The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-03-31
A SOMNAMBULIST PILOT
Co,xinr . Steamboat Through u
Crook ed Pass fu the Dark-One Oh
the Mysteries Of Mississippi RIVER
Naytvafi0u

Navigation.
There used to be an excellent pilot Oh
the river Mr.. ", who was soihnaii'
bulist. 1t was said that if bis mind was
troubled about bad piece of river he wa:
pretty sure to get up und walk IN DIS sleeF
and dostrange things. DE was nceleiio"
pilot for trip or two with George E.,
On 81 preat New Orleans passenger packet
Late one night the boat was approaching
Helena Arkansas, the water was low,
and the crossing above the town in q very
blind and tangled condition. X. had
seen the crossing since E had, and as
the night was particularly drizzly, sui
len and dark E was considering
whether he had better have Y. called to
assist in running the place, when the
door opened and Y walked in.
"Iet me take her, Mr.. E; I've seen
this place since you have, and it Is so
crooked that / reckon can run it myself
easier than ! could tell you how to do it"
1T is kind Of you, and | swear | am
willing, | haven't got another drop of
Precipitation left in me. have been
spinning around and around the wheel
like squirrel. 1t is 50 dark cant tell
which way she is swinging till she is
coming around like whirligig.'
So E took seat on the bench,
painting and breathlesS. y. assumed the
wheel without saying anything, steadied
the waltZing steamer with a turn or two
and then stood ut ease cOaxing her lit
tie to this side and then to that, rs gently
and us swertly as if the time had been
MONDAY. When E observed this
marvel OF steering, he wished
lac had not confessed. He stared and
wondered and finally said:
"Well, thought knew how to steer
a steamboat but that was another mis-
take of mine
" said nothing, but went sercncly OF
with his work. He rang for leads; he
rang to slow down the steam; he worked
the boat carefully and neatly into invis-
iblc marks. then stood at the centre of
the wheel and peered out blaLdly into
the hlackncsS, fore and aft, to verify his
position is the leads Shoalcd more and
more he stopped the engines entirely
anu the utbI NlltllNt anu SuS pClSN VI
drifting followed: when the shoalcst
water was struck he cracked
on the steam, carried her
handsomely over, and then began to
weak her warily into the next system Of
shoal marks; the same patient heedful
Use Of leads and engines followed; the
boat slipped through without touching
bottom, and entered upon the third and
last intricacy OF the crossing; impcrcep-
tiblv She moved through the gloom,
crept by inches into her marks, drttcd
tediousl " till the >hoale>t water was cried
and then, under tremendous head of
steam, went swinging over the reef and
away into the deep water and safety
E let Ii, long pcnt breath pour
out in long. relieving sigh, and said:
That's the sweetest piece of plotting
that was ever done on the Mississippi ri
yer. | wouldn't have believed it could
been done. if hadn't See IT.
There was no reply, and he added:
Just hold her five minute, longer,
partner, and let me run down and get Il
cup of Coffee.
\ minute later and F. was biting
into u pie down in the "t"Xas, and com
torting himself with coffee. Just then.
the night Waterman happened in, and
was about to happen ont again, when he
noticed E and exclaimed:
"Who is ut the wheel, sir