Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-01-20

| shout.
Stand by, down there, with tina
larl GARD lead!'
No, [ don't want the Lead said thu
pilot, L want yOu R0ust out the ole
man-teli him the Amaranth's com
ing And go and call Jim-tell him.
Aye, aye, sir!'
The odd man was the captain-hC
is always called SO Oh steamboats, anC
ships; Jim was the other pilot -
Within two minutes both of these
men were flying up the pilot house
stairway, three steps at ii jump. jim
was in his shirt sleeves. with his coat
and vest on his arm. He said.
L WIS just turning in Where's the
glass p
He took it and looked:
Don't appear 10 be any night hawk
OH the arkslafl-it's the Amaranth
| dead suren
We captain took long look, and
only said:
Dam atiOnn
George Davis, the pilot on watch,
| shouted TO the night Waterman on
| deck.
'HOw's she headed?'
w iuClISo Nv iIIS uedti, Sll.
'Taint enough!'
The captain shouted now:
Call the mate. Tell him to call all
bands and get lot OF that sugar fow-
ard-l,ut her ten inches by the head.
Lively, now"
'Aye, aye, Sirn
A riot of shouting and trampling
Coated up fro IN below, presently, and
tie uneasy steering OF the boat showed
that she WAS getting down by the
head
The three men in the pilOt-hOuse
began IT, talk in short, sharp senteu-
ccs, low and earnestly. AS their eX-
citt mt rose, their voices went down.
AS fast As one of them put down the
sP! gas another took it up, but al
Way wi til Il studied air OF calmness.
Z .ch time lie verdict was:
Shes Il gainingu
The Captain spoke through the
tube:
What steam are you carrying.
"A hundred and fOrty-tw0, sirr But
she's getting hotter and hotter all the
time
The boa; WAS straining. and groan-
ing, and quivering like monster in
pam. Both pilots were at work now,
one Oh each side of the wheel, with
their coats and vests oil. their bOsOms
and collars wide opc.i. and the perspi-
ration flowing down their faces. They
were holding the boat so close TO the
shore that lltr willows swept the
guards almost fr IN stem to stern.
Stand by! " hisprred George.
All ready" said Jim. under his
breath.
Let her comet
The Loaf spraug away from the bank
like a deeI, and darted in IL long diagC-
nal towards the other shore. She
closed in again and thrashed her fierce
way along the willows as before. The
captain put down the glass.
Lord, how she walks upon US! l
do hate To be beat
'Jin, said George, looking straight
ahral; watching the slightest yawning
of the boat and promptly meeting it
with the wheel, how'll it do to try
Murderer's Chute?'
Well, it's-ii's taking CHARGES
How was the cottonwood stump on
The false point below Boardman's Is
land this morning"
Water Just touching the roots
Nv ell. it's pretty close work That
gives six feet scaut in the head of MUIR
Ierer's Chute. We can just barely rub
through if We hit it exactly right. But
it's worth trying. She don't dare
tackle it!'-meaning the Amaranth.
In another instant the Boreas pluDg-
ed into what seemed crooked creek,
and the Amaranth's approaching
lights were shut out in a moment. Not
a whisper was uttered now, but the
three men stared ahead, into the
shadows. and two of them spun the
wheel hack and forth with anxious
watchfulness while the steamer tore
along. The chute SCENE d to come TO
an end every fifty yards. but always
opened out in time. Now the cad of
it was at hand. George tapped the
big hell three times, two leadSmen
sprang to their posts, and i'll a moment
their weired cries rose on the night air,
and were caught up and repeated by
two men OH the upper deck:
Moo bottom p
Deep four"
Half threen
Quarter threPn
Mark under wa-a-ter threev
Half twain y
Quarter twain!-'
Davis pulled a couple of ropes-there
was a iingling of small bells far below,
the ats speed slackened. ami the
pent steam began 10 whistle and the
gauge cocks scream.
BY the mark twainH
'Quar-ter-her>er-less twainn
Eight and halfp
Eight feet L
Seven ana-hal
Another jingling of the bells and the
wheels ceased turning altogether. The
VIII sitting of the steam was something
{ ightful now-it almost drowned all
other noises
Stand by to meet herr
George had The wheel hard down
aud WAS standing 0n 4 spoke.
All ready :,
The l,uat he>i n e,i-seemec to hold
uer breath, as did the captain and