St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-01-25

CONVICTION, S.
CARRYING NlTROGLYcERINE.
PsFileus Occupation In which Men Easas>
with Absolute Indifference.
Ofttimes ut night when the twin
cities arc wrapped in slumber. when
only the might owls are out, and
every sound can be heard with greater
ease than in the daytime, a close OBJ
server stationed on one of the many
bridges that cross the Allegheny river
from city to city might detect q small
craft, perhaps a skin. going down the
river. II an attempt were made to
learn more about the boat and its oc.
cupants or cargo It is probable that
the self-appointed investigators would
be at once repulsed. From the mys.
terious actions Of this crafts crew any
ordinary mortal would quite innocently
and naturally suppose that it would
be a fit subject for police investigation.
The observer could call up stories
he may have heard Of the ''river rats
OF London" who frequent the old piers
OF the historic London bridge, that
has been falling down in the songs Of
childhood for many decades, but which
still sustains the weight Of tramping
multitudes. The Thames river il yet
20 infested with river thieves that =
separate and peculiar system of police
service patrols its water nightly and
explores its secret places when they
may be discovered. However the ALLIE
gheny river does not compare in any
way with tho shiny and ill-famed
Thames, neither are the cities of Pitts
burgh and Allegheny infested with the
parasites known as '.river rats" the
worst Of all thieves and thugs The
man that may be in the little boat and
keeps SO strangely away from all things
animate or inanimate Is not employed
in any questionable work, but on the
contrary is engaged in = calling that
is most strictly honest and terribly
dangerous The curious observer whose
inquisitiveness might be aroused
would, II he knew tho business of this
exclusive individual. give him . wide
berth and heave great sigh of relief
when he disappeared down the Ohio.
It is quite possible, and more than
possible, it is probable that the thou.
sands Of sleepers in the downtown dis.
tricts of the two cities, and the hun.
dreds of night toilers and idlers, may
some night be awakened and startled
by the noise Of q most tremendous ex.
plosion. such IS will shake tho very
of the cities and leave NO
trace of its destruction unless It be the
remains of . few spans Of several
bridges For these men who slip
through 50 silently and unobtrusively
on the waters between the shores Of the
Pittsburgh and Allegheny ane engaged
in carrying that dreaded explosive,
from where it is made
up the Allegheny river to places down
the Ohio. and on the Mississippi and
other rivers This greasy explosive
cannot be transported by railroad for
obvious reasons and only men who by
constant contact with the substance
and who have had bred in them . con.
tempt or carelessness for its dangers
can be induced to take. for even .
short distance, in wagons fitted with
the incest adjustment and safest
springA Thus the placid waterways
are perhaps the safest highways
this most dangerous substance
can be transported Half q dozen or
perhaps more men are engaged in this
perilous occupation. They 60 past
large places like Pittsburgh in the
night time when they will encounter
very little traffic and when the waters
are at rest They are the terrors Of
rivermen. No matter how anxious .
pilot may be to reach port, the sight Of
the little red flag shown BY these wan
derers Of the waterways is moro than
for him to have the engines
stop to let the boats glide past each
other with as little agitation of the
a. possible.
A year or more ago the towboat Pa
ciflc left Pittsburgh for Cincinnati It
had not gone down the Ohio river very
far when lone boat asked for lift
It is customary on the river for . man
who may be out in . skin to tic to .
tow and thus be taken the length Of
his journey. This individual tied up
and went along all day. It was mo-
ticed that whenever another boat
passed he would 60 out and keep his
skiff away from the barGes, and was
very solicitous regarding
its welfare. This strange caution. and
The strained manners Of the lone trav-
eler excited the suspicious of the cap
II him what the boat contained, TO-
which he replied that he was taking :
oad Of glycerine to be shot In tho oil
md gas wells of Indiana This infor-
nation blanched the faces Of the crew,
who recognized that they were har-
boring instant death, and they gave
him two minutes to cut loose and get
lway. He did SO and the captain very
helped push the boat away.
70 that IL would NOT accidently bump
against tho bargeA
A witness to the terrible explosion
nut in the river from Parkersburg
everal weeks ago, during the hot
'pell early in June, told . Leader man
hat the explosion was pro bably due
10 the excessive heat or sudden
,hange of temperature. He said he
Jaw the man wet . blanket aud lay it
,ver something ~ If to protect it from
he sun. The next instant he heard b
mighty roar and saw the fash Of tho
Iwful explosion. Many, steamboat
men are of the opinion that the steam
r Cargo. which blew up in the Allie
.heny river opposite Eleventh street
ono seven years ago. was blown mp
" nitroglycerinc. Itis thought that :
m had somehow been dropped into
he river and washed to the city, where
he boat struck It A big hole In the
iver bottom after the explosion made
his theory very plausible. 'These men
no ostracised just about q much q.
hey ostracise other people Tor t6eir.
,wn safety. When on their trips their
ives hang ON the mere possibility OF
heir being able t6 keep their boats
rom being Jared They are, avoided
s though they were the lvina-reality