The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-09-16
COMPLAIN OF
RIVER LIGHTS
Mississippi River Steamboat Men
Wrought Up \
NOT ENOUGH LIGHTS
THEY HAVE BEEN BADLY NEG.
LEcTED AND MATTER MAY
BE TAKEN UP WITH WASH
INGTON AUTHORITIES
49, - -

From 81, Louis to New Orleans fre-
Iquent complaint is made that not one
of the government lights supposed 10
mark The channel Of the Mississippi
river between those points is in place.
Every pilot touching at Memphis tells
a story Of vine.covered lights, day
marks obscured by willows and vines
land troubles because Of no attention
having been given for several months
To the lights on which all pilots de-
pend almost wholly at the present low
stage Of the water
Boats going aground are frequent
Occurrences between St Louis and
! Vicksburg. which is as far as Memphis
packets run. Poor time is made be-
cause OF the inability of the pilots TO
steer by the lights as they are now
maintained.
Inquiry among the captains OF the
different boats and pilots brings TO
light a condition which they claim has
never existed to so serious a degree
since the establishment Of the lights
on the Mississippi river.
WHAT SOME PILOTS SAY.
/ Below will be sound statements
from three OF the most prominent run
ming out Of Memphis;
THE service might as well be aban-
dcned if the government and the in
spectors in charge do not maintain il
/ any better than has been done during
4 the present year" said W G Wilcox,
Ipilot Of the steamer Delta.
| Chas. Nixon. in speaking OF the
grounding Of the Delta last Thursday
morning. said: Where the Delta wenr
aground the light Is fully two miles
lout Of place II does no good what
ever Ii the inspectors and the gov
lernment are not going to keep them
lup any better than they have for the
past few months. ! would rather not
have anv lights. If a pilot steers ac-
cordlng to their present location, he
| VIII hit ground all the way up or
down
! CAPTAIN OF THE LEE TALKS.
/ Cant. George F. CaEvell Of tine Rob
iert f. Lee whel asked about tac con
dition Of the lights between MeDphis
and Aah9ort said;
/ al TIE way up as far as we go
the lights are ont of Mace Ne, one
does any good Some of them are con
lcealed by vines and treea and the
whole business might as well be done
away with as TO allow them 10 be neg
lected as they now are.
From ST. Louis to Memphis we
have had one Of the best pilots in .he
business, Bob Rollins. At no point as
far down as Memphis did we find a
light that really marked the channel,
else rho Kirby would not have gone
aground Mr. Rollins says that they
are absolutely useless, and that the
situation Is serious. especially so at
this low stage OF the river 1t is moth
ing less than an outrage that this i'm
portant branch Of the lighthouse ser.
vice Is not kept up as lit igintended,"
said w A. Mvrick. owner of the pri-
yate yacht John H Kirby
ENTIRE DISTRICT AFFECTED.
As will be seen from the above
statements made to a reporter Of The
CCmmercial-Appeal yesterday after
noon. the condition of the lights that
are supposed to mark the channel Of
the Mississippi river from st Louis to
Vickshurg is bad. Some of the piloCs
on the packets running TO St. Louis
say thot at no time since the service
was thoroughly established has there
been so little attention paid 70 the
proper location of the channel lights
between Memphis amidst. Louis
The steamboatmen in and ont Of
Memphis. especially the pilots. are
preparing 10 take a determined stand
against the manner in which the lights
from New Orleans TO St Louis have
been neglected Some of them have
decided 70 take the matter up with the
Lighthouse board in Washington, and
70 that end viii more than likely have
a formal protest before that body
within the next week or ten DAYS.
RIVER MEN WROUGHT UP.
WNNu TIC lNHt@ thot Hidth tH@ NAaAiA
incl along the Mississippi were placed
IN their present positions the water
wss high. Since the water got to
stage where the lights are Of service
the tender. Olaander. has been at ST.
Louis. where some changes were be
ing made on the wheel and other parts
of The beat. II is understood that the
Oleander has left s. Louis on the
down trim and should be a. Cairo
someume Monday Whether the boat
win continue 70 New Orleans is not
known here
The rivermen are very much
wrought ND over the condition Of the
u-hfs and If relief is not granted at an
esrlv date. will take The matter M
with the highest authorities. and go
further. hv asking the help # the
members Of congress ~ the districts
through which the Mississippi river
flows. They viii also ask that the
regular quarterly trips be made. a.
has been the custom for a number OF
years. and that immediate attention
De given - the lights. the extreme low
water demanding that some relief be
granted Memphis Commercially