Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-22
WAS FAMOUS RIVER RACE.
How the Hannibal City Beat the Grey
EaqIe In Remarkable Contest.

Eagle In Remarkable Contest.
In 1861 or 1862 occurred the great
race between the Hannibal City and
the Grey Eagle. 1t was the fastest
closest and most exciting race that
was ever run on the Upper Mississippi
river. 1 was not pilot on the Grey
Eagle during the race. I was sim
ply a looker-on at the time, but had
been pilot on her the year previous.
Fifty years is a long time to go
hack in memory for dates, but that
Trace is as clear in my memory as
though it happened yesterday. At
this late day there are but three men
living that were on either boat at that
time Captain Thorwegan, Joseph
Hamilton of Alton, who was pilot on
the Grey Eagle during the race, and
myself.
The Hannibal City was built in 1856
on the Ohio river for the st. Louis
and Keokuk Packet company. She
was 260 feet in length, 3S feet beam,
engines feet long and "a inches in
diameter, with feet depth Of hold.
She was a very fast boat, as we'll as a
great carrier, and the idol of her
crew, owners and passengers. She
was commanded by the prince of good
fellows, Captain Scott Matson Of
Louisiana, Mo.
The Grey Eagle was built on the
Ohio River by Captain Smith Harris
of Galena, for the Minnesota Packet
company, to run between Galena, ILL.,,
and ST. Paul, in 1856, but in 1861 or
1862 she was run in the st. Louis and
ST. Paul trade for a short time, hence
the great race between her and the
Hannibal City, when the fastest time
that was ever made by steamboats,
was made in that race between st.
Louis and Keokuk. She was ESQ feet
in length, 81 feet beam, engines Z
feet long and 20 inches in diameter.
In 1858 the Hannibal City made the
run against time between st. Louis
and Keokuk, 200 miles, which was
done in fifteen hours and forty-seven
minutes, making her easily the cham
pion of her district.
The same year the Grey Eagle
carrying the queens messag ge between
Dubuque and st. Paul, made the re-
markable time of twenty-four hours
ana ten minutes. Distance, $40 miles
making her easily the champion of
ner district. Her time was never
equaled, and l doubt if it ever will
De. Now the day is appointed when
these champions are to come together
TO decide which shall be champion
supreme of the Mississippi river be-
tween st. Louis and st. Paul. The
Hannibal City had a world of friends
mere and all along the route. They,
after she had made that wonderful
run to Keokuk, also had beaten the
ocean Spray, the champion of the
Illinois river, when she turned lust
above where the Merchants bridge
now stands, said that she would sure
ly win. Captain Harris was no racing
man, but, being in, he did his best.
his crew were confident but quiet.
The levee was full of people to see
the start.
The Hannibal City left promptly
at 4 p. m: The Grey Eagle did not
Euli out till 4.3O p. m, six miles be-
hind the fastest boat on the Mississip-
pl river; that thirty minutes put her
out of sight. Two hours to Alton:
no sight of the Hannibal City. Mouth
OF the Illinois river-42 miles-S
o'clock; Two Branch-5O miles-we
got view of her lights. Nine o'clock,
at Capan Gris-60 miles-we were
but one mile behind her. Ten d. m,
at point below Sterling, IL D. M, we
were alongside the Hannibal City, had
the river lashed into foam. Her es-
capement was loud enough to dis
turb the owls in their moody medita-
ton ten miles away. Her safety valve
was humming like sawmill, her fire.
men, with the heat and light of the
furnaces on their naked bodies, made
them look like cleaning incarnates
from Pluto's regions. The smoke out
of her chimney tops, as black as
though it came out of the cave of
loathed melancholy and darkest mid
night
| The Grey Eagle was fairly lifting her
self out Of the water with every turn
OF her wheels. She burned wood and
was blaze of light. 1t was a race,
but light as day. She wasn't making
much fuss, but she was like the man
that was picked up in a storm, car
rled some distance and let down un-
|
of his wonderful escape, was told by
his friend that the Lord must have
been with him in his flight, replied:
| well, If He was, He was going some"
And so was she.
The Hannibal Citys safety valve
was making such a loud hum that
Captain Harris told his pilot to keep
away from that boat; that he was
afraid that she would blow up. She
had raced side by side for a mile or
more-11 a. m. then. Hats and hand
kerchiefs were being waved frantically,
| yellS OF defiance were hurled from
one boat to the other, lines were held
out from each boat, as much as to
say: Get hold and we will tow YOU"
Twas exciting beyond description
There was no other life but that. All
else was naught. We were then near
ing the foot of Westport Chute To
the right Of it, was the nearest way
and the best water, which naturally
the Hannibal City took, but as Cap
tain Harris was afraid to be near her
for fear Of some accident, he ordered
his pilot to go through the chute.
The captain thought he might possi-
bly, come out ahead Of his rival.
Fatal order. She didn't steer we'll in
the chute, it being narrow and the
night dark, and when it came out at
the head the Hannibal City was two
miles ahead. At Hamburg, S5 miles,
~ o'clock; at Clarksville, 102 miles,
LIS a. m. She was one mile ahead
At Louisiana, ia miles, a. m, we
passed her. At foot Gilbert's Island
129 miles, 3.15 a. M, we were two
miles ahead. Out there we had to go
TO right of the island to pick up a
wood boat at Cincinnati landing,
while she went to the left of the is
land and camo out four miles ahead
We had to run slow with the wood
boat. We passed her while she was
at the landing at Hannibal at a. m,
just as the sun was gliding the eastern
hilltops and headed for Quincy, 20
miles away, where we arrived at $50
a. M, 165 miles from our starting
point. The Hannibal City came in
twenty minutes later.
We left there side by side at a.
m. and headed for Keokuk, 40 miles
away. In the meantime our engineer
had the firmen to put coal into the
furnace, because the wood that we
got out of the woodboat during the
night was not of the best, but as her
furnaces were not arranged to burn
| coal her fires were chOked I'D and