The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-01-22

/ ohO q nan
Eight feetn
Seven and a half!'
Another jingling of little bells, and
the wheels ceased turning altogether.
The whistling of the steam was
something frightful now-it drowned
all other noises.
Stand by to meet her!'
George had the wheel hard down,
and was standing on a spoke.
The boat hesitated-seemed to
bold her breath, as did the captain
and pilots-and then she began to
fall away to starboard, and every
eye lighted.
Now then meet her !-meet her !!
Snatch her =
The wheel flew to port so fast that
the spokes blended into a spider web,
the swing of the boat su5sided-she
steadied herself
Seven feet!'
'Sey-six and half!'
six feet Six f.
Bang she hit the bottom, George
shouted through the tube:
"Spread her wide open. Whale it
at her!"
Pow-waw-chow! The escape
pipes belched snowy pillars of steam
aloft, the boat ground, and surged,
and trembled-and slid over into
"M ark twain 20
go a ter her"
"Tap tap /! tap !" Ito signify clay
in the leads.'O
And away she went, with the
whole silver sea of the Mississippi
stretching abroad on every side.
No Amaranth in sight!
"Ha-ha, boys, we took couple of
tricks that time !" said the captain.
And just at that moment a red
glare appeared in the head of the
chute and the Amaranth came spring
ing after them.
"Well, swear ~
Jim, what is the meaning of
that ?'
I'll tell you what the meaning of
it is. That hail we had at Napoleon
was Wash Hasting, wanting to come
to Cairo-and we didn't stop. He's
in that pilot house now, showing the
mud turtles how to hunt for easy wa
ter
That's it thought it wasn't any
slouch that was running that middle
bar in Hog.ey bend. If it's Wash
Hastings-well, what he don't know
about the river amt worth knowing
regular gold leaf, kid glove, dia-
mond breastpin pilot Hastings is.
We won't take any tricks off of him,
old man -
81 wish I had stopped for him,
that's ALL
The Amaranth was within 800
yards of the Boreas, and still gaining.
The 'old man spoke through the
tube.
'What is she carrying now ?
"A hundred and seventy-fve, sir
'How's your wood p
'Pine all out-cypress half gone
eating up cottonwood like pie =
Break into that rosin on the main
deck-pile it in, the boat can pay
for it =
Soon the boat was plunging, and
quivering, and screaming more mad
ly than ever. But the Amaranth' g
head was almost abreast the Boreas'
sterp.
'How's your steam now, Harry p
Hundred and eighty-two, sir
Break up the casks of bacon in
the forrard hold Pile it in T! Levy
on that turpentine in the fantail-
drench every stick of wood with it 7
The boat was a moving earth
quake by this time.
'How is she now?'
"A hundred and ninety-six and
still a swelling-water below the
middle gauge cocks-carrying every
pound she can stand-niggers roast.
ing on the safety valve =
Good How's your draft p
Bully! Every time nigger puts
stick of wood into the furnace, he
goes up the chimney with it =
The Amaranth drew steadily up
till her jackstaff breasted the Boreas'
wheel house-climbed along, inch
by inch, till her chimneys breasted
it-crept along, further and further,
till the boats were wheel to wheel
and then they closed up with heavy
jolt and locked together fast In the
middle of the big river, under the
flooding moonlight. A roar and a
hurrah went up from the crowded
decks of both steamers all hands
rushed to the guards to look, and
shout and gesticulate-the weight
careened the vessels over toward
each other-ofiicers flew nither and
thlther. cursing and storming, trying
to drive the people amidshlp-ooth
captains were leaning over their rail-
ings shaking their fists and swearing
and threatening nlack volumes OF
smoke r. lied up and canopied the
scene, delivering rain OF sparks up.
on the vessels-two pistol.sh rang
out, and both captains lodged un-
hurt, and the PACKED masses of pas
sengers surged back and fell apart,
while the shreaks of women and
children scared above the intolera
BILE din-and then there was boom
ing roar, a laundering crash, and the
riddled Amaranth dropped loose
from her hold and drifted helpless
ly away !!
Instantly the doors of the Boreas
were thrown open, ana the men be-
gan to throwing water IN the furnace 6
for it would nave been certain
death and destruction to stop the
engines with such a head of steam
on.
| AS soon as possible the Boreaa
dropped down to floating wreck,
and took off the dead, the wounded