Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-02
EARLY RIVER "REMINISCENCES.
The Rapid Increase and Decline Of River
Pittsburg as a Ship
building Center-Noted Steamboats,
0ld.Tirne Pitfsbur1 Navfon fors

of River Navigation" volume Just published
at st. Louis, the home of the author. The vol
ume deals with the "Rapid Increase and De
cline of River Transportation" and it must be
confessed that the author has impaired sin.
gular interest to his narration of an epoch in the
use of steam as motive power. The story, al.
though somewhat disconnected, is studded
with interesting "reminiscences of Pittsburg,
and the halcyon days of steamboating here
abouts will be vividly recalled by the many
illusions to the enterprislng citizens of this
locality. In the authors preface he aeknowl.
edges his obligations to the files of The PITTS
BURG DISPATCH, apparently the only Penn
sylvania paper from which excerpts were
culled.
The first alluson to Pittsburg is in regard to
the initial mail route across the Alleghenies,
ordered By Congress in 1885, from Alexandria,
Va, to Pittsburg; also from Philadelphia to
Bedford. On the Goth of May. 17SS, Congress
established fortnightly mail to run from
Philadelphia to Pittsburg. So that 100 years
since letter took as many days in transporta-
ton as hours are now consumed. The neces-
sity for still further Western mail service be-
came apparent, and in April. I794, Mayor Isaac
Craig, of Pittsburg, and Colonel O'Hara, army
contractor, put into commission 24-foot row.
boats travelling 80 miles day against the cur
rent and double the distance with it. the crew
of five men being armed to the teeth to frus-
IJrate redsKin attacks. There were four relays
between Pittsburg and Cincinnati, and the
time OF passage ranged from SIX to IA days.
The history OF steamb0ating in and around
Pittsburg, as set forth by Captain Gould, show
conclusively that the city at.the junction of the
three rivers was not only the head, but the
home of the navigation of the West, and full
records show that it enjoyed the prestige for
many years of being the greatest shipbuilding
city in the country. That that glory has de-
parted may be attributed to the rise of other
Industries, in which, in Difference to past tradi-
tions, she still rules the country
History OF Early BoatbuiIding.
The first steamboat constructed to run in
Western waters was the New Orleans. She
was liz feet long with 20 feet beam, and her
cylinder had a diameter of 81 inches. The
total cost was $4,000, a fortune in those days.
The launch was made in March, 1911. Her
first voyage was to Louisville in October of the
same yeaf, and the running time was only GA
hours on the trip, something unprecedented in
those days. She struck snag near Baton
Rouge on July IS, 1914, and went to the bottom.
The innovation soon superseded other methods
of river navigation. Other boats were quickly
under way and in few years the industry had
become very important In quick succession
were built the Comet of 25 tons, owned by
Samuel Smith, and built by Daniel French, on
the stern.wheel pattern; the Enterprise. 45
tons, by same builder; the Etna, $40 tons, built
in Pittsburg, and commanded from 1915 by
Captain A. Gale; the Dispatch, % tons, built
on the French patent, and commanded by Cap
tain ]. Gregg; the Buffalo and James Monroe,
built in this city by Benjamin H. Latrobe,
ST., the distinguished architect of the
Capitol at Washington; the Washington, Of
Wheeling, had an engine and boilers built at
Pa, which were placed on the
upper deck, the first vessel of that pattern; the
Franklin, l25 tons built at Pttsbqrg, by Shiras
& Cromwell, in 1916, the engine being George
Evans patent; the Oliver Evans, built by
George Evans, which exploded a boiler off
Point Coupe, and killed IL passengers, the
owner being George. Other Pittsburg boats
were the Harriet, owned by Armstrong; George
Madison, 1878 built by Worries, Mitchell, Rod
gers q Todd; General Jackson, 1873 owned by
r. Whiting, of Pittsburg, and General Carroll,
of Tennessee: James Ross, $50 tons, 1918. owned
by Whiting d Stackpole; Frankfort, 800 tons
and Independence, built for Gov
expedition up the Missouri river.
and the first boats that stemmed the strong
current of the Missouri river; the Western En-
gineer, built for an expedition to the Yellow
stone river, and drawing only 80 inches of
water, and was commanded by Major S. H.
Long, United States Engineer, and Major
Thomas Biddle, OF the United States artillery.
FultOn's Fight for Steam.
Robert Fulton, the putative inventor of the
fought existing preiudices at Pitts
burg for several years. He came to this city as
the leading ship-building community in the
country The decision to try Pittsburg was the
result of an understanding between Chancellor
Livingston. Robert Fulton and n. ]. Roosevelt
The latter built a barge and with his bride
made trip to New Orleans to estimate the
etc. In the spring of 1870 Fulton and
Livingston commissioned Roosevelt to go to
work. The keel of the vessel was laid under
the Boyd's Hill bluff, where the Pittsburg and
Connellsville depot was afterward built 1t
was the famous New Orleans, and was a CON-
plete success. The voyage down the river was
q continued ovation diversified by ridiculous
occurrences indicating the fright of the
natives and Indians.
A citizen of Pittsburg wrote a letter to the
National InteIligencer, of Washington, under
date of April %, 1914, describing the furore
created by the launch of the Vesuvius. 1t was
iS0 tons burden, and was to run to Louisville.
After several trial trips on Saturday, April
%, the Vesuvius went up the Monongahela ''in
front of the town, to its eastern limits, and re-
turning down the opposite shore went down
the Ohio firing a salute. Most of the citizens
were assembled on the bank" The writer
being desirous to ascertain her speed, mounted
"a very elegant horse and tried to keep
abreast. He rode 81 miles in 10 minutes and
gave 1t up as bad job. I'm one hour and 80
she reached Middleton, II miles below
Pittsburg."
Some other interesting scraps of news are as
follows: 1.-THE steamboat Enterprise went from
to New Orleans in 227 hours. She at
times reached the astonishing speed of lO%
miles an hour" "John L. Sullivan, of Boston,
has obtained patent for the use of steam
power in towing luggage hoats."-NtIes Regis
Ter, 1914. "In 1906 Jonas Spoir built the ship
Scott. the first vessel to reach the falls of the
Ohio" 1.-THE steamer st. Charles, built at
in 1874, for the New Orleans and
Nashville trade. was the first boat ever to use
steam whistle"
A quotation of Andrew Carnegie's '"Tri-
umphant Democracy says: ''The records of
Pittsburg, for use on the rivers, 1923 vessels.
barges, with a tonnage of l,70O.OOO
TONS" A point In controversy is settled as fol.
ows: "The truth of history justties this cor
rection: The Valley Forge, the first iron steam
vessel, was built at Pittsburg by Robertson &
Mimms, engine builders, and was owned by
them and commanded by Captain Tom Bald
Win."
"Mr. William French, of Brownsville Pa.
placed the first high:pressure engine upon
Western steamboat"
The First Iron War Vessel.
Pittsburg can lay claim to the honor Of the
irst iron war vessel, which Captain Gould saws
vas the Allegheny, 44gun steam frigate,
and propelled by Lieutenant Hun.
er's plan, launched in 1876 The designer grew
% be Commodore Hunter, and the Allegheny
vas in service for many years. The W. w.
Fry, an iron steamboat $50 feet long, % feet
,eam. and feet depth of hold, was brought
,ver from Liverpool in June, 1889, and trans
ported to Pittsburg, where she was put to-
clear case of carrying Goals to New
,astle.
Copto;n HouId ovailc himsaIf of t1uo lapc.L..