Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-05-21
FIRST WESTERN STEAMBOAT.
CONSERVATION Among People Along the
River During Her First Trip

IuT aNeSttTn WuttTs WUb oiit VI tiiV bieut-
est events IN the development Ut the
great empire lying west OF the Allie:
gheny mountains. liz 1910, Fultun and
Livingston, OF New York, seilt Mr., Ro6s-
welt, an experienced marine architect;
to Pittsburgh, for the purpose Of maxi
ing an exploration from that place to
New Orleans. lie commenced his voy-
nge on small flatboat, with tatboat
pilot am two men to handle the oars by
means OF which the boat was propelled.
After long and tedious voyage he ar
rived at New Orleans, where he took pas.
sage on d sailing vessel for New York,
where he explained to Fulton and Liv-
ingstoh Ills explorations, and among
them the great danger Of snags and
logs, and that steamboat must he built
to resist being sunk By them..
Fulton and Livingston then sent him
back to Pittsburgh to commence the
building of the steamboat. Upon his
arrival at that place he built sawmill.
He also had with him skilled engineer,
u Mr. Baker, who was to superintend the
building of the first western steamboat
engine.
During the year OF ISL work wis com.
mchced ON the steamboat. AS the saw
mill was very small it was fouhd impos.
sible to saw the long planks for the bot
tom and sides. Sawyers wefe therefore
hired to saw The plahlSs and keelsoh by
hnnd. This was done by digging pit
some eight feet deep, one sawyer
standing on top of the log and one in the
pit. BY this means the long planlls
wore sawed. This boat was built like
d ship The kcelson was three feet In
depth and 2h feet wide; the timbers
were is inches deep and one foot wide,
placed close together. The bow of tho
bont for rs feet was solid mass of tim.
Der, so as to make her snag-proof. On
her main deck was bulwark extending
around her like ship. The engine WINS
built upon the Watt & Bolton plan with
an upright cylinder, condenser and
working beam. This was the only eli.
CINE known at the time, and had been
used by Fulton and livingston On the
steamboats, which they had built for
the Hudson from 1906 to ISL. They
were nil sidewheel steamers Using this
engine.
This steamboat was launched In due
time. and, after most remarkable voy.
age, reached New Orleans January IA,
1912.
The steamer was called the New Or
leans, and was built to ply between New
Orleans and Natchez. II left Pittsburgh
In October, 1914, for an experimental
voyage, with Mir. Roosevelt as captain.
Late upon the fourth night after quit
ting Pittsburgh they arrived at Louis.
Vile. having been 70 hours in descending
700 miles. On the arrival of the boat al
Louisville, in the night time, the cx.
traordinnry sound which filled the ait
us the peht-up steam wis permitted tt
escape from the valves produced gen.
eral alnrin, and ihultittdcs in the towi
rose from their beds to ascertain the
cause, the general impression being tha'
comet had fallen into the Ohio: Sc
great was their CONSERVATION many flet
to the woods. Next morning they fount
the steamboat at the landing.
The shallow water on the falls of the
Ohio prevented them from pursuing the
voyage. They were detained tire,
weeks and made two trips between
Louisville and Cincinnati. The water
then rose and they continued The voy
nge. When they arrived about five
miles above the Yellow banks am
moored the boat opposite the first veir
of coal on the Indiana shore, they founc
n large quantity already quarried. Will
this they commenced loading the boat
While thus engaged they were asked by
the squatters If they had not heart
strange noises on the river and in tn,
woods, insisting that they had repeated
~ heard the earth tremble. On the fol
lowing day they resumed the voyage.
AS they sat OH the deck ut night ever.
NOW and then was heard rushing SCUM,
and violent splash, and they saw
large portion of the shore tear ava,
from the land and fall into the river
1t was an awful night and so still on
could hear pin drop on the deck.
The second day after leaving the Vel
low banks the signs of the earthquake
were apparent. The pilot affirmed tina
he was lost, us he found the channe
changed. Some islands had disap
peared and the trees and land were con
stantly falling into the river. Every
where they saw the banks disappearin.
and overwhelming-inany fatboats. /
large island in midstrcam had disap
peared. They found small island ant
moored to 1t for the night. The lad,
of the party was frequently awakened
from her sleep by the jar given to tn
furniture by the passing shock of tn
earthquake. 1t was a long night. TIL
shores and chalinel were equally un
recognizable, for everything SCENE,
changed.
About noon they arrived at the small
town of New Madrid. Here they foun'
the inhabitants in the greatest distres
and CONSERVATION; part of them ha'
fed in terror to the higher grounds
and others prayed TO be taken on board
az the earth was opening in fissuers oil
every side and their houses hourly foil
ing around them. The inhabitants sal,
that 50 flatboats had been sunk an,
more than 100 flatboat men had beel
drowned or killed i'll this great earth
quake.--N. o. Timcs-Union.
Live Craters ut Auction.
A curious piece Of real estate soon t
be auctioned off at the exchange Il
London comprises the freehold of tn
Island Volcano in the Mediterranean
with numerous mountains and two liv
craters. The island is one of the Ae
olian group, off the north coast of Sici