Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-05-07

Sioux City Journal, Ath: The steamers
Katie p Kountz aud E. H. Durfee are both
expected TO arrive from below to-day. The
former was detained BY having her smoke
stack knocked over, and the latter met with
difficulty from high water and
contrary Winds
The steamer Gen. D. H. Rucker Of the
Kountz line. arrived Al l0o'clock this morn
ing from below. She has 200 tons Of freight
for above, and % head of fancy cattle and
horses for Montana. Ihey are the property
of w. H. Clark, and he has been unfortd
nate enough to lose two valuable bulli
worth about $4,000, on the way up. Three
or four head of his sick stock were left hers.
The Rucker left At noon for up river.
The steamer Gen. Terry, w. A. Burleigh |
master and j. @ A. Parr clerk, arrived
Sunday morning from st. Louis. bring
ing ESQ tons of freight, mostly for Benton
Forty tons of Yankton freight was unload
ed here for the following parties: Maj. w.
B Hughes, packages; Adler & Gilman,
2lO packages; Mrs. P. G. Shannon, 8 pack.
ages; P. Q. Shannon, 4 packages; Richly &
Dix, 16 packages; Mrs. J. Mears, SO pack
ages; F. Schuauber. packages; Wynn e.
B1ckwalter, 4l8 packages. The Terry
came in drawing three and one. half feet of
water. She is new boat and is on her
first trip.
NJ E. Terry, Writing from Bismarck to
the Pioneer Press, of St. Paul, gives the
following reminiscence of the Custer and
Reno 6ght-the unprecedented trip of the
steamer Far West, the gallant little craft
that now plies between Yankton and Pierre
in the interest of the Coulson line. 1t was
after tue battle and Capt. Grant Marsh, of
our city was ordered TO take the wounded
to Fl Lincoln with all possible speed. The
account reads as follows: The steamer
Far West was moored at the mouth Of the
Little Big Horn. She was the supply boat
Of the expedition and had made her way up
the Big Horn farther than any other boat
She had performed one exploit unprecedent
ed in western river navigation In reaching
the mouth of the little Big Horn, and was
ready to perform another unedualled in
steamboating In the west The wounded
were carried on board the steamer and Dr.
Porter was detailed 10 60 down with them
Terry's Adiutant General, Ed Smith, Was
sent along with the official dispatches and q
hundred other messages He had . travel.
ing bag full of kilograms for the Bisms5c&
office. Capt Grant Marsh. of Yankton,
was 10 command of the Far West. He put
everything in the completest order and took
on q large amount Of fuel. He received or.
ders to reach Bismarck as soon as possible
He understood his instructions literally, and
never did river maa obey them more con
scien,ious'y. On the evening Of the third
of July the steamer weighed anchor, In q
few minutes the Far West so fttinely
was strange land. and an unknown river
news for the country! What story TO car
ry 10 the government. to Fort Lincoln, tc
the widows 1t was rushing from field
OF havoc TO . nation Of mourners. The
} steamer Far West never received the credi,
due her Neither has the gallant Marsh
Nor the pilots, David Campbell and Johr
johnson. Marsh, too, acted as pilot. Il
required all their endurance and skill. They
proved the men for the emergency. The
engineer. whose name is not known to me
did his duty. Every one of the crew is en-
titled to the same acknowledgement. They
felt no sacrifice was to great upon that Jour
ney, aud in behalf Of the wounded heroes
A very moderate imagination can pictur
f the scene upon that floating hospital Their
I were wounds of cverv character, and mel
j more dead than alive. The suffering wa
, not terminated with the removal from tn
field to the boiler deck. 1t continued snt
ended in death more than once before Fo,
N. T. Mills, of the empire state, vas tested
Porter watched for fifty -four hours II
stood the test The Big Horn river is fu
of islands and successful passage even O
the bosom Of "June rise" is not an eas
feat The Far West would take shoot o
: this OF that side Of an island as the Quic
judgment of the pilot would dictate. 1t
r. no river in the eastern sense Of that wort
1t is only creek A steamboat moving
fast as railway train 10 q narrow, windir
" stream ia no, pleasure 1t WI
=. no pleasant sensation to be dashirg straigl
|. at q, ,headland, and the pilot the only pow,
!. to save. Occasionally the bank would
10 touched and the men would topple ov,
like ten-pins. 1t was reminder what II
e. result would be if snag was struck. Dow
10 the Big Horn the heroine went. missir
Al islands, snags and shore. 1t was thrillir
voyage. The rate Of speed vas unrivaled
the annals Of boatitg. Into the Yello,
IN stone the staunch craft shot, and down tn
IN sealed river to pilots she made over TWEEN
Y. miles an hour. The bod captain was tai
ing chances but he scarcely thought Of thel
He was under flying orders. Lives were
IN stake. His engineer was instructed to Ike,
X up steam At the highest pitch. Once Il
ve gauge marked pressure that turned h
cool head and made every nerve in h
=, powerful frame quiver. The crisis pass
~ and the Far West e, capped fate more teri
" BILE than Custer's. Once . stop v
q made and shallow grave explain
), the reason. He still rests in th
Z. =. lone spot. Down the swift Y,
ne lowstone like shooting the Lachine rapi,
d every milea repetition Of the form.rl Fro
9 the Yellowstone into the broad Mis.ou
liz and then there was clear sailing The
was deeper and wider channel aud mo
.~S.