The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-06

vited us to go along and watch the fun. We had such an abiding faith m those six boilers that We did not place much confidence in Sams prophecy and resolved to go along on the Vivian as far as Nannahubba bluff. some IS miles above the junction on the Bigbee side. where we could stop with the family of an uncle. and return next day by some down boat. and not be with the morti fled crowd.
 This was the vivian's second trip the St. Nicholas had made about four The combination boats were then mak- Ing six-day trips to Montgomery. which meant that six boats filled the seven uass and the St Nicholas had worked regular Tuesday boat this. however. uiu not last long. Feeling sure that the Vivian could not be surpassed hv ahythins on either river, I deserted my friends and joined the enemy for the odds were frightfully against the Alabama champion. The start was made amid the greatest excitement- er. sme Aiice first and in her wake the St Nicholas. The former, so confident of her powers, sounded a challenge from ner whistle, which was responded to bv nef admirers on the levee and ret,,rned py the passengers and crew.
 Ihe St. Nicholas always carried A Iuil set of colors--a large streamer rom the Jackstaff. Old Glory from the ,',' nvar ana two smaller ones amidships
 The excitement aboard each steap,ar had never been equalled by that of any former race. Here was the pride of the Alabama matched against the un- disputed future victor of the 'Rigbee and Warrior. DSs
 Many were the bets offered alonp the route as to the Vivian as a winner put no one was so disloyal as to take them. We eagerly watched the rusn ing waters from the steady revolution or the ponderous wheels. which were sending roaring Niagara against the prov of the pursuer, who was only some 200 yards in our wake, and there she stayed and refused to be shaken off which fact was. explained by the crew or the Vivian in this way: Until 21-mile bluff was reached the water was quite shallow and very detrimental to the speed of a hull sitting deep in the water, while the same condition of affairs was advantageous to the Nicholas. whose breadth of beam caused her to float like duck upon it's native element. But the latter was evidently lgaining. and consternation seized the officers of the Alice, and the writer | d
 boat race. he was rather about to attend funeral At 21-mile bluff the chaser was In speaking distance and We could distinguish faces and colors,
 Here began the deep water and in that lay the hopes of the peerless Vivian.
 The captain had disappeared from the upper deck and was down near the fire doors, dishng out fire water to the firemen and urging them to fire up
 as they had never done before. Our
 passengers were In almost breathless silence-nor were the crew and passen- gers of the St. Nicholas any longer | jubilant for they seemed dazed and
 were rather coy with their demonstra- : tions. Probably the deep water theory
 was being by them considered also.
 "The river was now clouded with smoke. the shades of evening were fast gathering, sparks were flying in every direction. striking the water but to dis appear as they mingled with the waves. And now the gallant St. Nicholas was so near that one could almost spring from our guard onto that of our rival racers. A sharp bend some l few miles above the advent of deep watef threw the Nicholas right into our wake. and not more than 20 feet l separated the boats As we changed l sides, the Alabama boat lost some 20 or 30 feet more by the swing, and a cheer went up from the human freight on our packet but the next bend was more favorable to our rival, which laid her nose near the Vivians wheelhouse and then was the suspense something awful Samuel Rone could not be retained on any portion of the boat. swearing he never saw such steering in all his life-boat swung way out from each bend of the river. Poor Sam. The most k~2 i. --I~ t- .s I. q closed his bar to watch the race and through excitement could scarcely ar ticulate except to abuse the steering, and yet the veteran Capt. Charley John son had the wheel and was trimming the willows as never before.
 There were but two alternatives left for the Viv;an--either she must put more weight on the safety valve or pull for the shore and that mighty quick.
 The latter was chosen as no doubt l the former had been carried to the | limit of prudence and with few taps Of her enormous bell our panting thor ouehbred flew the track and made 27-mile bluff landing-what was put off WAS ever in dispute. The St. Nicho- las swept by and sounded her whistle, which proved the signal for volley of cheers. taunts. yelis and denuncia- tions-the deck was Converted into a bedlam. Not sound come from the threats of our hundred passengers. nor from crew of 55 or more. Captain Sam and his officers promised to do better. now that they had caught their second wind and had accumulated a good deal of steam, and they immedi- atelv started in hot pursuit
 "The heavy swell left by the Nicho- las was now a serious obstacle to our getting alongside, and after few short
 turns in that part of the river, the
 Alabama boat seemed to have us at her mercy, for she disappeared and when we reached the Tensaw and had an uninterrupted view of two miles to Fort stoddard she was nowhere to be seen, which caused the suggestion to be made |to Captain Ables that the Nicholas had gone down the Tensaw, which joke re- mained standing one for years Our next anxious look was when We reached Fort Stoddard for there we had another