The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-04-06
A sOMNAMBULIsT PILOT.
COaxing Steamboat Through a
Crooked Pass I'm the Dark..One
Of the Mysteries Of Mississippi
River Navigation, ~

River Navigation,
There used to be an excellent pilot on
the river, a Mr.. X. who was q SON.
nambulist. 1t was said that if his mind
was troubled about bad piece Of river
he was pretty sure to get up and walk
in his sleep and do strange things. He
was once fellow pilot for a trip or two
with George e., on a great New
Orleans passenger packet. Late one
night the boat was approaching Helena,
Arkansas, the water was. low, and the
crossing above the town in very blind
and tangled condition. X. had seen the
crossing since E. had, and as the
night was particularly drizzly, sullen
and dark E. was considering wheth-
er he had better have X. called to assist
in running the place, when the door
opened and X. walked in.
"Let me take her, Mr.. E.; I've
seen this place since you have, and it is
so crooked that I reckon l can run it
myself easier than I could tell you how
to do it." .
at is kind of you, and | swear am
willing. l haven't got another drop of
perspiration left in me. I have been
spinning around and around the wheel
like squirrel. 1t is so dark can't tell
which way she is swinging till she, is
coming around like whirligig."
So E. took a seat on the bench,
painting and breathless. X. assumed
the wheel without saying anything,
steadied the waltzing steamer with a
turn or two, and then stood at ease,
coaxing her little to this side and then
to that, as gently and as sweetly as il
the time had been MONDAY. When
E observed this marvel of steering,
he wished he had not confessed. He
stared and wondered and finally said:
"Well, / thought l knew how to steer
a steamboat, but that was another mis-.
take of mine"
x said nothing, but went serenely on
with his work. He rang for leads; he
rang to slow down the steam; he work.
ed the boat carefully and neatly into
invisible marks, then stood at the cen
tire of the wheel and peered out blandly
into the blackness, fore and ATTIC verify
his position as the leads shoaled more
and more, he stopped the engines en-
tirely, and the dead silence and sus
pense Of 'drifting" followed; when the
shoalest water was struck he cracked or
the steam, carried her handsomely over
and then began to work her warily into
the next system of shoal marks; the
same patient heedfnl use Of leads and
engines followed; the boat slipped
through without touching bottom, and
entered upoE the third and last intrica
cy of the crossing; imperceptibly sht
moved through the gloom, crept by
inches into her marks, drifted tediously
till the shoalest water was cried and
then, under a tremendous head of steam
went swinging over the reef and away
Unto the deep water and safety:
| E. let his long pent breath pour
out in a long. relieving sigh, and said
!, "Thats the sweetest piece of pilotinl
that was ever done on the Mississippi
river! I wouldn't have believed it coult
been done If I hadn't seen i"
!, There was no reply, and he added:
"Just hold her FIVE minutes longer
partner, and let me run down and get /,
|, cup of coffee" .A!l.ab A4@55
A minute later and E was bitin1
, into,a pie down in the "texas," ant
comforting himself with coffee Jus
then, the night watchman happened in
and was about TO happen out again
when be noticed B. and exclaimed
"Who is at the wheel, sir p
"X--'' n.
"Dart for the pilot house quicke
than lightning"
The next moment both men were fly
ing up the pilot house companion wa
three steps at a jump! Nobody there
The great steamer was whistling dow
: the middle of the river at her own swee
will! The watchman shot out of tn
place again; E. seized the wheel, Sc
an engine back with power, and he'll
' his breath while the boat reluctant
swung away from at'tow head whic
she was about to knock into the middl
5 Of the Gulf of Mexico!
By and by the watchman came bac
= and said: $50
D "Didn't that lunatic tell you he wa
asleep when he first came up here p
"No." ,...s
3 "Well, he was. / found him walkin
along on top Of the railings, just as ur
: concerned as another man would walk
pavement; and put him to bed. No
v Just this minute there he was again, ava
astern, going through that sort of tigh
rope deviltry the same as before"
: "Well, I think TIL stay, next time
F: has one Of these fits. But 1 hope he
: have them often. You just ought t
g have seen him take this boat throug
; Helena crossing. / never saw anythin
n so gaudy before. And if he can d
o such gold-leaf, kid-glove, damon
J breastpin plotting when he is soun
i asleep, what couldn't he do if he ws
~ L D.