Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-26

the LOUIS Ia ma purchase III 1913 NntD
the Mississippi valley became Il prob
lem too tremendous to be solved by
the picturesque fiat bCatman with his
pole alone. The pirogues of the Can
adam voyager-. had been replaced by
the keelbOats. bargeS, batteauS and
brcadhOrn farbOatS of the Anglo
Saxon SETTLERS Of the great valley.
These craft fiuated down with the
currents. coming in many instances
from the hcaGwater> of the Ohio.
all laden with the first premises OF
the great central west. Besides the
valuable products Of the Ohio re-
zion. The rapidly increasing cotton
crops of the Mississippi territory
were alone becoming strenuous mat
ter>. with the monopoly of the trans
| portation in the hands of the lone
! POLICEMAN. All unconscious of his un-
| Iertakiug IL the cargo grew heavier
| the magnitude of its importance more
| overwhelming. he simply touched his
! shoulders against his pole and pushed
the harder.
! Chancellor Livingston. Of New York
/ with Robert Fulton. bad done Il little
| experimenting with steam navigation
| III the Seine when Mr.. Livingston was
| minister 10 France. ana they had af-
rerward succeeded in putting steam
/ packet on the Hudson. Yet that sue
/ cess by no means decided the practi-
| ability Of steam on the great waters
| IF the west.
In order TO make the attempt on the
ohio and Mississippi rivers they found
necessary 10 associate with them
elves Il spirit who should he equal 10
he dangers and hardships of the adj
venture. as well as possessed of the
ability 10 share in its undertaking.
his embodiment Of energy. courage
and capabiity Chancellor Livingston
found among his own friends in the
person # Nicholas u. Roosevelt. of
New York. # the same family ~ the
pre- ent president. They put their
head, together and decided to make
'he attempt to put on steam packet
between New Orleans and Nachpz.
the only important points on the
Mississippi Of that day. 1t was first
necessary TO make thorough iuvr>ti-
CATION of the channels, currents and
general condition Of the Ohio and Mis-
siSsippi rivers. Mr.. Roosevelt had a
decided tendency for mechanics. hav-
ing invented Il vertical wheel which
Was used by Livingston and Fulton.
and he was considered qualified tot
superiniend the binding If the boa
and to encounter the brunt of the eX-
pertinent by going in her ON her crit |
cal voyage. This job Mr.. Roosevelt |
chcerfulIy undertook and entered !
upon its initial stages with ardor.
He went 10 Pittsburg in 1909 and |
hustled around until he had built Il
fatboat sufficiently large TO accomm0-
date the necessary attendants and
crew for making his Investigations |
In this queer hou~ebuat he f1oated |
of into the currents Of the Ohio and
Mississippi. examining every feature
of those great streams.
Mr.. Roosevelt was Hospitality treat |
ell by the inhabitants of the towns |
and settlements along the rivers. but
every one believed him wild enthuSi- |
a>t. Undertaking an impossible task. |
The fiatboatmcn. who knew the river
best had no faith in the power of
steam against the rush Of waters. the
cddics and currents. The pioneer in |
the realms Of steam. however. with |
coal near the Ohio. his faith in his |
undo rtaking was 50 great that he |
purchased Il mine. and arranged t. |
have the coal dug and transported /
to the river bank i'm readiness for the |
passing # the Steamboat whose tim /
brrS were vet forest trees. He gagged |
and pIumbcd. he looked and asked |
questions. until. havin" obtained all !
information within his reach. he felt |
justified i'm an opinion of the practical |
EiIity of the scheme.
Mr.. Roosevelt made his report to |
Mr.. Livingston and Mr.. Fulton in New
York. and they furnished the capital /
for carrying out the scheme. Mr.. |
Roosevelt went To Pitt>burg in the !
spring e 1910 to build his boat. The |
first steamer on western waters. In /
order 10 begin building. Mr.. Roosevelt |
had to send men into the forest 10
ca; the timber. raft il down the river |
and saw il i'm the old fashioned SAW !
pits. After the keel was laid and mat !
tiers we'll under way. an unlocked for |
danger arose: under the influence Of |
the season. the waters Of the Monon- !
gahela river backed up into the ship
yard. set all OF the materials atioat |
and threatened the boat with prema !
turc launching. but the boat was fin |
ally completed and named the New |
Orleans. in honor of the port of desti- !
nation. II had 4 length OF 116 feet. |
2U-fout beam. and an engine with 4 |
34-inch cylinder; the cost was $4,000. |
The crew was recruited from the
practical boatmen Of the Ohio river.
H.gE- l.
Pitts burg m The latter part 81 Septem- |
Der. 1871. and began the voyage to-
ware the gulf. II i recorded that mol
one associated in building and launch
ing this boat except the builder
and his wife believed in the practica-
bility cf the scheme. Those who had
spent their lives on the Ohio and Mis-
>i>>ipri and knew those rivers best