The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-03-17
Up the Mississippi in 1858,
And up the Missouri to Leavenworth City.

And up the Missouri to LeavenWOrth City.
After a ride of about 100 miles in
government team, drawn by mules, from
San Antonio, Texas, to the coast there
was not mile of railroad in the State at
that time-a rough trip across the Gulf
of Mexico to the mouth of the Mississippi
in Norther-so rough that for one day
no meals were served and the passengers,
even those not seasick, remained in their
berths-and few pleasant days in the
gay Crescent City, l was again, in the
spring of 1858, to experience steam
boating on the mississippi; this time
bound up-river to st. Louis. l was ac-
companying Major Henry Prince, Pay
master U. S. A., who had been stationed
at San Antonio, but was then under or
ders to proceed to Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, to join the Utah army 1t should
be explained here that the Mormons were
in rebellion and that the first division of
the army sent to subjugate them had
crossed the plains the previous fall under
command of Col Albert Sydney johnson,
had been snowed-up in the Rockies, got
out of provisions and had to subsist on
mule meat. The second division was to
start from Fort Leavenworth as early in
the spring as the conditions would per-
nit, under command of Col. Monroe, and
Major Prince was to go with it. But
HAT ic another story
1t so happened that we took passage
on the same steamer that brought me
down the river the year eefore, the Falls
City, and at p. M, the regular hour of
departure for all the river boats, the
gang plank was hauled in, the lines cast
off and we started on our voyage. AT
the same time the Jacob Simonds, bound
for Louisville, got underway and the
boats were soon side by side and so near
that YOU could toss p biscuit from one to
the other. the Simonds inshore. Wishing
to speak to Major Prince ] walked aft in
the saloon to one of the doorWays open
ing upon the guard, just forward of the
paddle box. Quite a crowd of passengers
had collected there and We're looking at
the Simonds, and among them | saw two
or three of the colored stewards. | had
stepped Just outside the doorway, when
the head steward appeared and called
out. "Stand back off the guard" l
knew that he was speaking to his men,
who We're not allowed to mix with the
passengers. but had seen that Major
Prince was not there and turned to enter
the saloon when there was a terrific ex-
plosion and almost instantly the boat
was filled with steam. The few steps l
had taken had saved my life, as | found
on examining the place later, for not one
of the group on the guard escaped. l
have somewhere, but am unable to find
it at this time, newspaper account of
the accident, but remember that 26 lives
were lost by the bursting of cylinder
head. We were so near the Slmonds
that two bodies were thrown by the force
of the explosion onto her lower deck,
while others were swallowed up in the
river. The cook house on the Simonds
was reached by few steps from the
main deck, and her cook was descending
at the time of the explosion and was
thrown down and had one or both legs
broken, and later recovered two or three
thousand dollars damages from the own
ers of the Falls City. l think there were
also some minor injuries.
After the explosion | made my way to
the forward end of the saloon and found
one crowd at the clerk S office demanding
their passage money and another at the
bar calling for drinks. No one knew then
exactly what had happened, or whether
che boat would reach the shore. She
was. however, soon tied up alongside the
ievee at Carroltcn, some five or six miles
above New Orleans, and when it was
learned that repairs could be made in a
day or two Major Prince decided to re-
main by the boat The floor of the state
room adjoining ours was badly shattered,
but ours was intact, and locking the door
we went ashore and took the street cars
then drawn by mules-for the city.
The Major had his plans, and | started off
for the opera in the old Orleans theater,
while a relative, who had learned of the
accident, was going the rounds of the
newspaper offices trying to ascertain
whether was among its victims.
In due time we started up river again
and must have had an uneventful trip for
l recall nothing to the contrary, and on
arriving at St. Louis found quarters at
the Planters Hotel, then the leading hos
telry OF that western city. Finding that
che troops would not be able to start
across the plains for some time Major
Prince departed for the east and for six
weeks | remained at the hotel. | knew
no one in the place, but got somewhat
chummy with one of the clerks and spent
my evenings at the theaters, and recall
among those seen upon the stage Mr..
and Mrs. Barney Williams and Mr. and
Mrs. Billy Florence.
At last the time came for us to be off
again and we started by boat for Leaven-
~ n H. Il