New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-25

clang, all down the line, and then the pow
WOW eeemeu to double; in moment or two
| the final warning came simultaneous din
OF Chinese gongs, with the cry. "All dat
amt goin', please to git asho'"!'- be-
hold, the pOwwOw qusdrupled! People
| came swarming ashore, overturning excited
stragglers that were trying to ewArm
aboard. One more moment later long
! array of stage plahks was being hauled in,
! each with its customary latest passenger
cliDging to the end Of ii with teeth, nails
! and everything else, and tho customary
latest prOcrastinOr making Q wild spring
! shoreward over his head.
Now number of the boats Glide back
ward into the stream, leaving vide gaps
| in the eeryied rank OF steamers. Citizens
| crowd the decks OF boats that are not to
90, in order to see the sight. Steamer after
| steamer Strengthens herself up, gathers all
her strength, and presently comes swinging
! by, under q tremendous head Of steam
With flag flying, black smoke rolling and
her entire crew Of fremen and deckhands
| usually swarthy negrOes) massed together
| on the tOrecastle, the best "voice" in the
! lot towering from the midst (being mounted
! on the cspstan), waving his hat or flag
| and all roaring Q mighty chorus, while the
| parting cannOns boom and the multitudinout
spectators swing their hats and huzza
! Steamer after steamer falls into line, and
the stately procession goes vinging Its way
| up the river.
In the old times. whenever two fast
boats started out on a race, with a big
| crowd of people looking on, it was in.
| spring to hear the crews sing, especially
| if the time were nightfall and the fore.
castle lit up with the red glare OF the torch
| baskets. Racing was royal fun. The pub.
lie always had an idea that racing was
| dangerous; whereas the very opposite was
| the case-that is. after the laws were passed
which restricted each boat to just 80 many
pounds of steam to the square inch. No
| engineer was ever sleepy or careless when
on the alert, trying gauge-cocks and watch
ing things. The dangerous place was on
slow, popular boats, where the engineers
drO wsed around and allowed chips to get
into the 'doctor" and shut Oft the water
supply from the boilers.
In the flush times" Of steambOating.
a race between two VIGOROUSLY fleet
steamers was an event of vast impor,,
lance. The date was set for it several
weeks in advance, and from that time
forward, the whole Mississippi Valley
was in q state Of consuming excitement.
Politics and the weather were dropped,
and people talked only Of the coming race
As the time approached, the two steamers
stripped" and got ready. Every incum-
brance that added weight, or exposed q re-
sisting surface to wind or water, was re.
moved, if the boat could possibly do with
out it. The "spars," and sometimes even
their supporting derricks, were sent ashore,
and no means left to set the boat afoat in
case che got aground. When the Eclipse
and the A. l.. Shotwe]l ran their great race
twenty-five years ago, it was eaid that pains
were taken to scrape the gliding off the fan
ciful device which hung between the
Ecllpses chlmneys, and that for that ono
trip the captain left OFT his kid gloves and
had his head shaved. But always doubted
these things.
If the boat was known to make her best
speed when drawing five and halffeet for
ward and i've feet aft, che was carefully
loaded to that exact tigure-she wouldn't
enter dose Of homeopathic pills on her
manifest after that Hardly any passengers
were taken, because they not only add
weight but they never will trim boat" They
always run to the side when there is any
thing to see, whereas conscientious and ex-
perienced steamboatlnan would stick to the
centre of the boat and part his hair in the
middle with spirit level.
No way freights and no way passengers
were allowed, for the racers would stop
only at the largest towns, and then it would
be only ''tOuch and 60" Coal flats and
wood ats were contracted for beforehand,
and these were kept ready to hitch ON to
the flying steamers at moments warning.
Double crews were carried, so that all work
could be quickly done.
The chosen date being come, and all
things in readiness, the two great steamers
back into the stream and lie there jockeying
a moment, and apparently watching each
others slightest movement, like sentient
creatures; flags dropping. the pent steam
through safety valves, the black q
smoke rolling and tumbling from the chin. |
neys and darkeniDg all the air. People, |
people every where; the shores, the house |
tops. the steamboats,. the ships are packed |
with them, and you know that the borders |
IF the broad Mississippi are going to be |
ringed with humanity, thence northward |
[2OO miles, to welcome these racers.
Presently tall columns of steam burst |
rom the 'scape pipes OF both steamers, two
guns boom good by, two red-shirted heroes
mounted on capstans wave their small flags
lbove the massed crews on the fOrecastles,
wo plaintive solos liDger on the air q few
Waiting seconds, two mighty choruses burst
Orth-and here they come! Brass bands
ray HAL Columbia" huzzs after huzza
bunders from the shores, and the stately
Features 60 whistliDg by like the wind
ween New Orleans and st. Louis, except
or q second or two at large towns, or to
itch thirty cord wood boats alongside. You
hOuld be on board when they take q couple
those wood boats in tow and turn a
warm of men into each; by the time you
ave wiped your glasses and put them on,
on Will be wondering what has become Of
lat wood.
Two nicely matched steamers will stav in !
ght OF each other day after day. They |
light even stay side by side, but for the
lct that pilots are not all alike, and the
nartest pilots will win the race. If One of
10 boats has lightning" pilot, whose | .
partner" is tritle inferior, you can tell
hich one is on watch by noting whether
lat boat has gained ground or lost some
uring each four hour stretch. The shrewd-
It pilot can delay boat if he has not a 6
ne genius for steering. Steering is a very |
gh art. One must not keep q rudder |
tagging across. a boats stern if he wants | q
get up the river fast.
There Is marvellous difference in boats. {
course. For long time l was on a boat L
at was so slow We used to forget what =
ar 1t was We left port in. But OF course l
is was at rare intervals. FerrybOats used 6
lose valuable trips because their passen- f
RS grew old aud died, waiting for us to | t
It by. This was at still rarer intervals. ! 1
ID the documents for these occurrences. o
II through carelessness they have been 6
lslaid. This boat, the John j. Roe, was go t
Nv that when she finally sunk in Madrid v
md 1t was five years before the owners II
ard OF it. That was always cenfusing fact @
me, but it is according to the record. c.
y way: She as dismally SLOW; still, We | h
en had pretty exciting times racing with |! h
ands, and rafts, and such things. One b
p. however, We did rather we'll. We O,
mt to st. Louis in sixteen days. But even Q,
this rafting gait think We changed CT
tches three times IN Fort Adams reach. Il
lch is five miles long. A "rexch" is q | o,
ce OF straight river, and, of course, the tt
rent drives through such place in a al
.tty lively way. O,
Mat trim mo .ra.A Il n.l Ole u