Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-12
Winds and Waves on the mississippi
An Experience that Equals Anything
In the History Of Man Whose
Endurance and Pluc& are
Beyond PRISE.
Notes from His Los-BOOk A Hearty
Southern Reception Excursion
isIs-W Welcome by Daughter Of
Memphis - THOUSANDS Cheer
Hin as lie Laads-The
Serenade.

| Illinois, was black with the waiting thou
| sands who had assembled TO see him take
the water, and when the hcr7 ~ lcrt emerged
| from the hotel, aud the well known rubber
| clai he5ve ives dscerned, shout went up
| that was echoed back by the hills of Ken
| tlcky. W hen the captain reached, the
| Writer'S edge he halted a moment, inflated
| the dress, and, without a sign of hesitation,
| plunged into The whirling current. The
| p..ddies played Tor an instant, aud then he
| shot out into the main channel, dragging his
| tender-boat "Babv Mine" after him, amid
/ the whisfiug Of steamboats,, the waving of
1 handkercbefs aud the cheers of the p0pu see,
| who Jshed along the banks until the sWi'o
| Nafels OF the Mississippi sent the royageHr
dancing out OF sight.
DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI.
| The hrst few miles were accomplished IN
| extraordinary time through q selies Of spurts,
| which were discontinued when the capt1in
was FAIRLY startcd, and then he settled down
into a splendid ''sweep, y the monotony of the
| toil being uuFelIeved by the surround ngs,
| both banks being grown with dense timber
/ 10 the water S edge for miles. When about
| ten miles had been baversed, Island No.
| doomed INTO the view, and the swimmer,
| anxious to escape gong around the bend
| made by ae main river, entered a chute on
| one side OF the island. HesS ne found moth
| ing but still water and sfSilloWs, to accom-
| plish a mile Of which took more than an
1 uOui , N-iAiuC ptluNttE8 4itt uESb pltCe
| reached was Columbus, Kentucky, at three
| o'clock ~ the afternoon. Here a band OF
music was out on the bank, and a grand re-
ception was given Boytop as be passed, sur
| rounded by a feet Of skffs, and refusing all
1 invitations to land nd partake of pre- pared
I banquet. The captain made & few inquiries
| regarding the channel of the river, aud thea
| forged ahead at a racehorse speed which
| brought him to HIckm9a, Kentucky, at
j qnst,er 10 SIX 'ciOck, having made sixteen
| miles IN two hours end qusrter. A hearty
| welcome was gwen MN rs he padded by,
i aud then nothing worthy of note occurred
/ until dark ness fell, and then bega1 one OF
| the loneiest nights Imaginable. Il was Boy
| TONS first t'ip upon the Mississippi, end be
/ WIS hardly prepared tor the fearful solitd5-
| aud silence, WHICH was occasionally. broken by
| the weird cry Of the loon or toe stsrtng
! no Els which sometimes he herd in the
| VIC DDS at night. Often the only sound heard
was the FLASHING Of the water against the
| lonP low shore. Suddenly the capita was
| awakened from the utter dreariuess of his
| position by crashing noise, which the next
| day he declacedto be .n9 cavin2 10 OF bank.
| Several times rds this peculiar experience re.
| paated, each time pGzziin2 the mind of the
floating man, who feared some new danger.
| At last the llght3 of a steamer hove in sight,
| Just at Island No. 10, about half-past one
o check IN the MOI ding, aud the lonely man
! eagerly burned "a red fash" The steamer,
| however, SStultt 70 rear tue signal, as lC ran
| away from the spot taking the other side Of
| the river. New Madrid was reached at three
o'clock in the morning, and the villagers
| were astonished on being awakened from their
| beds by the CHEEKY notes OF bugle, which
the captain blew determnedly until the wharf
| master made his appearance and promised
| to report the arrival after which padding
was resumed. Poiut Pleasant was reached
at six o'clock, just as the daylight began 10
make the shores visible, and, as he drove into
| sight, he was hailed by the the steamer
| Batavia, which was then lying up, and from
| which was given q cup of coffee to the exhaust
/ ed man. The warm coffee and the breaking
day seemed 70 inspire Captain BoytCn with
| vitality as he lett 10 gay spirits, and about
halt an hour eiterward was passed by the
-taaIsaa Alice, United States tender. The
/ steamer ION SnCTTUSiry- 49, dnucn also
spoke him and WIS instructed to report the
yoyager at Memphis. After this not hui
] man being or trace Of civilization was seen,
l nothing on either side the river, but the yell
low mud banks and the green foliage Of cot
tonwood which stretched as far "a the
eye could reach. The sun also added Its hot
rays to the list of his sUtferings, apd, hayi 2
lost bis sunshade during the night, Che -.
