Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-11

NoltobA - N'> VI sts> W.
she was converted into a Confederate
transfer boat and was sunk to keep
her from falling into the hands OF
the enemy. All present day pilots,
says Capt. Marsh, know where the
wreck lies, near the foot Of island
No. 10. The Ingomar and the Auto.
crat were also New Orleans packets
The short trade packets were toe,
numerous to mention, he says.
Princess Marks an Epoch. |
The lower river also had some fine
boats. eBtween New Orleans anG
Vicksburg there was the Natchez
commanded by Capt. T. 7. feathers:
and the Princess, which UP to the
time of the Robert +. Lee was built
held the record from New Orleans tc !
Natchez-17 hours. She was final! !
burned, and the Charmer, another fine =,
boat, was put in her place, with Capt.
Holmes in command.
The burning of the Princess, says ,
Cant. Marsh, marked the beginning.
of an epoch. The boat, her cargo and
several lives were lost as the result:
Of her cotton catching fire from
sparks of cottonwood she was burn
ing. Her successor burned coal, and
very soon all boats were using it.
because of the small space it took up. !
The principal coaling stations were
at New Orleans, Baton Rouge. Eayou
Sarah, Natchez, Vicksb1rg, Green
vile. White River, Helena and Mem
phis. All the. coal in those days was
1Oated down the river from Pitts
hurgh on barges manned by raftsmen
with long sweeps. The barges were
light and after the coal was unloaded
were sold to the sugar planters FOR
fuel for the sugar mills.
Another lower river line a be-
tween New Orleans and Baton Rouge
with the boats John A. Cotton, Cap
ital and Lucy Holcomb. During the
dull season the Capital made weekly
trips to Memphis. During the busy
season, when cotton was being taken
to New Orleans, frequently boats
bound for Memphis would turn back
from Helena or Napoleon because
they could get a complete load at
either of those places. Nothing now
remains to tell the tale Of the town
of Napoleon, which before the war
was one Of the largest cotton ship
ping ports on the river. Even Tae
large brick marine hospital of the
government has been washed away
by the river. t
Helena Port Of Many Bales. .
The reasons he says. that so much
cotton was shipped from Helena, Ma
,aIoor n,,l Ny:.lrch,,rr uync fhot the /
small boats brought the cotton in
from the st. Francis, the Arkansas,
tae White, the Yazoo and the Sun,
| flower rivers, and it was reshippcd
for New Orleans at those points on
boats having a capacity of 1000 or
5000 bales.
E:efore the war, he says, Helena
was the largest cotton port on the
river. The steamboats, also got much
cotton from NatcheZ, Lake Provi-
dence, Vicksburg, G%reenville, Skip.
with. Milligan's Bend, Napoleon, Fri
ar Point and Memphis.
The high water mark of steamboat
ing was reached just before the be
ginning of the war, Capt. Marsh says.
That conflict wiped the steamboats,
off the river entirely, and the bust
ness has never fully recovered from
the blow. H..
The only boat to survive the war
was the General Quitman, built n
owned by Capt. J. w. Cannon. After
doing valiant service in the cause OF
the C~Onfederacy, he took her to st.
Louis and. had her Overhanled, ana
she continued to run until snpplanted
by tletfamOus Robert p. Lee.
ice ;;amed at Louisville.
The Robert Il. Lee, he says. was
built at New Albany, Ind, but when
it became known that he was going
to name her for the idol Of the Con-
federacy, SO bitter was the feeling at,
that time that he had to take her
across the river to Louisville to paint
her name on the side of the wheel,
house there, because they threatened
to burn her at New Albany. The
Robert E. Lee was the fastest boat
up to her time and used cylinders 40
inches by 10 feet. ...
The Mary r. Keen was an fnde.
pendent packet. The Magnolia, of
which st. Clair Thompson was mas.
Ter, was later uSeu 10Y a CO~uleueldle
gunboat.
So far as is known the history Of
those boats has never been publish
ed before.
Although steamboating vas in it's
flower and hundreds OF boats were
constantly moving up and down the
river, snagboats were unheard of, and
there was not a beacon light from
Pittsburgh to the %jetties. The cleo.
trio headlights which serve the pi-
lots Of today 50 we'll had not been
invented. and there were no swinging
stages, they had to be launched by
hand. A man who has not been with
out them cannot appreciate the bene-
fits of these improvements in naviEa-
ton, Capt. Marsh says.
The Order. Of Railroad Telegraph