Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-10-02
STEAMBOAT STORIES.
Tales of old Times on The River
Told by Veterans

stage OF life though in these days of
rapid transit ana railroad rush they are
probably looked upon as superfluous.
Between them, ho oyever, there exists
a sort of freemaSonry that draws them
closer and closer together as their ranks
are Trimmed by death In all the large
river cities there exist little coteries
some places only two or three; i'll Others,
large numbers-who preserve among
themselves a formal or informal club
or association and meet at stated or
irregular intervals and talk over old
time
The writer WAS one of. little group
of these kindred souls a short time ago,
when one of them recited little Incl
dent that will long live in the traditions
of the Ohio river
A QUEER CRAFTS CAFERS.
! Two steamers were bound up the
river between Cincinnati and Louis
vile. One of them was a large side
wheeler-either the Silver Moon or
/ Glendale, the narrator fergot which.
Anyhow, it was one of the class of
steamers known IN those days as a
| Cincinnati tub, - with a model like
cheese box She was running in the
I Cincinnati and Memphis trade. The
other was little sternwheeler named
H
natl and Cumberland river trade. She
/ WAS a curious sort of a craft and had
decidedly cranky habit Her hull had
( formerly been a canal boat. a pair of
heavy towboat engines had been put on
this hull and sort of a box cabin con-
/ structed. She could run Ike a scared
wolf, but, as stated. had cranky habits.
l She had balanc ID Iudders that somehow
| or other We're never exactly in the posi-
J tion they should be, and altogether this
queer craft was a terror to pilots She
| belonged to three men, all well known in
I St. Louis at that time, and whose MEM
ories are still cherished here by hosts of
friends. They were James l.. MaginniS,
William Reilly and William Burt.
On the occasion referred to the Vol
unteer oyerhauled the Cincinnati tub
and passed her on the starboard side,
when the rudders got crossed, or some
thing happened to cause the little stern
wheeler TO cut one of her cranky capers.
Z When probably her length ahead of the
( side wheeler she ''took a sheer" and
ran squarely across the low of the big
boat. Hiram y BraZee, a wei known
pilot, until recently inspector at Mem
phis, was, he thought, in the pilot
house. He saw there WAS no use of
I trying to pull her hack, and TO stop was
| to let the side wheeler run her down;
so he simply pulled the wheel hard
down, and the little stern wheeler
actually ran clear around the Cincinnati
tub, coming up again abreast on the
starboard side. or course, there was
excitement on both boats. and cheers
and yells, and not a few curses, as il
was thought the pilot of the Volunteer
was responsible for the boats man
euyers.-W W lille this was going on, the
little boat Strengthened out up the river,
and again gradually forged ahead until
well in the lead, when, to the profound
astonishment of everybody, she again
took a sheer" and again ran clear
around the big side wheeler, exactly re
peating the former maneuver.
TOM GROSS TRICK.
a little event in which this craft fig
ured was when related. 1t was the habit
in those days for the steamers bound VI
stream to take fuel bargeS-coal OF wood
in tow, and continue the trip while
transferring the fuel on barge L
steamer. When the fl el vas trans
ferred the barge would be set adrIft
with one man on board, who would car,
for and land II. There were two mag
nificent boats plying in the Cincinnati
America and the United States. The!
were probably the finest, and wlthou
doubt, the fastest boats afioat. Thel
were beautiful steamers, and constructed
on such perfect lines that their pilot
could control them closely as RATS wa
ever controlled. The pilots of thes
steamers used to indulge in a little tricl
| for their own amusement, which was
cause of great trouble To the pilots anC
commanders of other boats 1t Wa
this: On meeting another boat tn
signal would be sounded for passing
but when the two beats would get clos
together the pilot ON the big packe
would turn his boat, as if with the de
liberate intention of running into TIT
other boat
To avoid collision the other boa
would of course be stopped and backed
The big boat however, under perfec
control, would never slacken speed il
the least, but under full headway rul
right up, and, curving gracefully, pas
on, sometimes so close as to make
appear that only miracle prevented ;
collision These pilots had learned Z
control tl.eir boats 80 completely tha
they could do this with perfect safety
and enjoy the fright of people on th
|
had his life we'll nigh scared out of hin
on two or three occasions by these fel
lows. was at the wheel on board tn
J Volenteer on trip up the river whel
one OF these big boats was met Gros
knew what was going to happen. an
conceived plan for turning the table
7 on the iokers. The Volunteer had
wood barge in tow. and had transferre'
, the fuel, but at the request of the owne
was towing the boat to a point up tn
river. Gross called cub pilot to tax
the wheel and went below, first caution
ing the cub not to get frightened at tn
big boit, but just to ''hold her straigh
, up the river and not ring single bell.
Taken an ak IN his hands, Gross stat
ioned himself right by the head line b
which the barge was fastened to th
boat.
On came the big steamer, bearin.
right down on the Volunteer, and
) was quite evident she would pass Yer
close and on the same side the barg
was on. Gross made guest as to jus
how close she would come, and at wha
he thought was the wright moment, b
: struck a blow with his AK that con
pletely severed the line and the barge
5 of course, swung right out crosswise
the stream. Gross had guessed right
, for before the pilot on the big boa
could turn his wheel or ring bell I'll
steamer struck the barge broadside an
crushed 1t, and at the same time brok
so many tImbers for the steamer tina
she was compelled TO run for shor'
: The barge sunk, but Gross had bee
. careful that there should be no one o
: it, and only two or three persons ha
seen him cut the line. The owner {