The record-union., 1896-08-17

become thing good for heavy burdens
for which nobody is in hurry, and that
is all. To-day 1t is the railway train,
the telephone. the telegraph which
unites the valley with the seaboard,
gives color to life and stirs the magma
ton The fleet is relegated to the canal
boat and wax candle period of our his
tory.
THE FIRST MISSISSIPPI STEAMER.
The first steamer voyage on the West
ern waters was made in 1911 by boat
called the New Orleans. The idea of in
Producing steam on the Ohio and the
Mississippi originated with Nicholas j.
| Roosevelt, who built his boat himself
| in Pittsburg, on the banks of the Mo-
| nongahela, at a cost of some SoS,OoO.
The voyage was begun in September.
When it was known at Pittsburg that
Roosevelt intended taking his wife with
him on this trip, which everybody re-
garded is defiance of the laws of the
universe, there was great hue ana
| cry in the town. A man might be 1usu-
fable in killing himself, for sciences
sake. but he had no right to risk his
wifes life. Mrs. Roosevelt, however,
had great faith in her husband and in
sisted on going on the New Orleans trial
trip. Besides Mr.. and Mrs. Roosevelt,
who We're the only passengers, the boat
had a crew of thirteen persons and one
! Newfoundland dog.
| All Pittsburg turned out to witness
the departure and at Cincinnati there
was another ovation. The boat reached
| Louisville in the night and anchored.
The roar of escaping steam aroused the
whole town and the people came troop
! ing to the river to discover what had
happened One explanation given be-
fore the steamboat was discovered was
that the comet of 1911, which was then
causing general alarm, had fallen into
the Ohio
| All the way from Pittsburg Mr..
| Roosevelt had met the objection that
while he might get down the river cas-
ily he never could get up. The very
crew of the New Orleans, all of whom
were old rivermen, declared this. At
Louisville the citizens were very conf
dent of it, To convince them that they
were wrong Mr.. Roosevelt gave dim
ner on the boat. After the guests
were seated a sudden rumble and mo-
ton was heard and frightened every
one so they ran on deck. The boat was
|
| the amazement of the critics
| SO far the trip had been a joyous one,
but at Louisville came first trial The
water was so low that the boat could
not get over the falls and was obliged
to lie until November waiting for rise.
Finally she got over, but while at an
Choir the next day there was felt the
/ first of the terrible earthquake shocks
which in 1911 followed the comet. The
| effect on the occupants of the boat was
| terrifying, but they proceeded on their
| journey only to be rocked and SWayed
again and again. The dread became
something insupportable. The men
whom they met on the river all felt it,
and for days flatboat crews passed
them without a salute, only staring at
| them with haggard, horror-stricken
| faces. At New Madrid, which had been
| almost entirely engulfed, survivors
begged to be taken from the town. To
| add to these terrOrs a body of Indians
who called the steamer a fire canoe"
and seemed to think it connected with
| the comet, chased them. Again the
boat got on fire. Several times the
| pilot became bewildered, SO seriously
| had the channel been changed by the
earthquakes, and declared himself lost
But at last in spite of water, fire, Indi
| ans and natural commissions the boat
| neared NatcheZ, practically the voyage
was over and Mr.. Roosevelt had con-
| quered. AS the boat rounded up to the
wharf at Natchez the current of the
river was at first more than she could
| overcome, but bit of extra steam and
g, few rapid revolutions of the wheel
sent her ahead and she came up in fine
style. In the crowd who watched the
boats struggle and victory was an old
negro beside himself with excitement.
When he comprehended that the boat
| had really got the better of the river
| he slapped his thighs, enthusiastically
| eXciaiming:
"By golly, sab, old Mississippi got her
/ maSSa now; hooraw."
| The negro was right, the Mississippi
had found her master.
| IDA M. TARBELL.
/