The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-07
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Memphis .......... IL
*New Orleans.
-Pftteburg
shreveport. .....s
st. Louis "a
Vioksburg ......... do -
*I,eow high water mark OF 1874.
NELSON GOROM. Berg't. Sig. Ser. q. 8. A.
ABMyALs.--Martha, Assumption, 81. John, II.
L. Lee, Gov. Allen. Kate Dickson. Bonnie Lee.
DEPARTURES. Isabel, Eva, Eureka, st. John,
Gov. Allen.
To ARRrvE-Ella Hughes, Robert Young, As
sumption, Laiourche; Eureka, upper coast; Isa-
bel, Eva, lower coast U. T. Hchenck Gin
,cinnati; Lessie Taylor, Opslousas; John Howard,
ouathita; ST. John, Baton Rouge; Gov. Allen,
Bayou Sara Sunhower Belle, vicksburg; Katie,
Arkopolis: Commonwealth, st. Louis.
The weather yesterday was cloudy and threat
ening.
Business dull.
The Lee broughta lot OF sugar house mach ine-
ny from Baton Rouge for Theodore Wilkinson's
Myrtle Grove plantation on the lower coast
Capt. feathers arrived home yesterday.
Geo. Hamilton is In the CITY,
The Bart Able has been taken from the land-
ing.
day, and she was brought to the wharf.
The Robt. L. Lee, leaving to-day for Viokburg,
has sure connection with the Anchor Line for
Memphis, Cairo aud St. Louis. Through bills
lading and passenger tickets are given.
The Eureka, in place Of the Blue Wing No. 3,
will arrive this evening, and return tomorrow,
for the upper coast.
Tue Katie will arrive tonight, and will go into
retirement. The dandy Frank Pargoud takes
her place, and will leave Thursday for Greenville
and Arkopols.
Capt. Geo. Wolf has changed the departure Of
his fine steamer Cherokee to 5 p. m. tomorrow,
when abe will certainly leave for Cincinnati. Mr.
A a
office.
The steamer Bonnie Lee, from Shreveport,
arrived on Monday afternoon with good trip.
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT BUILT IN THE wEsT-A PER-
ILoUs voyAGE-INTEHEsTING ACCOUNT OF IT.
The attention Of Robert Fulton and his friend,
Chancellor Livingston, after their success upon
the Hudson river, was turned towards the great
rivers Of the West-the Ohio and Mississippi
and in the month OF April, 1911, they made an
arrangement with Roswell, OF New York, to visit
these rivers and make an exploration Of them for
the purpose of ascertaining il they admitted of
steamboat navigation. Roswell surveyed these
rivers from Pittsburg to New Orleans, and his
report being favorable IL was decided to build.
This Was done under the direction Of Roswell,
and in the course OF the year (i81l) the first
steamboat was launched on the Ohio The boat
was named the Orleans, and IL was concluded to
run her between NatcbeZ and New Orleans.
In the month of October she left Pittsburg.
No freight or passengers were received. Mr..
Rosavelt, his wife and family, Mr.. Baker, en-
gineer, Andrew Jack, pilot and ten men, with q
few domestic animals and fowls. furnished her
whole burden.
There were no wood yards in those days, and
much time was lost In gathering wood.
Upon his first voyage, Mr.. Roswell had dis
covered two beds of coal 100 miles below the falls
OF the Ohio. He took with him on the Orleans
implements to work the coal mines, intending to
take on enough to last the whole way down. The
run from Pittsburg to the Falls was made in 90
hours.
The novel appearance of the vessel, and the
noise OF the escaping steam created feeling of
surprise and terror among the settlers along the
river. many OF whom had never heard OF such an
invention. Some OF them in their fright left their
houees and took to the woods
The depth Of water ON the fslls not permitting
the Orleans to descend, she made two trips be-
tween Louisville and Cincinnati In November
the river roee and the voyage was resumed.
When they arrived within Eve miles OF the yell
low Banks they moored opposite the first vein Of
coal, on the Indiana side. Several days we're
epent in quarrying and getting aboard enough to
last them through. Continuing their monoto-
nous voyage through the vast solitude scarcely
ever seeing q human being, they reached in a
few days the mouth OF the Quo and entered the
Mississippi. The weather was progressively hot,
the air misty and still. Though the sun was visi-
bio like an immense and glowing ball OF copper,
his rays hardly shed more than mournful tw-
light ON the surface of the water.
The next day was an awful one; a painful
silence prevailed; the crew spoke but little. The
signs of some terrible natural CONFUSION in
creased, and added to their alarm and confusion.
The pilot affirmed that he was lost, as he found
the channel everywhere changed. They con-
Guided to land, but everywhere they saw the high
banks disappear, overwhelming everything in
their way. large island in the middle Of the river
was sought; it too had disappeared; they made fast
during the night to small island; around them
could be heard the roaring of the elements, the
falling and crashing Of trees and the earth slid.
ing in vast masses into the river; the shock oil
the earthquake could be felt aboard and all were
in CONSERVATION.
The next morning they reached New Madrid
here the inhabitants we're in great trouble
many had been drowned, many killed by falling
timbers or swallowed up in the great chasms
rent in the earth, and many had fled to the high
grounds for safety. The whole country around
was changed and destroyed; large lakes were
formed where before was dry land, and desoa-
ton was everywhere to be seen.
Capt. Roswell, sitter rendering every assist
ance possible, continued the journey through the
and nights arrived at Natchez at the close OF the
last week IN January, 1912, having consumed
nearly ninety days in making the voyage.
The people of Natchez were utterly astonished
at the escape Of the boat during this fearful
earthquake.
Such was the first trip ever made by any
steamboat on the Western waters
The Orleans, shortly Of. er her arrival at Nat.
chez, commenced making trips between that city
and New Orleans-l Niles Register.
The New Orleans and Red River Transporta-
tion Company Bonnie Lee, Noah Scovell master,
II. @. Boazman clerk, leaves tomorrow, without
fail, at s p. m. for shreveport and Jefferson.
The Kate Dickson arrived yesterday from
yicksburg with boat loaded with $4,000 slaves.
Peter Pepper, with his family, are coming on
the Golden City.
The Lotus No. 8 gets off to-day for Madison;
Capt. Dannals and Mr.. Joe Dodd, with his fam
lily, go up on her. Capt Billy Underwood will be
one Of her pilots. Good-by, Lotus. May your
successor prove as worthy, and make her owners
rich.
The United States mail and passenger steamer
Martha, W. 8. Bassett master, Messrs. Legier and
Barrois clerks. leaves to-day at 10 a. m. for Port
Esds and all plantation landings on the lower
coast Saturday the Martha makes an excursion
through the ietties out into the Gulf.
The United States mail packet Eva, John Taylor
master running in connection with the Martha,
will arrive this evening and leave tomorrow at III
s. M for Port Eads.
The snnarh and fleet Robt. %. Lee, VIM. Camn.