Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-11
BUILT FOR OCEAN
Empire Memphis Goes Down R.V, r
on Way to Cruise on Salt
Water.
PASSED THROUGH THE LAKES
Capt. Hanks, of Albany, the Oldest
Pilot on River-At Wheel
Fifty-two Years.

| The Empire Memphis is the name
of an ocean-rigged launch, about 10C
| feet in length, which came down the
| Mississippi yesterday. The boat which
| is a new and handsome craft for use
on the high seas, was built this sum.
mer in New Jersey and is now on her
way to Memphis, having been brought
to the Mississippi through the chain
of lakes, and the Fox and Wisconsin
rivers. She is drawing "A inches of
water, but no serious difficulty was ex-
perienced by her crew in handling her
on the lakes and the Mississippi and
its tributaries.
The Memphis is manned by five
men. three of which are sailors. She
is rugged fore and aft like the ordinary
ocean going boats. and hence is great
Oddity on the Mississippi. and attract
ed much attention in passing. The
sails were not spread. however, nor
were the masts in place, the crew
having been forced to lower them in
order to admit the passing of the craft
under the bridges along the river. as
the launch has 50 foot masts, and the
platforms of the bridges are but 70
feet above the low water line. The
Memphis carries a cloud of canvass,
about 1000 yards. She is propelled
when the sails are not in use. by a so
horse power propeller attachment,
which sends her through the water at
a good speed.
At Portage the ships ballast was
shipped on to Memphis. From that
down river city the vessel will continue
her course TO New Orleans, a little later
in the season, and will leave the port
of the Crescent City for her first ocean
cruise in the gulf of Mexico, and prob
ably on up the Atlantic coast to New
York.
The Empire Memphis is a handsome
and finely equipped vessel, with a deep
hull. and so constructed as not to
ship" water when she careens in
high sea. She is provided with three
heavy anchors. Her interior arrange
ment, cabin, etc, is most convenient.
Is Oldest Pilot.
Hale and hearty at the close of his
s4th year, and apparently good for a
score or more years. Capt. Stephen B.
Hanks. of Albany, IlL.,is one of the few
survivors of the day when the first
steamer whistled on upper Mississippi.
The Albany patriarch is known in Rock
Island, as he is indeed in every city
and town along the stretch of the
Father of Waters between st. Paul
and st. Louis, and is a frequent visitor
here, or was until recent years.
Capt. Hanks was born in the state
where the grass in the meadows is
blue, as its residents declare. Moving
from his home in old Kentucky in 1880,
he became a resident of the town of
Albany six years later. and that town
is still his home. In the spring of
the year 1910 Mr.. Hanks shipped" on
a Mississippi river steamer, and he
continued to ship" every season there
after for 50 years. In the more than
half century of his connection with the
great stream, the captain collected
vast fund of river lore, legend and
tradition, and perhaps no man living
along it's banks is more intimately ia
miliar with the history of the develop
mCnt of the old MISSISSIPPI from st.
Louis to St. Paul than is this same
Albany pioneer. MIR. Hanks is said to
be the oldest living Mississippi river
pilot.
Took First Boat Down.
1t is interesting TO note in this re-
gard that Capt. Hanks had personal
charge of the first craft which was
foated sOuthwards on the bosom of the
placid Mississippi from the pincres
of the north to the city where today
the peoples of the world are gathered
to celebrate the accession of the Lou
isiana territory by President jefferson.
This was in the year 1914, years be-
fore the whistle of the rafter was
heard. The RATS were steered by
means of great sweeps which pro-
truded from their sides and ends, and
it was with great difficulty that the
raftsmen guided their course down the
stream. avoiding bars and distractions,
and finally landing them when the de-
sired point was reached. Among Capt.
Hanks companions on this memorable
cruise were Matthew Thompson, Will
liam Ewing and Luver Laird, three
names once familiar to the older resi-