The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01
ON NARK TWALNS OLD RTVER
Plsturosgas Steamboat Tramo - Ihosl
nays Has DisaDpsAraa

Now tR4t MARX VAN N Rono 1qfe
Il q great telling Ovur q Old steamboat
yarns out on the big river Which ense
him his name. Old days On the MlEEis-
aippi and The Ohio bad piohrosqnsnoas
which cannot Be Duplicated anywhere
to-day.
The lsveo in thosO times. aays TIE fSGrsl
MagnsiRs. Feaomblod q modern union
station IN an important railway 0gaarA
Daily packsts wsro constantly arriving
and departing for al polnts up add down
The river. Pine boats ran bstWosn Gin
cinnAh and New Orleans. but S. Louis
was the osnfre % the steamboat t=a1lc
Daily packets ran 10 Omaha. 8lonH
City. Council Blufa. s. Joseph. KAnsns
City, Sc. Paul. Dubuque. Chester, Cairo.
New 0rleana. Nashville and all other
important river towns. In isoo thoro
arrived az the levee i.f7e stoamboafo,
IN lsii there was an increase 10 7iOS.
while through tho month Of May i9oa.
thsro was an AverAgs Of twelve arriVnR
each day. not including tho regular paek-b
etc almost daily from Alton. 80
Pilots az this time were % special ounao-
qusncs. Every courtesy WA eh0un lham
BY captains and crews and extreme dsfsTs
snco b. the negro BARRIERS. wAiesrs and
roJstahouts. Their wages were high,
A q general rule the scale was about
5000 a month. but during the aunh 4
Kanaas trade on the Missouri River a.
good pilot received AZ much e. eooo a
tin. which amounted 20 q 800 n montx
but q pilot only mastered his trade aftpT
long experience and close application. "a,
He had 90 be weIl vsFsed. In Mo
vocation. for in those days there wera
no anAg and drsdge boats. beacon lAmpp
or powerful searchlights 20 play ahead ~
the vessel. The pilot must have q mantAl
map Of the river. remembering the lonAs
ton Of every snAE. aandhaF. shall0w and
other danger. not only On clear daya aud
nighta but also in the darkness. Zoe. alsat
and snow. ....
No danger must be- considered. tnfaot
many OF the steamboat disAStsrs were due
to Sheer foolhArdiness. Up 10 ia5o thero.
were $40 steamers Lost on the two rivsrA
Ia the year 1880 there were i7o steambaatB
partially wrecked and 40 wholly lost,
The expl Osion on the snltanA 10 W.
Il H.
| Although az first Il may seem an I'M
reliable statement. the great gteamhoat
races in those days were lees dangerous
/ than during ordinary trips; for during
/ that exciting period greater precautions
were taken 70 avoid an accident, and be-
sides only a certain number OF pounds os
steam was permitted. Racing was never
popular with the public az large. but -
/ the people Of the valley skirting the river
| and the steamboat men themselves d
was a great event. The advance advaF-
tisement OF a race between two popular
boats sst ths entire river country tAIkinas
Cotton and the tarin became ado ingleay,
betting began on the favorite and The race
was anxioualy awaited.
While discussions and wagerB Woge
aoinR on the captains Of tho rival steam
boats made contracts with wood boats
and coal fats, which were TO BE- stationed
az various points up tho river with the
crews ready 20 lay alongside and transfer
the cargo % fuel on the move. Ala0 ne
utaamers must be completely OvoThnulad
and all spars removed. a. well ~ all diar
pansablo weight and equipment. d.
ia boat ran faster at a certain ballast
Ehe must b loaded 20 that Depth. fne
aBrvioes Of q good pilot must be g1ounDd.
for his hnOWlsdRo % the stream and man-s
aRament Of the vessel meant the gain o.
loss OF valuable time. and perhaps 81 the
rnos. FsW passengers were taken and
The greatest raos ever run was between
the Nafchez, a boat built IN CINCINNATI aud
commanded by Capt. 7. p. LeathcEn, Rnd
New Albany boat. The Robert 3. Lee.
spirited rivalry between the two vesssla
and whom the Matches made the fAntons
eIme ON record betaWen New Orieana AID
81. I,ouia n.z5s miles IN 3 days n hquFu
N miputea) Can't. Cannon reaolvod
20 beat Il. He engaged the eeeanner
Frank Pargoud and various fual Doefs
and arranged for them 20 m4ss him at
various points up tho river with wood and
coal. Then he had his boat cleared Of AZ
her upper works likely 20 catch the Wind
OF make the vessel heavier.
on Thursday, June 10. 1870. ~ 40 =, ~.
the Robert r. Lee steamed out Of New
Orleans. The Matches followed Eve min
utas later. The race had been advertised
in advance and was now awaited Win
gathering interest az all ne river toEne'
u large crowds were assembled &C NatCnel,
ViclIHburE. Helena and other large plaoea
TELEGRAM reports were sent out from
various points. some even 10 Europe.
between Cairo and 81. Louis the NalchsS
Rfterward claimed % have lost 9eysn
hours and ono minute On Account o. q
fog and broken machinery. The hooeftt
II. Lee. however was NOT ueAyHA eAA
arrived In ST. Louis thirty three minutes
ahcad of the previous record established
~ her competitor Fifty thousand
paople from tho h0uastops. the ievea
and the decks Of other steamers Woi-
coined the winner a. she steamed into
mort. Capt. Cannon was tho lion Of the
hour. The business men gave banquet
Ia his honor.
some steamboats, like the John.
Slmonds during the busy season dld .
10000 business every round tr1p. This,
However. was exceptional. As general
rule staamboating was not pAying
industry, tbs most forumats ownera
making but Q por cent. on the moneg
MANY a hungry mouth did the stoAnl-
boat business al IN those days. ~ iul3
the number Of mon earning their living
IN the various departments o. ne tFeoe
has been estimated g so,OeG zoo 49,
later. counting only the laborerg. enGl-
neers. pilots, rspalrsrs and others %
acaI,al crews, there we're about $4,000
DNn suplOyed. In 1850 thnro uns N
OOo OOO invested In steamboats,. with .
Vearly expense Of i.g7i $40 Tor WARee,
al 81, 800 for wood. es1s $40 TOR pro-
visions and $4,000 for other en-
panses. In 1859 almost 0.ooO.eoo wue
SpQnt for wood alone along the ahorue e
Western rivers. 49,.
Tis steamboat ago began about ie1I
and AOuFiahed for hfty years. A. eagly
J az lisa the number of gteamboatn On M
MinalaHipui and lts tributaries q a1fis
mattel ePIa0 and In ial1 there were 90
vessels. with q value OF e7s. 900, 900. But
the GOLDEN era was from iss8 tll the var.
, Never did the valley and Bteamooacng
. prosper more than then. Ihou.ana.
! Of bales of cotton we're annually nhippea
-.