tain's eyes were about bin led, and his Zee
seorehed by the intense heat. Gayo5o was
passed at one o'clO& IN the evening" but
there was no one on the landing, although
the horn was blOwn until the VOYager's lips
4
him at two O'Clock in the evening, 21d
Charlottesville was reached at haif-p3st two
Finally, Cottonwood was reached at six
o'clock. Here the captain had to leave the
water from sheer fatigue, and stopped at the
house of Mr.. j. w. Jackson. His hands
were Ia dreadful condition. Us he bad run
enc hundred and thirty miles IN tbTty-two
hours, the longest rua on the aver yet. After
a night OF sound rest the start was made at
two O'Clock "Wednesday afternoon, IN the
face Of a heavy head-wind with high sea-
HE MEETS THE STORM F1END.
For about fifteen miles a pretty sue
cessiul rate OF speed was kept up
by hard work With the paddle, until
he was struck by a storm of Hales Point,
which, for a time, tossed him about like a
cork. Finally the ram changed to aail, and
so fierce was the shower that he was com
PEELED to land, fearing that the suit might be
| cut. Approaching a log cabin, which was
| near by he knocked. Presently the door
| was opened, and a burly negro made his APP
pearance and seemed struck with terror at
the uRcouth apparitiOn. On matters being
| explained, the captain was invited into the
| humble structure, which sheltered him until
| the worst of the storm had passed over At
six O'Clock he was ah0at again. At nine
| o'clock another storm came down, and on
| looking in the little boat BoytOn found him
| self without matches. Almost immediately
afterward a towboat gong up the river came
near running him down, aud it was by dint
| OF lively padding that he saved him.
self from beng cut down. At
ten O'Clock light was produced
from the. hght-keeper at O'Donnell's
| landing. Osceola was passed at two o'clock
IN the morning. At fifty minutes past two
| he burned red flash and sgnaled the
| steamer James Howard, which stopped and
! spoke him. The Andy Baum was also spoken
at half-past three O'Clock. About an hour
after two steamers passed up dashed together,
and they were given a wide berth. At SIX
| o'clock IN the incoming he was at Randolph,
| and the thoughts OF hot coffee induced him
| to attempt at landing but the current was
| too strong, and he was swept past Tire
| steamer Osceola Belle met hum at haif-past
/ six o'clock, aud gave him a bottle Of beer
| At eight O'Clock in the morning the steamer
| City Of Helena spoke the captain and gave
| him cheer.
AROUND THE DEVILS ELBOW.
| A furious head-wind now sprung up, .ol-
| lowed lY high sea. and IS the bobbing
| figure pissed though sac Devils Elbow ne
| was beaten an7 tossed by The waves in an
/ extraordinary manner. 1t required all the
| vim, will and strength of Captain Boyton to
reach Branley 8, Arkansas. At half past five
o'clock in the afternoon, having made one
hundred miles Ia tweaty-oLe hours. A good
| nights rest and g hearty breakfast recuper-
ated the tired man. aud at hat-past eleven
O'Clock yesterday he started for Memphis, at
irving here at a quarter past four clock In
the afternoon.
THE MEMPHIS EXCURSION.
The Little Rock railroad transfer boat,
General PiersOn, Captain Alalngault com-
msndiuR, had been engaged for the ex-
cursIUn yesterday afternoon, TO meet Captain
Boytpn SOME lies above here, while lac was
on ms Lonely way padding and floating
down tue NlNIssippl tivtr eJt route from