The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-21
THE j. M. WHITE.
THIS SPLENDID STEAMER ON HER
TRIP TO CAIRO.
Every Indication That She WIZ Prove
Herself the Boss.
fPaducah News. ]

Herself the BOSS.
tPaducah NeWsl
While there was no effort made yesterday TO
ascertain what the great steamer will be able
to do, 1t may be set down that she will come
up to all that Capt Tobin expects OF her. In
her run to Cairo yesterday she had no stretch
Of river six miles long In which she might
have been let out and II there had been good
water all the way she was neither manned nor
trimmed, yet the ease and smoothness with
which she performed what was required Of
her, gave unmistakable indication Of great
power and competency to do good work when
put to the test. She rounded out from her
moorings below Jefferson street without GO
ing up the river ct all, and the bells were
rung to send her forward at precisely 40 D.
H., the first revolution being visibly felt by
those aboard Of her.
Owing to the extreme heat Of the day it had
been found almost Impossible to get hands to
do the work necessary before she could go
out, and but two firemen had been secured,
although there should be five on her at % sin
gle watch. One OF these was good one, but
both seemed fearful OF so hot place on SO
hot day, the consequence being that about
105 pounds OF steam was oil that was made
on the trip. and, owing TO the frequent shoal
water encountered, this was throttled all the
way through. At the. foot OF the tow-head
above Brooklyn Capt Newman held her
pretty close up to the bar, purposely to see
how she would take IT, when she quickly SHE'D
away for deeper water, throwing herself SO
out Of position that one wheel had to be
stopped. This created n loss Of at least five
minutes, and she passed the lower end
of the wharfboat at Metropolis in thirty
one minutes from the time she first moved
forward At Carricos she again labored con-
siderably on shoal water, and passed over the
Little Chain, making her first twenty miles in
exactly one hour. Five miles farther brought
Us TO tlo Grand Chain, approaching which
the Roadway was checked and the steamer
made to work her way entirely over by the
wheels and without Storage. There was but
little II any current here, and not O single
break could be seen to indicate danger. There
was just about enough water, with none to
spare, owing to the boats extreme length,
and 1t was here that both boat and pilot
showed ~, themselves 1l equal to the oeca,;
quick answers to the movement Of her
engines, and Capt. John Newman
in knowing precisely where she must go and
how to put her there. No steamer Of what
ever size. ever waltzed her way over difficult
and intricate windings more gracefully and
beautifully, the only sound which broke the
monOtOny of the passage being the FREQUENT
ringing of the bells In the engine-room away
below, and the deep growls that came up in
answer through the scape pipes. All the
turns and crossings were made without trou-
bic or accident, not single touch being made
by the boats hull in going over, just three
f0urths of an hour being consumed in the
passage to the channel and deep water next to
We had stood in the pilot-hOuse with New
man all the way over and although we knew
nothing about 1t, but were satisfied he did, we
couldn't help from asking, as the steamer
seemed now headed for one shore and then
twisted for the other If she was not getting
q little up on her ear" Each time, however,
Capt. Newman smilingly assured us that she
was behaving just right" Capt. Tobin ex
pressed himself much relieved as we went
below to where he was sitting on boiler deck,
the boat being by this time again blowing her
way down the river at good speed. The run
from this place to Cairo was made inclusive
of the slow work over the Little Chain, |
Mound t City BAR and Other
time consumed on the Grand Chain, In two |
hours and fifteen minutes, and, considering |
the circumstances under which 1t was made, |
that her machinery is all new and rough, and |
that the engineer never permitted her full |
use OF the steam she was making, we have no
doubt that when the J. M. White "comes into |
her kingdom" down where the water Is deep, |
she will prove herself the greatest and fastest |
steamer ever put afoat It is our prediction |
that she will set the pegs up for the Bob Lee
so easy that no effort will be made by any
steamer now running TO pull them down. She |
must do this or there can be nothing claimed |
for size, power, model and harmony Of con-
5truCtiOn.
Capt. Tobin has just cause to be proud OF his |
great steamer and we think she will prove |
mine of great wealth to him. She will lay at |
JalfO until from the tenth to the middle OF |
August, having to wait there for the greater
portion Of her outfit which Is yet to come, be-
sides a great deal of work which is yet to be
done before she will be a finished steamboat
We are sorry she had TO go away, but would |
say that Il there Is sufficient water when she
gets ready to go out, and our tobacco men
will give her good start of tobacco, as they
did the Robert Il. Lee when she went
put, the White will come back here
and give our people a chance to
see her in all her glory. Should this happen,
we may all yet have our grand excursion on
her to Cairo.
She will be commanded by Capt. J. NJ
White, for whom she is named aud who is
The same trade for which the White has been
built. He Is not the j. NJ White for whom
The old steamer of that name was called, as
many have supposed, but o pleasant, gentle
manly and very popular steamboatman, who
has been long in the bends and coast trade
from New Orleans Il