Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-26

is making three miles or twelve miles an
hour The di ference between the Two siiuz-
tons Is apparent 10 any practical pilot.
SecoRd-OTing 10 the fact that our West
ern rivers usually run in a westerly direc-
ton, and as a general rule there is an up
stream wind, the descending boat giving The
hrst signal at the distsnce required by law,
| very often the pilot of the ascending boat
must govern his course by seeing the steam
from the whistle instead Of hearing the
sound.
Ihird.-The pilot of the ascending boat
knowing thai the descending boat is entitled
10 the channel of the river at all tunes, he is
the proper Iedge and should be entitled 10
give the first signal. To a practical pilot IL
| appears fair and just, as the descending boat
has the right OF way, and IL entitled 10 the
! channel, the pilot OF the ascend no boa
should have some rights, and not be com
PEELED 10 stand out in the river and hold on
the descending boat waiting for a signal, ADD
"hen II Is gwen, very frequently il is i'm
| possible Tor the ascending boat 10 reach the
side indicated by the descending boat.
To the proposed change the msiority Of
| the 81. Louis pilots and sll OF tue best
steamboatmen object, snd very sensioly too.
as the following review of the three reasons
given above will chow:
FTa--Ihe pilot OF the descending boat
cannot tell the speed, draught or LOCALITY of
the ascending boat at the distance reouired
by law TO give signal." This reason "a GER
taIniy tailacious, for, if the pilots on the
two boats are properly acquainted with the
rlver-as they should be-thev would nm
derstand where each should go as soon as
they came IN sight, If they properly es.i.
mated their rPeed, and If they at first were
uncertain OF 1t and were competent pilots
they could In few moments observation
an n ind IL
speed OF The approaching boat was nearer
10 s or IL miles an hour, and unless actu-
ated BY a spirit of con,rarinsss, would Give
The opposing boat the side she could mske
with the least difficulty.
Acknowledging TO the fact that our West
ern rivera nsaaity run IN a westerly direc-
tion, and as a general rule there is an no
stream WIND, the descending boat giving the
nrst signal at The distance required by law
very often the pilot of sthe ascending boa,
must govern his course by seeing the steam
from the whistle instead Of hearing The
sound.
This shoWs clearly that the advocates
OF The change know but little of the to-
pography OF our Western and Southern
rivers, and their plotting must be confined
TO some small creek. Examining our West.
cru rivers, We Can md but one of them thai
can be claimed 10 run west and that is the
Ohio, all of whose tributaries flow either
north or south. The Wabash flows south
and the Cumberland and Tennessee flow
north. The Mississippi and all its tributa,
ries excepting the lower Yszoo f,w from
north to south or from west 10 east. or be
tween these points.
Inc thlrd reason-except the last para.
graph, where it is clsimed that j. is yery
frequently impossible for the ascending boa
10 reach the side indicated by the descendiu.
boat-may be passed by. This one clause, If
rightly Interpreted, is the strongest argument
which can be sdduced in favor of Keeping
the rule as II is at present. 1t is both Gus
tomAry aud natural for the pilot of the boat
giving the first signal 10 give his wheel a
tura toward the direction he signals, thus
giving his boat 4 sheer in that direction
which, In case the opposing boat has the
rlght-of-way and crosses or changes the sig
nal chat right being hers), forces the pilot
giving the first signal 10 break the sheer he
had given his boat when he firsl blew, and
swing his beat acro.s his former course,
cansing danger, for while these changes are
being made the boats are approaching. To
an intelligent mind not blinded by prejudice,
the change from the boat having the right
of-wsy to the one that has 10 obey is absurd
and tbe cause of great danger, which can
only be defended by the argument used by
the man carrying his grain TO the mill in
one end OF the sack and a stone TO balance il
in the other, who gave as his reason for 20
doing that that was The way his father had
done