Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-28
THE YELLOWSTONE.
Steamboat Trip on an Unexplored
River 1890 Feet Wide and 300
Miles Long.
From The New YORK Tribnne.l

From The New York Tribune.l
OK TIE YELLOWSTONE, July 2l.-lt
seems not a little singular, and perhaps
reflects somewhat on American enter
Drise. that one OF our largest and most
beautiful rivers, nearly three hundred
miles long, and navigable for two hum
dred miles from its mouth, should re-
main entirely unexplOred by large
steamers until the year 1873. It is
seventy years since Lewis aud CLARK
explored the Missouri TO the Rocky
mountains, and returned by way of the
Yellowstone, sailing in small boats
from its head-wateTs 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 up the river until this spring.
The fact that there are no settlements
on its banks except the camps # hostile
Indians, and its supposed unfitness for
navigation, which had come TO be ac-
cepted as a fact, no doubt deferred Mis-
souri, captains from risking their boats in
its waters. 1t is strange, however, that
the government itselfdid not undertake
to settle the fact of its navigabiliiy until
this spring, when General Forsyth, un-
der General Sheridan's direction, made
q successful attempt TO ascend.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH
FOR A STEAMBOAT.
Sailing I'D the river, as l now am, on
the very boat that first made the trip, to
all appearances we are navigating a
river as large as the Ohio, and greatly
resembling that stream in its flow and
aspect between PittsbUrg and Wheeling.
It is difficult to realize that this is only
the second trip of steamboat on this
river. Finding that the engineers had
two days' work to do on the river above
our camp, in which it would be neces-
sary to take the Key West, gladly
availed myself of the opportunity TO see
TWENTY-FIVE miles of the river above
point one hundred and thirty miles from
It's mouth. The Key West, which has
made this river-tTip so successfully, is
one of the largest boats of the Missouri,
measuring two hundred feet in length
and tbirty-three feet in breadth. Like
all western river steamers, she is of
light draft, drawing only two feet, and
has a stern-wheel. Captain Marsh, her
commander, is an experienced naviga-
TOR, and has turned this new venture in
to considerable profit. Five hundred
dollars a day in government employ for
every day he remains in the Yellow
stone, whether active or idle, is no mean
compensation. Thirty days on this river
in the service of this expedition makes
profit of fifteen thousand dOllars-a
profit which, considering the risk, is
rather large, nearly large enough to pay
for his boat. Compensation at half of
this enormous rate would not have been
illibeTal on one side or Improbable on
the other. Vino had the honor of max
ing this bargain / do not know, nor
what exigency of the service or risk OF
the steamer required it. The boat had
sufficient guard TO protect il against In
dians. The practicability of navigation
was assured by the previous trip. The
novelty of being the first boat to carry
freight up the river seems hardly to re-
uuire this immense Insurance, since the
actual insurance on the boat was not
Cancelled or impaired by the bargain.
SCENES ALONG THIS RIVER.
From measurements made by Gener-
al Rosser, it is found that the average
width of the Yellowstone is one thou
sand two hundred feet-its rate about six
miles an hour. 1t Is seven hundred feet
above the Missouri at Bismarck. 1t has
2 fall Of about two feet TO the mile,
which gives it its rapid current. lmag-
inc a steamboat sailing on river nine
times as high as Trinity steeple, and
YOU have our hight above New York
bay-about two thousand three hundred
feet. The average depth at this point
i a bOiIf three and a half feet.
Our boat proceeded up the river with
out much difficulty, though 1t Is a hard
tug against the current. -Four miles an
hour against the stream is the maximum
speed. With the current we can make
sixteen to eighteen miles.
When ascending the river with
heavy cargo, the current IS so strong
that in some places it would be neces-
sarv 10 warp, 4" as is frequently done
on the Upper Missouri. "Warping'
consists in taking a line from pair OF
steam windlasses in the bow OF the boat,
and making it fast on shore. The wind
Iassas are then wound up, and the
mower acquired in this way, in addition
10 full steam on the paddles, usually
carries the boat up against an OBSTINATE
set in the current. With our Light load,
we met no place that could not be STEM
med with the ordinary power OF our
engines, though in rounding the uumer-
ous islands little backing and veering
was sometimes necessary.
The scenery on the Yellowstone, or at
least on the twenty-five miles COM
prised in our trip, does not differ mate
rally from that on the upper Missouri,
or along the Little Missouri. From the
dull yellow bluffs which line its banks
il GETS its name, and these are often
enough repeated to Justify the appella-
ton. The average hight of the river
bank ranges from six to twelve feet.
The yellow bluffs never come boldly
and sGuareIy to the front like the Hud-
son palisades, but, being composed OF
soft claws and sands, have been scanned
and sloped to the water, preventing the
rsual pheuomena of the MdIU0tSeS
Terres. The monOtony which would be
occasioned by a succession of these soiti
Welding, treacherous clays, which, un-
ike the hard trap of the Hudson, sug-
gest rather mobility than stability, Is
varied by frequent low green shelves
aud table-lands, the bluffs kindly reced-
ing mile or more from the river, OF
entirely disappearing for the time. The
change to a green, grassy nat after
succession of these barren, treeless olufis,
Is very pleasing. The stratiication OF
these bluffs is horizontal and very regu-
lar. Dark layers Of ignite are sometimes
interposcd. For two miles of our trip
there was Sne exposure of coal about
three feet in thickness. The timber Is
confined mainly TO the islaISs1: On tnese
there is usually fine growth of cc!eoh-
wood. Large numbers of wild geese
frequent the river, and on requisiton
from two or three of our best shots sew
eral were transferred to the steamboat
table, which, considering our distance
from civilization, preserves a remarka-
bic concord with our appetites.
FORT SkITH RAILROAD.