everybody believe
Illuminated and the landscape was lit up as by the
noon day light. Onward and downward flew the
CINE, and behind it flew and Numbered the huge fiery
demon. Twice its prodgious weg ht driven against
the fugitive, with instinct with purpose to drive it
from the track. 1t seemed if to the heroic engineer
and fireman there perfect environment of peril
The speed of the engine such that it ceased to
pump then again, the Cincinnati express was due at
the junction at this time The engineer of the oil train
whisted 'open switch, and shaking hands with the
fireman they babe each other farewell, knowing that
their lives depended on the opening of the Lake Shore
switch by their friends below and this was to imperl
the express train coming down from the west with its
living human freight The engineer the train saw
the fire when it first broke out on the summit and sup
posing he could clear the junction before the flaming
terror reached it, he, too put his engine to its utmost
speed on level grade. A mile short OF the junction
he the effort vain one, for the conhagration
had rushed up out on the Lake Shore track and was
roaring the direction of Dunkirk He checked
the headong rush of his train and brought it to stand
STILL 1t did not proceed until o'clock in the morning.
The case took in another danger, and it was imm-
nent. heavy freight train coming up the Lake
Shore road All will say of the escape OF this is that
it did escape to the side track and only escaped by the
last minute of possibility.
Running on to safe distance from the depot, the
gneer of the oil train detached his engine, and left
the six to consume. He says his situation was
fully realised by him. He expected to lose his llfe At
every moment he expected the engine to leave the
track. He he was going at perilous rate OF
speed, but there was no help for it, The demon was
behind him. and he declares that looked like de-
With that fondness real Affection for his en-
CINE which these display, he said, thought ev-
erythlng OF engine, and determined TO stay py
it to the last The fireman made attempt to es-
cape by jumping from the tender but the engineer re-
strained him. Altogether the occurrence was re-
markabe one, and part remarkable for this, no lives
were lost The brakemen the oil cars had gone back
to the passenger cars, when the oil started 1t
well they did Unless those rear cars had been
detached and stopped, their inmates would have been
burnt to death inevitably.
LOUISVILLE Aug. 1S.-Rates to New Orleans have an
upward tendency both by river and rail. Low rates
for the present are about played out.
The Flavla, Capt. John 1. Roots new sternWheei
packet for the New Orleans and Red river trade will
leave for New Orleans at to-day on her maiden
trip. The Flavia is trim, staunch boat OF hight
draug ht-strength and ghtness being the requisites
for the trade for which she is intended Her dimensions
are length 1870 feet beam 80 feet; hole AZ feet She
has neat cabin, with accommodations for so passen-
gers The hull and cabin is the workmanship of those
skilled workmen, j r. Stuart Co., of Madison. She
has two gines ID INCHES in diameter and four feet
stroke fourued boilers % feet long and 81 inches
in diameter. She also has steam capstans and all
other modern improvements. Her machinery was
built at the Southern Foundry, by Kirk, Dennis Co.,
and is perfect in every respect The Flayiila has
cap acity of 800 tuns, and draws only Is inches light
She is complete in every respect and reflects great
credit upon her builders. Capt Roots expresses him
self as fully satisfied with the in which our
mechanics have fulfilled their contracts. The Flava
has full load engaged.
PERILs THE FALLs.-Capt Pink Narbie. the fals
pilot attempted to take the steamer Mole Ebert over
the Falls Tuesday evening but finding the boat unable to
stem the current he tied her to OF the bridge piers
in the Indiana chute, with the view Of enlisting the
- ~ ,.lE