The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-07-18
The First Voyage by Steam from
Pittsburg To New Orleans.


I IChapter in the History OF the steam
boats" and "Thc First steamboat Yoy-
lage on the Western Waters written by
Hon. j. III. IL. I.atrobe, Of Baltimore
which contain much apparently authen-
lltic information in regard TO the subjects
ltrcated. From the latter the following
extracts are taken, giving an account OF
the first voyage OF a steamer down the
)lOhio and Mississippi rivers, from Pitts
lburgh To New Orleans.
Mr.. Nicholas j. Roosevelt. the hero OF
the Lost Chapter, married my sister IN
!. 1909; and she made the voyage with him
in 1911. Its events were the stories /
listened TO in my childhood. The inn
prcssions then made have never been
cfiaced. They were decpened when my
father removed his family to Pittsburgh.
in 1913. having become interested with
Livingston and Fulton iI the steam nav
legation OF the Ohio. Here he superin-
tended the building OF the Buffalo the
fourth OF the steauboai- launched at
Pittsburgh. The second and third were
the Nesuyius amd Klna. already il
course OF construction when The Buffalo
was commenced and completed before IT,
/ VI y play mates were the boys who had
seen the New Orleans leave for the low
cr Mississippi, only two year, before
Our playground. on Saturday after
moons, was often the ship ward where
she had been built. at the foot OF Boyd
Hin. on the banks OF the Mouongahen.
steam navigation was the one eneross-
ing thought OF Pill-bnrg In those days.
| Even children were interested in the
7
supple, me with some of The matter oil
luv story. am i'm pos.p-.inn bn.idr.
lof nv fathers letter book, of tlrf date
His CORRESPONDENCE with Mr.. Fulton +.
lyo,uminons. ana ahouoaea III minnie
ldeiai. No name +, mentioned IN il
lnuch more fre1ucntlv fhau Roe.cteI
mo experience Is onener le.prrol NJ
Mrs. Roosevelt. too. i. still alive. in
green old ase sand. M yiev or lltr prc--
lenl paper. have refreshed III, ul.nu..,.
lof the STORM. l.teenitna ..r kn.n
ibv COMPARING il 10 her
Before coming io ih. vo,ase itself
may MOI be Iunfltte..t.tin0 II, .t.fa .ari0'
luial,cr, ycrnliuc a. flp sfliect bv wa,
'or premre.
iirortoilpinirof ft,ctiou OF .h.inboais
on The Weston 4 itrr. no mems of
transportation t4rreon consisted of keol-
boats. aud baruoS assembled q. wen as.
dc~crh led the stream. The hithoat was.
am unWirlly box. and Was broken np
Tor tie lumber II co8tliucd on it. arri-
vi.i ai The place OF fc-iinalion. Tha
}, elboai. were long ana ..cHdrr. Sharp
fore and ma. with "a narrow gangwa,
Just wi,hin tlic gNlwalc f1r tie boalmau
r- they ro'ed o. warped up tac scream.
So hen not aided ny the cddips that made
their oar, available.
When the kcciboai was covered with al
low house lcncihwiso bctwCcn the rang
ways. it was digni!iel with tAc name of'
l"5arge." The only claim of The ilatboai
or "broadhorn" to rank as vosssl was
due 10 the fact that it iloaicd upon water.
.alid was used as a vehicle Tor tan,porta-.
tion keelboWs. barecs and tatboa'-
had prodigiou- steering oars, and oars.
Of the same dimensions were hung on
fixed pivois on lhc sides of the la-t nam-
ed, by which the shapcless and cum-I
brons conlrivancc was In some sort
managed. Ignorant of anything better
the people Of the West Were satisfied
" ith these appliances Of trade. in 1910. K
Whether steam could DC employed on
t'le Western rivers was question that its
success between New York and Albany
was not regarded as having entirely
solved and after the idea had been sug-
gested of building boat nj Pittsburgh
80 ply between Natchez and New Or.
leans II was considered necessary TINT
Investigations should be made as TO the,
currents OF the rivers TO be navigated in,