National Republican., 1883-10-19
A MISSISSIPPI RACE.
A Stirring Recital OF Old Time stcNm-
boating on That River.
RsIor1pid

Quite eight years afterward took my pass
age one afternoon upon tho good steamer
HabaklSuk Il. Dodge, bound from st. Louis
to New Orleans. 1 describe her as good
because sho was so described in tho "shed-
die" in the hall of tho Granite house, st.
Louis, but so far as my subsequent expert
once went she turned out to be anything but
good, although tho skipper, rank Ken
tuckian, declared that he'd fixed the voy-
age between st, Louis and Moo Orleans in
five hours less time than any other boat he
had and that's fact
AS stepped on board saw another steamer
lying alongside the quay, which had steam
up, and was advertised to start with us ana
tho pilot, with whom | was already friends,
guessed there'd be a race
This was not comforting, for had read in
books of travel and adventure OF midnight
races between tho high pressure boats of the
Mississippi, and tho chief associations in my
mind with these events were the bursting of
boilers, blowings up, conaagrations, and hor-
riblo collisions with Bnags.
However, had taken my ticket my bag
gage was aboard, and the presence of 200 or
300 other passengers solaced me with the idea
that after all these were but travellers yarns,
OF people would not travel so frequently by
the steamers. Little was l acquainted with
the recklcssness of the American people.
whose monopoly of "big things" in catas-
trophies, as in all else makes them living OK
ponents of the proverb that familiarity
breeds contempt"
We started at midnight, and was relieved
to SEQ that the st. Louis, the opposition
steamer, was still at hor moorinGs, although
her smoke stacks wero in full operation and
her bell an whistle were going furiously.
To retread old ground in the shape of de-
scribing Mississippi steamboat voyage does
not como within the scope of this paper; suf-
flee 1t, therefore, TO say that we reached
Memphis which is about u third of tho way.
without mishap, aud without having even
sighted tho smoke of the St. Louis.
on Blues point, however, some miles below
Memphis, about midnight, thore was visible
excitement in the neighborhood of the glass
steering nOuso. aud 1, who was the only
passenger awake, went up TO inquire the
reason. r-
a." Look thar, sir, astern," said tho Skipper.
pointing with the thumb,ot his right hand
over his shoulder without tLrning his head.
That thar's the st. Louis we oughter be
ten miles ahead of her but them detrod mig
| gers were so powerful slow in gettp aboard
them molasses at Memphis
l looked, aud beheld, amid the dense black
ness Of the night, what seemed to be some
unearthly fiery creature rounding the point
VIC had passed somo five minutes previously
| -lHC wv bluS llHHlS ItpEOoCublhB buO " SSi
tho glare Of tho furnace horrible mouth,
and the distinctly audible beats of her huge
paddles Stimulating her angry paintings to
come up with us.
Keppins is spry, and that's fact" said
the skipper, lighting q huge cigar; and
reckon he won't spare an inch of timber to
send the ST. Louis along but the old Hab
she's got legs, too, and Of Keppins beats us
as he oughter do, considorin' his boats new
and this ere has been runnin five years, it'll
be by accident, Pm thinlrin."
"Accidentw | thought with q shudder
that means to say that this reckless fellow
is going to send us along at full speed until
we either blow up or catch fire." the latter
seeming TO be the most probable to me, when
1 thought that we were but huge mass o
dry woodwork heaped like spare fuel about Q
seething fiery furnace.
However, here was, so I quieted my fear:
as best / could, and even took sufficient inter
est in the race to take quiet bet with the
skipper that we would win.
Our furnace roared, our stacks poured fortl
volumes of smoke and sparks, our huge pad
dies thrashed the waters until we shook ant
throbbed rs if tho boat herself was audibl,
expressing her interest in the race. -v
See, sir, he's firing up" said tho skipper,
"Lot her have it, boys" he roared down tn
tube communicating with the engine room
"four more revolutionsa a minute, and So aheat
if we whip her."
Our craft seemed to bound over the sullen
black waters the irregular, fantastic outline
of the trees on the banks sped by us like af
frighted phantoms. STILL the fiery eyes ant
mouth of the st. Louis grew bigger and big
ger and tho sound of her paintings more anC
more distinct.
Our skipper was almost beside himself
Cigar after cigar he smoked and threw away
he pulled his broad hat over his brows ant
topped it back again he plunged his hand
into his pockets and withdrew them with
jerk, as if they had been stuug all the whil
muttering eXecrations and charitable wishes
any single ono Of which, lift had taken effect
would certainly have sent the st. Louis ant
all on board her to the bottom.
Suddenly, as tho nose of the enemy wa
within steamers length of our stern in
parallel line about 300 yards away, there wa
sharp click at our feet, followed by a rat
tling of chains.
Steering gears snapped, sir" roared out
voice frO.msomewhcre amid the black recesse
of our stern.
What the skipper said upon reception O
this news | need not repeat but he subse
quenty roared down the communication tub,
in a voice of frenzy, "Btop her"
Our paddles stopped, but our way on was
considerable, and we drifted ahead for som,
yards ere it was patent that the Habakkul
Il. Dodge was out of the race.
! whipped yor InlS Illnc, was Wn1teu Owe
the waters to us from the St. Louis, whicl
was now directly abeam of us. Our skippe
had not framed his stinging retort, when
sheet of flame leapcd into the air from where
the st. Louis was followed by an unearthly
roar, then for second or two dead silence
then confused cry of agony from man.
directions.
Lower away the boats /" yelled our skip
per; and although this was done smartl,
enough their progress from our boat to tn
scene of the disaster was considerably delayed
by tho frantic oxertions OF our passengers Il
get into them, for tho fearful roar and th
blaze of light had awakened them, and moth
ing but absolute oXortion of force coult
make them believe for some minutes thai
tho accident had not happened to us.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA.-Dr. j. G. SpotswooI
snys: ~ highly recommend Browns Irol
Bittcrs for dyspepsia, rheumatism, and genera
debility"
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