The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-05-14

wv SeRss ASss0 = - ~ NV " ~ AvoeCAG4,
= The original Of many anecdotes and I'd.
ventures, which, With hot slishtly disguised
nsD0 and incidents, Breie Hare and Hayes
have coined into their Wild Westefn taIes.
The captain 10 one Of the oldsse pilots On The
river.
1t h almost impossible 70 s.y when he was
not there; he lived in the days Of Aaiboais,
in steamer, and ssiled up and down
the river during the grand racisx times.
he has seea the Mississippi twist in body
like serpeat, break through it, banks, and
rush wildly over the country Every bead
in the river il familiar to him, every snas
freighted With so0bse reminisceoces, every
Island and plantation IN old and familiar
friend. Though over seventy yesrs Of age
he sill preserves that streogsh add vigor for
which be vas noted hall . century ago, sod
which constituted the gfeaiess virtues Of the
pilot in those days vhea steambosi VA q
dangerous affair.
Before his late exploit on the Natche z
Capt. Paris vas not unknown for his daring
and heroism. He seems somehow To be
identified with the State; his misfortunes and
catastrophes are cOiucicent with those OF
Louieiana. Capt. Pari. was known here
during the seige OF New Orleans. The
Federal feet wae then laundering away With
telling fury at the fo;t.. The latter had, st
first, been lively enough, but laiterly had
grown quite tacituFn and quiet. Unpleasant
dispatches had aWskensd our commsDdants
to the fact that something ought to be done.
Sundry military and naval prescriptions
were rendered By patriotic old gentlemen,
but were declined With thanks. After long
cogitation, it was thought advisable to try =
little experiment With our navy.
An order was issued, much ~ the cele.
brated order to the English Light Brigade.
to charge upon the enemy. II il very doubt
ful, whether the originator Of this scheme ever
INDUCED in the Munchausen hope that
there boats could accomplish anything. The
people Of the city demanded that sonnet hing
should be done. why not this Thus it VA
that the most incongIuous, half finished, and
ludicrous feet, sailed down the forts, sighted
the enemy. add prepared for battle. There
was NO regular order OF battle; no prepara-
tions had been made for ihir; each vessel vas
ordered to pitch in the fight ION her own
hook" Among this Aees Wa little vessel,
a gunboat, patched and doctored 30 % to
pass Tor . man.of-var, called the Lowell.
Captain Paris, even then man Of consider
able age, vas commander OF this quasi frig-
ate.
Tie Lowell was su,oua the FRET Of the
Comic derrte vessels in the attack. Cruising
AROUND amid the enemy's feet, she encoun.
tered the Mississippi, one Of the largest and
perhaps The fines, vessel in the Federal navy.
Without n moments hesitation Captain
Pari. cio-ed with this vessel, either with the
intention 0fdetroying her altogether, or
to prev. nj her Iining her monstrous strength
in the at ,ck On the other vessels. 1t was .
strange 6sht. The little Lowell got near
enough 10 deliver an effective volley into her
were building the brightest air csstles, when
the Mississippi energetically and loudly re-
sponded. The eight Vas earnest, but did not
last long. The Mississippi bis.ed away once
or twice. and TIE Lowell retired permanently
from, the action. She was never heard Of
more-never seen save BY the clarified catfish
Of our muddy river.
A. for the captain End crew, they were ~
scattered q the Lovelrs timbers. Capt. Pa
ris found himself far away on land; but
whether he was blown. exploded, or earned
there through the air, waa lost in the smoke
of battle. Like Richard Ill. he called for
another hoai, bot The supply had given out,
and he was compelled 10 irudse home, after
the shortest but 6erce-t fight Of the var. The
Confedracy never had another vessel to
spare, and u our bOailess captain had TO re-
tire to the more peaceful business Of saving
lives instead of taking them.
But it is OF Capt. Paris last effort that ve
desire to speak; an adventure similar to one
upon which has bten written one Of the mdst
affecting poems of the century, that Of Jim
Bludsoe. Mr.. Bludsoe il not only the alter
ego Of CAPT. Paris in action and nature, but
Of the same profession-thai Of pilot.
Week before last the Nathez Vas caught
in tornado ihst came near causing grand
il Was this catastrophe that
called into life some Of the latent spirit Of
the old cap,sin. II WA ixie in the evening
that the hatcher came in si hit Of the Island
that bears her own name. The bsnks Of the
river we're overdowed. bat otherwise every
thing was peaceful AID quiet. suddenly, and
withou, the least warning, . terrible storm
sroee, which soon developed into
a genuine tornado. and swept every
thing before it. The blast came from the
Louisiana aide, ~ If conceived in tie
storms and furiee that ragged over that mis-
cradle cnuptFy. So sudden was the blast
that it banished all judgement and Psrsly.ed
The mind. Ih whole force struck the Nat
chez in mid+ treaun. nearly turning her over.
Her tall iron chimneys. the heaviest on the
river, fell in obeissance before the storm, in
their fall dashing through the texas and
upper deck, narrowly missing the pilot
nouse. where old "a! t. Paris va, on duty,
Boards acd splintsrs few around like hail;
The whole bost shivered and trembl.d under
the shock. Fortunately the pilot-hou-e wss
spared. for upon that and the men there de-
pended the life Of every one on board
High up in this !rail room, whose very
-uppcrts had been torn away BY the falling
and which the air caused to shake
and ro;,er, stood the cd Captain firmly At
his wheel, surrounded by his assistants.
Some catastrophe had occurred, wha, it was
none Of them knew. Il was thou ht the bust
had exploded. The thunder Of the falling
chimneys sounded like an explosion, and in
dicated that the boa, was on FIRE, for smoke
gusha forth FROM every wound In the deck
The scene in the pilot hou-e was ter.
rife enough to justify any OF
there suppo-iiions. Tue mePhiiic
breath, the black smoke gushei forth from
The open mouths where had .tood the chin
neys, rushing hot into the iac.s Of the pilot,
20 as to blind aud stif. them; the cinderS,
kindIed iniO q lms by the wind. danced
around the pilot-house like flaming neteors,
and tine wind w,s SO furious that the pilots
had to cling TO the wheel for their very sup-
port. The aky was perfectly black, save
-k~n 1sH h.. ks,p-e nf ltnhfpSnu mr. o.,
Election from the boiling, foamiDg waters be-
meath. II was an awful half-hour in the
pilot hou.e-aviul from the very uncertain.
~ Of the danger that threatened them, from
The thought that 80 many lives Were depend
eai upon them. How easy il is TO neglect
one's duty We have seen in the late caiastro
phe Of the French Atlantic line, where the
sblest csf ,ins Of the French navy deserted
heir vessels and passengers Al the firrt
eak.
The old captain did not leave his post; he
lid not even stop to inquire what was the
mater below: ore moments he-itatiOn and
ii war ics'. FJr bali an hour he held TO
he wheel, directing the course OF the bost ~
he Aas,e. told him. Then, ard then only,
then the NA'chez vas safely landed, shel-
erred from the storm, dill he know Of the
njnrisr the boat hsd received.
~ fash~s 81 T~Ssy-00e th1sarro.
John Hsprer. Of Reading. Penn, elaine
0 Re he T. Their Of 10, ~ -one h;!dren by three
Iives. An exchange says: ale was born
n ISIS. ard t~en,y I've y-a1s ait.rward-
S4O-he married h.s irst y lie in Ges many. |