Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-06-09

er Monarch made her last trip from
this port to Louisville in six days
and one hour, that being eight hours
quicker than ever before made. If
time for detention be deducted, the
trip was made in five and half
days.
Onthe I'D fJune, 1888, the Diana,
for some time famous as the fastest
skinner of the Western waters,
made her first appearance at New
Orleans.
On the 9TH of July, in the same
year the Picayune had the follow
ing:
The Fastest Boat. THE steamboat
Diana, Captain Frank Carter, has
eclipsed every other boat ON the
Western waters, having made her
late trip from this port to Louisville
in five days, twenty three-hours and
fifteen minutes-the quickest trip,
ever yet made. For this feat she
gets a premium of $500 in gold from
the Post-office Department, that sum
having been offered to the boat
which should make the run within
six days.
On the Both of October, in the
same year, the following appeared
in the Picayune:
The steamer Diana made her trip
from this port to Natchez in TWEEN
ty-eight hours. She left this city on
Tuesday, at IL A. NJ, arrived at that
place on Wednesday, at 3P. NJ.
Not long after this the famous
steamboat Edward Shipper, the
successful rival of the Diana as a
passenger boat in the New Orleans
and Louisville trade, made her ap-
pearance. Well do we recOllect the
excitement caused by the many
trials of speed between these two
the fastest boats then on the river :;
the heavy betting on the result the
crowds that assembled to witness
their departure; the cheer that
greeted them as, in all respects fully
prepared for the race, they backed
out, and Strengthened up, COM
menced their trip, cleaving the
water with their sharp brows so
beautifully that not a curl of a wave
could be seen.
In April, 1910, the Edward Ship
pen made the trip from New Or
leans to Louisville in days, IA
hours. In April, 1874, the Sultana
made the trip in 5days, II hours. In
May, 1929, the BOstOna made the
trip in 5 days, s hours. Even this
fast time, however, was not so fast
by about a day as has since been
made. In June, 1851, the Belle Key,
made the trip in 4 days, % hours.
In May, 1852, the Reindeer made
the trip in days, 20 hours, 40 min
utes, and subsequently in the same
month the Eclipse-made the trip in
days, Is hours. In May, 1858,
the a. l.. ShOtwell made the run in
4 days, 10 hours, 20 minutes, in the
same month and year the Eclipse,
under the command of Capt. K. T.
Sturgeon, made the quickest trip on
record up to that time, viz: days, 8
hours, 80 minutes. Taking into
consideration the low water, swift
current, and other obstacles she met
with, it was then claimed for the
Eclipse that she was the fastest
steamboat in the world, but no such
claim could now be sustained. We
do not recOllect that her time to
Louisville has been beaten, although
we think it has; but we have not
time to explore for the last eleven
years to ascertain the fact. Be that
as it may, it is certain that several
boats in the New Orleans and St.
Louis trade have made faster time
than the Eclipse.
On the 8th of June, 1888, the Pic
ayune had the following.
The steamer Prairie, Capt. Ere
leigh, arrived at this port yesterday
in four days and three hours, (in-
Guiding twelve hours detentiOn)
from st. Louis. This is the best
trip that has ever been made be-
tween st. Louis and New Orleans.
In May, 1853, A. l.. ShOtwell, in
her great race with the Eclipse,
made the run from New Orleans to
Cairo in three days, three hours and
forty minutes, whereas the Eclipse's
time was three days, four hours and
four minutes.
The fastest trip, however, ever
made for such long distance on the
Mississippi, was the one made by
the famous steamboat j. NJ. White,
in 1910, from New Orleans to st.
Louis 1 200 miles This was ac-
cOmplished in three days, twenty
three hours, and, although twenty
four years have elapsed, it has not
yet been equaled, though the num-
Der Of very fast running boats have
very largely increased since that
time.
Among the fast boats of the Golden
timeSD will be remembered the
General Pratt, Virginia, Trabue and
Allegheny, the latter having made
the second best Neutrality-suspicious.
run on record.
The fastest Neutrality-suspicious. run
ever made was accomplished by the
Atlantic, from New Orleans to
Hard-Times.
The Mollie Able and Magenta,
two boats built this season, have
proved themselves very fast, but
have never yet found the river in
such a condition to make a very eX-
traOrdinary run, though it is expect
ed they will yet beat any of the
time of other packets. The MOllie
Able has already made the run be-
tween Cairo and Memphis in little
over nineteen hours, while the Ma
genta has made some extraordinary
time between different points.
1t will easily be seen at a glance
how great has been the acceleratiOn
of the speed of steamboats, naviga-
ting the Western waters since the
Orleans made the pioneer trip in
1912. Great as it has been, we feel
assured that by further improve
ments in the constructions of the
hulls and machinery of steamboats,,
and the application of increasing
steam-power, a higher rate of speed
will yet be attained.