Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-28
TIE SHOOTING AT STEAMBOATS,.
4 River Pilot Tells OF Some Of the Risks
Ua Ran.

4 River PILOT Telis OF ooHie VI ''e A
lie Ran.
Last evening the Pttsburg Chronicle
f'eiogrdph had the following story OF the
late food.
"Rivermen will hereafter give New
startinsville. w. Va. wide berth.
"a number of Pittsburgh boats have
been fired upon by the residents oil tha1
place. so says Pilot George Woods, oil the
Alice Brown. L.. ~.
I'm speaking of the matter to-day MIR.
Wood said: we had lively experience
coming no the river this week. The river
was al food height, and the people along u
complained that the swells from the pass
ing boats washed against their houses ana
caused them TO move from their founda-
tions. For this reason We came along quite
slowly. and so far as ! could see there was
/ little wash.
"sAs we passed New Martinsyille we
were startled by a shot; this was repeated,
and then regular fusilade commenced
from the shore. The persons firing were
concealed In the houses, ana we could moi
see how many there were, but the shot:
came from several of the houses. The
balls crashed into the pilot house, breaking
the glass and soaring everyone on the boat
except AIRS Clark, the Captains wife. She
rushed into the cabin, secured revolver
and started to the deck to return the fire
but she was prevented By the Captain, wht
hurried from the dangerous neghborhood
glad 10 escape.
Fortunately no one was hurt, but Dc
not want any more such experiences. Nhet
got in from the trip told the story. anC
| found that the ). I. Wood, the jim WOOD
and the Chas Brown had had the same ez
perience. Each one Of them had been free
on from points along the shore and that a
New Martinsv.lle the pilot houses had beer
riddled with bullets. So far as | coulc
learn no one was hurt except pilot on one
OF the boats and he was only slightly hurt
d" The people aiCng there did tie SAINT
thing in 1854 during the flood. ! can't more
than half blame them for trying TO protec
their property, but in the case Of orr boa
the attack was entirely uuwarranteC
and unprovoked We know tn.
washes from our boats would have haC
effect on the flooded houses, and for tbs
reason we came along very slowly, mC
there was scarcely 4 prcccptable wash.
1.-THE owners of the boats fired on pro
pose to investigate the matter and brn9
suit against the offending parties
There is another side to this matter
which rrer-men sfotld rot forget, anC
that is the great jeopardy and large
actual damage done to property along
the river in times Of food by passing
steamers. All that man has In the
way OF property is often contained in
his half-submcrged home, and it re
quircS very little agitation OF the river
at such times to rock house from IT,
foundations or do serious damage Il
Furniture in IT or property sur
men to say they moved their boat.
slowly upstream, aud occasioned it'll,
wash. 1t requires big effort Of the
machinery TO move boat upstream
against the flood tide Of the Ohio. and
harm must be done n beats are run
1t would be better for steamboat mer
to let up in times OF high water. III
the future the liability to damage will
Increase by means Of the increased
number of dwellings erected on low
lands, aid more care must be exercised.