Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-02-12
MISSISSIPPI STEAMBOAT RACING.

"By Georgel yonder comes the Amaranth.'
spark appeaied close to the water several
miles down the river. The pilot took his
glass and looked at it steadily for moment,
and said, chiefly to himself:
at can't be the Blue Wing. She couldn't
pick us up this way. Its the Amaranth,
sure"
He bent over speaking-tube and sail, Who's
on watch down there"
~ am. Second engineer"
"Good! You want to stir your stumps now,
Harry, the Amaranth's just turned tho point,
and she 8 just a-humping herself, too.
The pilot took hold OF rope that stretched
out forward, jerked ii twice, aud two mellow
strokes oftbe big bell responded. A voice out
on the deck shouted:
"Stand by, down there, with that larboarl
lead"
"No, don't want the lead" said the pilot,
"a want you. Roust out the old mau-tell
hun tue Ainaranth's coming. And 20 call
Jim-tell him"
"Aye, aye, sir"
The ''old man" was lhr captain lie is al
ways called so on steamboats, and ships Jim
was the other pilot. Within two minutes Joll
OF these men were ily!Ig up the pilot house
stairway, three steps at jump. Jim WAS in
his shirt sleeves with his coat aud vest Oil hi.
arm. lie said
81 was just turning in. Where the glass
He took it and looked.
Don't appear 10 be any night hawk on the
iackstaff-it's the Amaranth, sure"
The captain took good long look aIii only
said
"Damnalionn
George Davis, the pilot on wat,h shouted L
the night-watchman on deck
"How's she loaded"
''lwo inches by the bead, sir
'Taint enough"
The captain shouted, now:
"Call the mate. Tell him to call all hand.
and get lot OF that sugar forward-pnt her IL
inches by the head. Lively, now"
AYE, aye, sir
A riot OF shouting aud trampling fioaied I
from below, presently, and tue uneasy sieeril
Of the boat soon showed that she was pettn
down by the head"
The three men in the pilot house began
talk in short, sharp sentences, low and earne
ty.
AS their excitement rose their voices We
down.
As fast as one OF them put down. the 8
glass another took it up-but always with
studied ali Of calinness. Each tune the We
dict was:
''She's a.gaining,3
The captain spoke through The tube
"What steam are you carrying"
"Huudred and forty-two, sir; but she's g
ting hotter and hotter all the time"
The boat was straining and groan,ug a
quivering like .ohster in pain. Roih pil
were At work now, one on each side OF
wheel,wlth their coats and vests oil, their bose
wide open. and the preparation flowing do
their faces. They We're holding the boat
close to the shore that The willows swept
guards almost ii ON stem TO stern.
"Stand by" whispered Geoige.
"AD ready" said Jim, under his breath
"Iet her come"
The boat splang away from the bank ljk
deer, and darted in a long diagonal toward
other shore. She closed in a.aln and tlrasl
her fierce way along the willows as before
captain pub down the glass;
"Lord! how she walks up on us. do
to be beat
"Jim," said George, booking straight alp
watching the slightest yawing of the boat
promptly meetngi' with the wheel, show I
do to Try Murderer 5 Chute?"
"Well, its-lt's taking chances How
the cottonwood al amp ON the false point be
Boardman's Island tins morning."
water just touching the roots
swell, irs pretty close work. That 6
six feet scaut IN the head OF Murderer's CT
We can just barely run through if we /
right. But it's worth trying. She won i
tackle IL, meaning the Amaranth,
In another Instant the Boreas plunged
what seemed crooked creek, aud tile
ranth's approaching liphts were shut out
moment. MOI Whisper was uttered no "
the three men started ahead into the shad
aud two Of them spun the wheel back and
with anxious watchfulness while the ste
tore along. The chute seemed to come
end every fifty yards, but always opened O
time. Now the head Of ii was at hand. G
tapped the big bell three times. T wo lead
sprang TO their posts, and in moment
weird cries rose on the night air, and
caught up and repeated by two men OF
upper-deck.
"No-o bottom"
"De-e-p four"
"Half three"
"Quarter three"
"Mak under wa-a-ter three
"Half twain"
"Quarter twain
Davis pulled a couple Of ropes-there
jingling Of small bells fan below. The
speed slackened, aud the pent steam Leg
whistle and the gltage cock scream,
"By the mark twain"
"Quar-ter-he her er less twain"
"Eight and half"
"Seven-an-a half"
Another jipgling Of little bells, and the
ceased turning altogether. The whist
tho steam was something irehtiul how
most drowned all other noises.
"StaDd by TO meet beI"
George had the wheel hJrd dlwn, an
standing on spoke.
"All ready"
The boat hesitaled-scemed 10 ho
breath, did the captain and the pilot,
then she began to fall away to the star
and every eye lighted,
"Notg len' meet her! meet her,
hel"
lhe wheel tew TO port so fast that tn,
Is blended into SPIDERS web. The sw
'he boat sdosded, and she steaded herse