Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-02-13
STEAM BOATS OF THE PAST
And the Records They Established on
the Ohio and Mississippi.

An Interesting Account of the Time
mace from New Orleans to
Natchez by the Orleans, the First
steamer to Run on Western Wa
tiers, and the Time Made by Other
Boats From That Time Up to
1900 When the Steamer Natchez
BREAKS All RecordS-One Of the
Most Remarkable Periods in Riv-
er history for Showing Progress
IN Steam Navigation.
Of all periods, that between 1914 and
1893, is the most remarkable in river
history Tor records established by
steam boats both on the Ohio and Mis-
slsslppl The first steam boat to run
on western waters was the Orleans,
and IN her day was considered a very
speedy craft. Her time from New Or
leans to Natchez was six days, six
hours and forty minutes. Boat after
boat steadily improved on this time
when all records were broken by the
steamer Natchez, which made the run
in seventeen hours and thirty minutes.
Of the boats which ian between New
Orleans and Louisville, the Eclipse was
champion, the time being four days,
nine hours and thirty minutes OF
those contesting between Louisville
and Cincinnati, Telegraph No. 2 took
the lead, the time being nine hours
and fifty-two minutes. Of the boats
which piled between New Orleans and
Cairo Louisville and St. Louis, and
Cincinnati and Pittsburg, the cham
pions were A. l.. Shotwell SoutherneI
and Plttsburg, respectively.
The following complete record of the
fast steamboats, which ran during this
period on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers manifests plainly the progress
made in steam navigation without
speaking of what has been accomplish
ed up to the present day.
The distance between New Orleans
and Natchez is 800 miles. Following
are the boats which piled between
these two cities from 1914 10 1855, to-
gether with their records and time OF
establishment:
May, 1S14-Orleans. days, hours
40 minutes. July, 1814-Comet, 5 days
10 hours May. Enterprise, 4
days II hours, 20 minutes. April, 1917
Washington, days. September
1S17-Shelby, days, 20 hours. May
1S19-Paragon, days. hours. No
vember, 1S2S-Tecumseh, 3 days,
hour April 1S34-Tuscarora, l day
q hours August, Natchez,
day. II hours. August, 1S40-Edward
Shipper, 1 day, hours. August 1872
Belle of the West, l day. Is hours
August, 1S44-Old Sultana, 10 hours
As minutes August. 1S51-Magnolia
10 hours. 50 minutes. May, 1858
L. Shotwell, 10 hours, 40 minutes.
May, 1S53-Southern Belle, 20 hours,
minutes May, 1S53-Princess No. f.
20 hours. &c minutes May, 1853
Eclipse, 10 hours, At minutes. August
1S55-New Princess, Is hours, SO min
utes. August, 1855-New NatcheZ, II
hours, 80 minutes.
From 1915 to 1853 the following
boats established records running from
New Orleans to Louisville, a distance
of 1880 miles:
May. 1S15-Eenterprise, 25 days,
hours. 40 minutes. April, 1S17-Wash-
ington, % days. September, 1917
Shelby, &c days, 4 hours, 20 minutes
May, 1S19-Paragon, Is days, 10 hours
November, 1S2SETecumseh days, 4
hours. April, 1S34-Tuscarora, 7 days
Is hours. November, 1S37-General
Brown, days, % hours. November
1S37-Randolph 6 days, p hours. No
vember, 1S37-Empress, days, II
hours. December, 1887, Sultana,
days, IS hours. April, 1910
Edward Shipper, > days. IA hours.
April, Isabelle Of the West 6 days
IA hours April, 1843-Duke of Or
leans, days, % hours April, 1874
Sultana, days, II hours. May, 1919
Rostona, days hours. June 1851
Belle Key, 4 days. % hours. May,
Reindeer, days, 20 hours, As
minutes. May, 1852-Eclipse, 4 days,
IS hours. May, 1S53-A. L. Shotwell,
4 days, 10 hours. May, 1S53-Eclipse,
4 days, 8 hours, 30 minutes.
From Louisville to Cincinnati, dis
lance of $50 miles, the following steam
ers established records between 1918
and 1858:
1S1S-General Pike, l day, 16 hours.
1S19-ParaGon, l day. IA hours, 20 min
utes. Wheeling Packet, / day,
10 hours 1837-Moselle. Y hours. 1S43
Duke OF Orleans, y hours. 1943-
Congress, II hours. 20 mintes. 1876
Ben Franklin No. s, II hours, As min
utes. 1852-Pittsburg 10 hours, %
minutes. 1853-Telegraph No. 3,
hours, % minutes. 40
From New Orleans to Cairo, a dis
lance of eco miles the Eclipse and A.
l.. Shotwell established records dur
ing May. 1858 The former covered
the distance in days, 4 hours and 4
minutes while the latter made it in 3
days, 3 hours and 40 minutes, just "a
minutes less time While there was
glory in the Shotwell's victory the de-
feat OF the Eclipse was by no means a
disgrace There are many rivermen
of the opinion that the Eclipse could
fairly and squarely have beaten her
opponent had another nip and tuck
contest have been pulled eff.
From Louisville to st. Louis. a dis
lance of $50 miles the following re-
cords were made between 1S43 and
1853: 1S43. Congress, 40 hours; 1854
General Pike, AZ hours 1854, Norther-
'ner 46 hours, 30 minutes; 1855. South
erner 40 hours.
From Cincinnati to Pittsburg. a dis
lance of 4S0 miles the following pack
cts contended between 1859 and 1852:
1850. Telegraph, NO. 2, Al hours; 1851,
Buckeye State 40 hours; 1852, Pitts
burg, SO hours.
In 1910 the steamer J. NJ White
made the run from New Orleans to st.
Louis. a distance of 1,2C0 miles, in 3
days and % hours.
In 1919 the Altoona ran from st.