St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-03-05

got to learn this troublesome river both
ways.
The pilot house was full of pilots go
ing to ''look at the river" What is
called the upper river" 1.-TWO hundred
miles between st. Louis and Cairo,
where the Ohio comes in,) was low ;
and the Mississippi changes its channel
80 constantly that the pilots used to
find it necessary to run down to Cairo
to tai>e Il fresh look when their boats
were to lie i'll port Il week, that is, when
the water WAS at low stage. A deal
of this Cooking at the river was done
10y poor fellows who seldom had berth
i'll their being always freshly posted and
therefore ready to drop into the shoes
of some reputable pilot, for single
trip. on account of such pilots sudden
Illness. or some other necessity.
We went looming along, taking Il
good many chances, for we were anx-
iuus to get out of the river" las gei
ting out to the Cairo was called) before
night should overtake us. But Mr..
BIS partner. the other pilot. pres
emily grounded the boat, and we lost 50
much time getting her off that it WAS
plain the darkness would overtake us a
good long way above the mouth. This
WAS il misfortune, especially to certain
of our visiting pilots. whose boats
would have to wait tor their return. no
matter how long that might be. 1t so
bcred the pilot house talk II good deal.
Coming up stream. pilots did not mind
low water or amy kind of darkness,
nothing stopped them but fog. But
down stream work WAS different Il
boat was to" nearly helpless. with Il
stiff current pushing behind her :; So it
WAS not customary to run down stream
1t night in low water.
There seemed To bc one small hope
however: if we could get through the
intricate and dangerous Hat Island
crossing before night. we could venture
the lest. for we would have palmer
sailing and better water. But it would
hc insanity to attempt Hat Island by
night. 80 there was Il deal of looking
1T watches all the rest Of the day, and
u constant riphcring upon the speed we
were making; Hat Island was the eter-
nal subject sometimes hope was high
and >;ImctimcS We were DELAYED in II
bad crossing. and down it went again.
For hours all hands lay under the bur
den of this suppressed excitement it
Was even communicated To me. and
got tu feeling ;" solicit"u> about Hat
island. and under such an awful pres
sure of responsibility. that | wished
might have five minutes on shore to
draw u full. relieving breath and start
over again. We were standing on reg
ulai Watches. Each of our pilots ran
such portions OF the river a> he had
run when coming up stream. because of
his greater familiarity with ii; but
both remained i'll the pilot house con-
Stantly.
An hour before SUNSET. MI. b
took the wheel and Mr. W" stepped
aside foi iilt next 'iilr'H minutes cN :
cry man hcld ms Na''h III MS haud ana
was restless SILENT anu uneasy. Al
'aSl every ""dN H"l" Win n"oiiilu III
sigh:
W ell. Nohurr> lhl lSIahu ana we
can make II.
All the watches closed WITH snap.
every body sighed ana muti"rcd some
'hlt,% ah"u' l'> nrlhS 10" "'t"' 10" "ad
an II We could only nave got here Il
h"h an i'''"l N'"'h'' "'',i 'Ht l'','''
was thlck "It' me atmosphere "t dis
"pP"in!m'ht. SOM started To Z" Out
h"l I"ltri"d. hearing II" hcil tap "n
lthu. ne sun uIpl'tu hIllhu the loll
ecu ',c '''''' "'''' on. i"4".Il'S '""NH
P">>''' i'"''l one E"'I' !" ,'''''lel "'','
""' H"' n"' NJ I'''" "!' ',''' ,''''' MO"
anu ''''' t''i'''" IT,; vance, .iier P'rN
~. ''i'' ''i'
,i''' '"' u u T''' " ''7,i'"' u i''I.
"H ,'1 " ,,i "a ''r t'',,,'.;,,, ,"", ~
w. ,,''I 'I,''..;i,I,
i. ,',t tt,,,i w.,
nv" 'i''i''' W.
! 's .''' sun "'' N'''',r' ,ri '''''' one "'
Nv" '''' s'''> '''",' "'', ''' "''n 81
t"'' '''' N'',>' III N"'.'nT 'S,a''e "l'-
I''NSN'' 'hi' P"l''" '"' '"i"'
,'n" Nv" necP' "',i'"N ""'tS i'"''l ~, 'he
"iS "''' ii"I''" "il ON tue "lS'''' ne"
pause an" one i''"i' ".'r was S'IH'N'
h' "a''lihi"h voice i"'l""t"' from
the hurricane aeck
"harh"Hld lead there ! Ntarh"ard
ne cries "i lhr leadSmen heSan TO
rise "nt "f thr distance ana were grui-
NY repeated 10y thr word passers on the
hurricane drck.
'M-a-l-k three M-a-r-k three
'lnarler-les three! Hall twain! Quar-
ter tWain ! M-a-t-k tWaip : Quarter
less
Mr.. B pulled two bell ropes.
and was answered 10y faint iinglings far
below in the engine room. and our speed
>lackcued. The steam began to whis-
tie through the gua"c-cocks. The cries
ot the lradsmen went on-and it is n
,,.i,d snuud ALWAYS in the niobt Fv-
rry pilot in the lot was watching now
win fixed eyes. and talking under his
breath. Nobody was calm and easy but