Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-26
A ROOSEVELT RAN FIRST
STEAMBOAT ON MISSISSIPPI
Initial Trip From Pttsburg to New Orleans in
1911 Fraught With Many Peri1s.

man. for were not there the falls Of
the Ohio, the Snags and currents OF
| the greater river beyound?
| The New Orleans easily made from
5 to 10 miles an hour. and when they
| reached Cincinnati she dropped an
| Choir. there being no levees or wharf
! boats ia those days. Mr.. Roosevelt
was congratulated then on his pluck
/ and the success he had achieved up TO
that point by the fiatboatmen a. well
as by the leading citizens: he received
| however. only doleful predictions. Four
days afterward. at midnight. Oct. I.
| 1871. the first Steamboat arrived at
Louisville. The escaping steam heard
for the first time. caused crowds TO
rush 10 the river bank. and AN old let
ter If that time states that many per-
sun>e believed that the commotion
was caused by the great comet Of
1911 having fallen into the Ohio river.
The hospitality Of the best homes
of the city WAS offered the voNagerS.
but the good people all lamented that
ii should be the last. a. well IL the
first time. that steamboat would he
seen above the fails. They all regard
ed the ascent Of the river by steam.
even from New Orleans to Natchez.
a. an impo>sibilitE. A. an evidence
# his appreciation of all his kindii-
ness OF feeling. ana. Incidentally. to
demonstrate something else. Mr..
Roosevelt invited Il number Of men 10
dine Oh board the New Orleans. When
he feast WAS at it> height strange
and unusual rumbling~ were heard
and the boat began to move. There
was one thought among the guests
the anchor chain had broken. and the
beat was drifting toward the falls uf
the Ohio. carrNin" all ON board to sure
destruction. There was a rush 10 the
deck. and the astonishing sight-the
boat was going rapidly ana with ease
had the desired effect of overturning
the force of the current opinion.
When Mr.. Roosevelt arrived at Lou
isiana he found the channel too shall
low To permit his passage of the fails. |
and he was obliged to wait until the |
last week IN November for favorable |
conditions.
IN earthquake shock was felt as
the New Orleans turned her bows to-
ward the Mississippi. Mr.. Roosevelt |
found that the bearings which he had |
made two years before had disappear |
ed with the old channel: cut-uff~ had |
been made across necks of land an; |
new islands formed. To 90 forward |
was 4 dangerous undertaking: to at !
tempt to return was q greater one. |
Mr.. Roosevelt consulted his common |
sense and the example Of the passing |
fiatboatmen-and went with the cur
rent. keeping a sharp lookout for |
snags and Instructions.
I'm speaking and writing to her
friends Of this voyage dcwn the Mis-
sissippi. Mrs. Roosevelt dwelt especi- |
allv upon its solemnity. Hundreds of |
miles of unbroken primeval forests
long stretches of solitary water-the |
silence undisturbed only by the call |
of the wild goose or the echo of the |
revolving paddles a the little boat |
pushed on. There was also Il condi- |
ton Of unrest and >leeplessneSs often
recalled by those who were on board |
the New Orleans. and Mrs. Roosevelt |
said there were days when she could |
not read. write or sew"
The Indians along the shore called |
the steamer the fire canoe" associat- !
ing il with the comet which appeared |
that wear. The long trail of sparks
came from the black tunnels and |
spread ont into the dense. starless |
night and the accompanying earth |
quakc~ which destroyed the pilots |
bearings. filed the voyagers with dis
may. The shocks ceased by the time |
the vessel reached Natchez. and the |
run from that place to New Orleans |
was Uneventful.