The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-15
The First Woman Who Descend
ed the Ohio and Mississippi
Rivers in n Steamboat.

From the Baltimore sup.
Mrs. Lydia NJ. Roosevelt, daughter Of
Benz. H.. Latrobe, Sr., who founded the
Maryland family Of his name, died at
~skaneateles, n. Y, Saturday last, aged
eighty.eix years. Her husband, Nicholas
~. Roosevelt, at the beginning Of this
century, was an enterprising merchant Of
New York, and 1t washe who planned and
built the first steamer that piled the swift
current Of the Ohio and Mississippi.
Mrs. Roosevelt accompaniedhe husband
on his first trip down these rivers, and
the even. Of her life Of which she was
proudest was that she was the first wo-
man that descended those waters in .
steamboat. Her death has revived the
incidents OF the trip, and the connection
OF Mr.. Roosevelt with the application OF
steam to water locomotion, both OF which
are matters Of historical record. The
irst steamboat that piled these waters
was the New Orleans. She was built at
Pittsburgh by Mr.. Roosevelt, in 1911, and
coat in the neighborhood Of $4,000.
Whether steam could be employed on the
Western IiyersMas q question, but its sue.
cess between New York and Albany, at
that time as applied by Fulton, was not
regarded as having been entirely solved,
and after the idea had been suggested OF
building a boat at Pittsburg TO ply be-
tween Naichez and New Orleans it was
considered necessary that investigations
should be made as TO the currents OF the
rivers to be navigated in regard TO The
new system. These investigations Mr..
Roosevelt undertook with the under.
standing that II the report were fayora.
BILE CHANCELLOR Livingston, Mr.. Fulton
and himself were to be equally interested
In the undertaking. Mr.. Roosevelt &C.
cordiDgly, accompanied by his wife, made
the voyage to New Orleans in a fa,boat,
floating with the current, occupying q
period Of six months. Returning they
took passage for New York. The sizs
and plan Of the first steamboat had been
determined on in New York, and had
been furnished by Mr.. Fulton. 1t was to
be l16 feet long, with 20 feet beam, and 81
inch cylinder engine. In September,
1911, Mr.. Roosevelt, accompanied by his
wife, undertook the voyage to New Or
leans. The efforts OF united friends were
~unayailing to dissuade her from the
periious undertaking, which they regard.
ed as utter folly, If not absolute madness.
There was a Captain, IN engineer named
Baker, Andrew Jack, the pilot, six hands,
two female servants, a man waiter, a
cook, and an immense Newfoundland dog
named Tiger. Thus equipped the New
Orleans began the voyage, which may al.
most be said to have changed the destiny
Of the West. The people Of Pittsburgh
turned out en- masse, lining the banks Of
the Monongahela TO witness the depart
ure. Sometimes the Indiana attempted
to approach the steamboat with appar-
emily hostile intentions, and on one &C.
casion gave hot chase, but steam had the
advantage Of endurance. They called
the steamboat "Penelore,n or sire canoe"
and they supposed it to have affinity with
the comet that had produced the earth.
quake Of that year. Like all romances,
this one ended in q marriage, the Cap.
tain falling in love with the maid,
they were married on arrival at
Natchez. The aiEtna" and "vesuvius,"
built by Livingston, followed in the wake
Of the Anew Orleans.n These facts are
graphically and infinitely detailed in "The
First Steamboat Voyage in the Western
Waters,n by J. q. B. Latrobe, Esq, and
published ia 1871 by the Maryland His
%torical Society. Another very interest
ing pamphlet from the same source Ia en-.
titled "a Loaf Chapter In the History OF
the Steamboat" Published the same year.
The pamphlet winds up by saying: 'rhe
object has been to show that the merit OF
the practical suggestion Of the employ
ment OF vertical wheels over the sides Of
steamboats was due 10 one who has been
lost sight Of in this connection, and Who'll
ly ignored In the biography Of Fulton,
who, ayailing himself Of the suggestions
Of another in all It's detail., made 1t q
great commercial success, and in doing
so built upon it a lasting fame"