New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-23
THE YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITIONS.


A STEAMBOAT TRIP On THE YELLOwsTONE-AN IN
EXPLORED RIVER TWELVE HUNDRED FEET IN
WIpTH-THE GOVERNMENT PAYS FIFTEEN
THOUSAND DOLLARS MONTH FOR A STEAM
BoAT-sCENEs ALONG THE RIvER-DEPOsITs OF
COAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. DEPARTURE OF
FRED. GRANT
[FRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNE.l
OK THE YELLOWSTONE, July 27-It seems not
little singular and perhaps reflects somewhat on
American enterprise that Of our largest and
most beautiful rivers nearly 800 miles long and nav
igable for 200 miles from its mouth, should remain
entirely unexplored by large steamers until the
year 1878. 1t is 20 years since Lewis and Clark ex-
plored the Missouri to the Rocky Mountains and
returned by way of the Yellowstone, sailing in small
boats from its head waters to its mouth
at the Missouri. Since that time hundreds
of steamers in going up the Missouri
have passed the mouth of the Yellowstone
but none of them have ventured to turn their prows
ND the river until tins Spring The fact that there
are no settlements on its banks except the camps of
hostile Indians, and its supposed unftness for naYi
CATION which had come to be accepted as fact, no
doubt deferred Missouri captains from risking their
boats in its waters 1t is strange however that the
Government itself did not undertake to settle the
fact of its navgability until this Spring, when Gen.
FORSYTH, under Gen. Sheridan's direction, made a
successful attempt to ascend
FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS MONTH FOR 4
STEAMBOAT.
Sailing up the river as / now am, on the very
boat that first made the trip, to all appearances
are navigating a river as largo as the Ohio, and
greatly resembling that stream in its flow and
aspeet between Pittsburgh and Wheeling ut is diff
cult to realize that this is only the second trip of
steamboat on this river. Finding that the engineers
81 70 Il fln rive how nry1
camp. in which it would be necessary to take the
Kew West, gladly availed myself of the oppor-
tunty to see IS miles of the river above point 100
miles from its mouth The Key West which has
made this river trip so successfully, is of the
largest boats Of the Missouri measuring 200 feet in
length and SO feet in breadth. Like all Western
river steamers she is of light draft, drawing
only two feet, and has a stern wheel. Capt.
Marsh her commander, is an experienced navigator,
and has turned this venture into considerable
proft. Five hundred dollars day in Government
employ for every day he remains in the Yellowstone,
whether active OF idle, is no mean compensation.
Thirty DAYS on this river the service of this expe
dition makes a total of S5,OO0-a profit which, con-
sidering the risk, is rather large, nearly large
enough to pay for his boat. Compensation at half
Of this enormous rate would not have been illiberal
ON one side or Improbable on the other. Who had
the honor of making this bargain do not know,
nor what exigency Of the service or risk of the
steamer required it, The boat had sufficient guard
~ nrotect il against Indians. The practcablity of
Navigation was assured by the previous trip The
novelty of being the first boat to carry freight up
fine yer seems hardly to require this immense IN
surance. since the actual insurance on the boat was
not cancelled or impaired by the bargain.
SCENES ALONG THE RIVER.
From measurements made by Gen. Rosser, 1t is
found that the average width of the Yellowstone is
I ooo feetits rate about six miles an hour. 1t Is
7oo feet above the Missouri at Bismarck lthas fall
NJ about two feet to the mile which gives II It's
rand current. Imagine steamboat SAILING on a
river nine times as high Trinity steeple' and you
have our hight above New-York bay-about z3oO
feet The average depth at this point is about three
aud half feet.
Our boat proceeded up the river without much
difficulty, though it is a hard tug against the cur
rent. Four miles an hour against the stream Is the
maximum speed With the current we can make 10
to IS miles.
When ascending the river with heavy cargo tne
current is strong that in some places 1t wodid DC
necessary to warp" as is frequently done Oh 'he
Upper Missouri. "Warpng" consists in taking
line from pair of steam windlasses in the bow OF
the boat and mai ing il fast shore. The wind
lasses are then wound up, and the power acquired
i'm This way in addition to full steam on the paddles
usually carries the boat up against an obstinate set
in the current With our light lead, we met 10