Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1899-04-27
TO STEER THE GUNB0AT.
Capt. ]. W. Bryan, of This City, Gone
to New Orleans to Pilot the
Nashville to st. Louis.
From the St. Louis Republic.

Developments yesterday In the ar
rangements for bringing the gunboat
Nashville from New Orleans up the
Mississippi to this pert indicate that
the people of st. Louis and neighbor-
ing towns will have an opportunity
of seeing and going aboard the vessel
which fired the first shot in our late
war with Spain.
Captain J. W. Bryan, of Mexico,
Mo-, the pilot selected to steer the
ship up the Mississippi River, leaves
for New Orleans at O'Clock this
morning on the Illinois Central. A
telegram from Captain Maynard to
Captain P. 8. Drown, Secretary of
the Mississippi and Ohio River Pilot
Association, states that the gunboat is
ready and only awaits the pilot to
start on her 1200-mile voyage up the
Mississippi. The message is as fol-
lows:
"NEw ORLEANS, La, April 10, 1893.
Captain P. 8. Drown, Secretary
Pilots Association: Send Pilot Bry-
an at once. Ship ready to leave.
Wire bis departure.
"W. MAYNARD -
Captain Drown repeated the tele-
gram at once to Captain Bryan and
received reply stating that he was
ready to leave for New Orleans at
once. The price set for his services
is SIS per day, which is the regular
rate for pilots of the association en-.
gagged in plotting an outside craft.
Interest in the coming Of the Nash
vile is increasing. People are anx-
ious to view the vessel and to see
marines who took an active part in
the sea fights during the Spanish war.
Rivermen look with keen interest for
the result Of the novel experiment Of
bringing an ocean vessel up the wind
ing Mississippi.
The opinion of experts Is pretty
general that with the present water
in the channel and what is plainly
in sight in the north, the feat of
bringing a ship of the NashvIlls'e
draft to st. Louis is possible. Floods
are rushing down the Mississippi,
which will keep the gauge up around
the 25 mark for some weeks.
Captain Drown, who has studied
the water and food conditions OF the
Mississippi for many years, says that
we're he in command of the gunboat,
he would attempt the trip without
hesitation.
81 base my OPINION" be said, "on
the fact that when the Concord was
brought up the river to Cairo few
years ago she experienced not the
slightest difficulty in any manner. She
could easily have come to st. Louis,
but | believe the people of Cairo en-
joyed having the ship there so much
that they influenced her officers to
remain, instead of comingto St.Louis.
The stage of the river now is as fav-
orable aB then and l believe will be
better when the Missouri and other
northern waters come down as they
will now with this warm weather."
It has been learned that the mast of
the Nashville can be taken down
within about 20 feet from the top.
This will enable the ship to pass
easily under the Memphis bridge.
Dispatches from New Orleans say
that Captain Maynard will start from
that place with the Nashville for st.
Louis Saturday. She will try to make
st. Louis in very short time, so as to
take advantage OF the present high
water, making, however, short stops
at Baton Rouge, Memphis and other
points.
A formal invitation has been ex-
tended to the Nashville and her OFF,
GERS by the Mayor and commercial
exchanges Of Memphis.
The trip Of the Nashville down will
be slower, and will depend on the
depth OF the river. She will remain
week at each Of the larger cities and
day at the smaller towns.
CAPT. BRYAN GOES TO NEW ORLEANS.
Capt. J. W. Bryan, OF this city, left
last night for New Orleans, La, from
which place he will pilot the United
States gunboat Nashville up the Mis-
sissippi river to St. Louis. The tele-
gram telling Capt. Bryan OF the
selection of himself as pilot of the gun
boat stated that she would be ready
to leave on his arrival,