The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-01-21

hlVER NkWe.-lne MARKS AZ INC
river last evening indicated eight feet
and six inches and rising. The river is
almost clear of ice and the business at
the landing is picking up. The pros.
pect for q better trade in the future ia
very good.
The Forest City has resumed her
trips between here and Steubenville.
There was no Parkersburg boat yes
terday, but the Express will be on hand
this morning aud depart at lO4 o'clock.
The Andes arrived from Cincinnati
Mondsy night. with a good trip, and
lett for that port yesterday afternoon at
three o'clock. ... ..
The Exchange passed up on her way
| to Pittsburgh.
The following will be OF interest to
not only steamboat men but all our
readers generally:
The Signal Systsm.-1n the early
days OF indicating on our Western
rivers, when steamboats, we're yet scarce.
, convention after convention was hel d
to try and devise some plan that would
obviate the danger OF collision that was
daily becoming more frequent. Many
were the suggestions brought forth
and urged, bnt all OF them were found
to be impracticable from one cause or
another. Meanwhile steamboats, were
increasing, and with them the danger
and frequency OF collision was increas-
| ing equally SIS fast, and travelling by
steamboat was regarded, from thi.
cause alone, as extremely hazardous,
and the adoption Of any efficient plan
was looked on as impossible aud ceased
| to occupy the minds OF boaimen.
In the year 1914, the steamer Julia
Chouteau ran into the steamer Luda
about four miles below the town Of
Plaouemine, damaging herself serious
Ily, and causing the Luda to sink by
the time che reached the shore. The
steamer Osceola came up the next
morning, and after rendering all the as
sistance in her power che proceeded on
her way. Among her crew was Chas.
NJ. Scott, who occupied the position OF
Waterman and second mate. He had
long been studying the problem, and
solved it to his own satisfaction, and
thinking that the proper time had
come, he uutolded his plan to the pilot,
Captain William Ray, who quickly
grasped the idea, and, seelog it's inn
portance, urged him 10 put it on paper
and have it printed. This he did, and
when the boat arrived at New Orleans
be paid TO have it published, thinking
it would be adopted at once, but in this
be was disappointed. 1t WAS too sim
pie and only met with ridicule, and the
author was laughed at. Whilst
the rilicule was at its highest,
the awful collision between the Sui
tana and the Maria, 10 Nstchs4 Island
chute, took place, by which some
twenty souls were hurled into eternity,
and it was obvious 10 all that some-
thing must be done TO prevent such oc'
currepce in the future. Ia the mean.
time the author took every means in
his power 10 bring bis system before
The public, and some of the best in
formed and intelligent Of the pilots had
become converts 10 bis system, among
others Captain Isaiah Sellers, and at
another Convention, held soon after
that deplorable event just mentioned,
he strongly advocated lis adoption, and
With three others secured It, and the
Convention published it to the world
as their rule for the Western rivers.
At that time there was no steam-whis-
tie. The bell was the medium OF COM
muuicatiop, and the substitution OF the
whistle did nothing for the original sys-
tenn but increasing it's efficiency. The
author was originally keel-boatman,
| and for ten years OF his young life fol-
lowed it on the different rivers OF the
South and West and may very proper
| " be called the last Of the keel-boatmen
OF the South and West.