Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-04

the Monroe-General Ferguson. Mslor
HYDE and Others, whose names NV
FORGET. They came aboard from one OF tng
points at which we touched one ga, 60 80
for six or seven hours discussed M sis 10.
ton with Captain Young, the preah"u.Ito ~
and crevasse man. They went on ~ ~,
next landing While on board tuoS
smoked together, took a drink or two i nHI
dinner and good time. and talheu Inv
encvclopedias. I gathered from the cun-
versation that they knew all aOous tnu
river bottom; what they did not MI"
and did not seem TO trouble tneinseNe'
about was its surface, od
A few miles above Nicksburg we stoppeu
at a dueer-looking craft. My first lniPlosII
sion was that the scene OF the OF. ln" A
food must have been somewhere there-
aTont and that the ark had been saved 70
posteritv after ail--althOugh the ous' its
world was still painfully Ignorant or en ns
fact. Floating along in the stately style Oh
palatiai caual-boat. towed by EpNe'n-
ment steamer. was a peak-ro0ted no1.c'
With n prow at either end and lots OF WIN
9oWs-iust as the inspired artists OF our
callow years pictured the ancient NoacnIi9l
arrangement, cross between tnc IA
tralning-ship in the Brooklyn naVy-yelu
and William Blacks house boat, on WhicI,
the hero made love and the heroine III ''0'
during summer tour by mule power
What in Heavens name IS ltE L lskeu
of the captain of the Monroe, aghast'
"Why.n said he. in the most matter-oi-
feet way imaginable, " It's United States
nuartcr-boat. md that's Goyernment
steamer town it. They carry GoNern-
mont workmen TO repair the creFasSes.
There are two or three OF these boats on
the river every time 1t hoods anu OHo IT,
wees go down.
/ feif relieved. SO weird scene on the
great waste of waters wonld make an
imaginative man conlure up visions oi
phantom vessels. =; ...e.,.,.
The boat stops whenever there Is NoIh
TO be done" said u passenger. VINO was an
old Mississippi traveller, and couid l0e@1o
the submerged levees with an inialil ore
| exaciuess that made even the old captain
/ Jealous. When she stops the men siecp
What, Don't they work." I asked.
WHY. certainly: but they need to sleep
YOU know" he answered with grim.
| 1.-THE steamer lows them around 10 the
! creyasscs. There's about two hundred OF
/ 'em on That one. / reckon"
/ NV curiosity was excited. I'LL now
1 had seen absolutely no sign OF any attempt
/ 10 help matters: bat now here was actNl-
| tv. These two hundred men IN the ante
! d,luyjan work-ooat represented the power
]
/ eminent and ita determination T. dam ne
/ Mississippi a far as possible and save the
| lowlands from being perpetually under
| water.
j went on board the AK. II was floating
! llouo with scarcely ripple IN rs wake.
/ Yes. there must have been couple OF nun
/ dred men aboard for they we've sitting
around in groups. some hall asleep, others
/ surveying the bottom OF the river In a
/ dreamy wav. Printed regulations IN
/ formed me that there must be no smoking
/ or drinking on the ark. / looked, expect
/ inc To ind still another card stating that
| no work YVES allowed. Two or three men
we're apparently officers. but none were II
uniform. All were Of the laborlng class
probably pretty much like the sort we have
/ in some cities on the public works, who en-.
| JOY petty sinecures.
For a few minutes / stood with then
! LOOKING at the river 1t Is very restiui &c
! keep looking at the Mississippi. and lest
should tall asleep returned to the Monroe
! Vicksburg was next. The town - stu
ated on high hill and is safe; but the APP
proacnes were all under water. Where be
/ fore were land and trees only the tops o.