The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-05-30
SWINGING AROUND THE CIRCLE.

River Scenes Between Vicksburg and st.
Louis---0ut of tie Region of Overflow.
Mutiny of the Grew of the James How
ard---Arrest of the Rioters at Cairo
Two Men Observation-Disclosures Re-
marks and Miscellaneous Memoranda.
/ Editorial correspondence
ST.. Louis, !
May 10th, 1874.
My last was written from short
distance above Vicksburg and mailed
at Memphis, this was indited from
various points along the coast and
dropped in the st. Louis post Office !;
! consequently it contains an account
| of the scenes between the first named
place and the affairs of interest which
happened on The Howard during that
portion of her trip.
1t was not until after we passed
Memphis, which point was reached
Wednesday evening, that we found
the banks of the river above the level
of the flood, and saw green fields and
cultivated land in lieu of watery
wilderness. The change was most
agreeable, and am sure we all fer
vently prayed that our own beloved
Louisiana should soon escape the
thraldom of the giant liver and bloom
again as before the flood. We could
see by the water-mark upon the trees
near the shore that the river had
fallen several feet, and "old proba-
bilities y and the Associated Press
dispatches informed us that the de-
cline was still going on.
Thursday morning was prolific of
exciting events. A deck passenger
from Memphis suffered an attack of
delirium tremens, and in his insanity
rushed at another man, also deck
passenger, and pushed him overheard,
then jumped into the water himself.
The wheels were stopped as soon as
possible and reversed, and prepare
tions made for sending the yawl after
the swimming men, but, being low
cred too suddenly, the yawl was
crushed by the rudder of the backing
steamer and rendered unfit for SER
vice. Fortunately we were near
shore and two men who witnessed the
mishap put out in skiff, rescued our
unfortunates and brought them again
aboard the boat. The sane man was
rejoiced to get safely back, but his
bedeviled companion had to be hoist
cd into the boat ly a hawser round
his waist, as he seemed to fear some
one ON the steamer desired to shoot
him. The poor wretch's hands were
tied with q rope, but when nobody
was observing him he tore the bond
assunder with his teeth and again
jumped overheard, this time finding
watery grave, which he appeared
to covet more than life. The captain
informed me that man had fallen
overheard two days before, but he
was quietly rescued and the passen-
gers knew nothing of the incident at
the time of its recurrence.
1t was also Thursday morning that
a mutiny ofthe deck hands took place.
The mate discovered colored man
aboard who lad paid no fare and re-
fused to do SO the boat was landed
and the hands on watch ordered to
put him off, but they declined to obey
the command or the second one to
handcuff the delinquent, and made |
an attack upon the mate, second |
clerk and some white employees of |
the boat and drove them up stairs to |
the cabin deck. The mate was cut |
on the arm with hatchet, while the
clerk and others narrowly escaped
being struck with Jumps of coal /
thrown by the mutineering hands.
The boat touched at Hickman, where
a telegram was sent to the y. S. Mar
shall at Cairo requesting him to meet
us with a posse and arrest the rioters.
As the Howard neared Cairo, about
8 o'clock Thursday evening, a tug
with a barge in tow came out lin the
stream and signalled us, and as she
dropped alongside we could see the
cleaning guns of some twenty five
men. In fifteen minutes all the men
who had participated in the insubor.
dination, twelve or fifteen in number.