The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-23
Author Declares That Veteran River
Man, Well Known Here. May
be Counted az Typical
River Captain.
HE WAS ON MANY BOATS
Diamond 10 Had klIIeen for Mate
One Season-ExperIence Gained
Was Helpful In Running
Big Line.

ten on the history of Joseph Reynold
and the Diamond Jo'' line steamers
George B. Merrick, OF Madison, Wis
pays glowing tribute to Capital
John Killeen Of Dubuque, who ha
many staunch friends in Keokuk, Il
fact everywhere On tho upper river
Mr.. Merrtck, who is member o
the Mississippi and Ohio River Pilots
society and the Wisconsin Stat,
Historical society, writes OF Captain
| K1lleen as follows:
| Captain John Killeen might vel
be selected as typifying the highes
class of Mississippi river steamboa,
captains, 1t is profession that II
not taught IN the universities. II
cannot be learned In the correspond
ence schools. It must be learned al
first hand in the hard school OF prac-
ttce, and to know 1t as it ought to be
known one must begin at the bottom
and learn it step by step. Deep water
sailors have a saying that they ap-
ply to their most efficient command
ers, that they came In through the
cabin window'-that is, they began as
cabin boys on board ship. and climb
ed to the quarterback; the most
competent and successful command
ers have been those who began at
the bottom, and step by step learned
all that q master In command of q
big river boat should know to enable
him to meet promptly and intelligent
" the varying conditions as they are
presented in storm, and fire and
wreck, or In the less spectacular but
lust as essential duties required In
handling his boat and his crew under
the ordinary conditions of everyday
life. Above all, he most have good
Judgment and courage courage OF
the kind that never permits its pos
SCISSOR to lose his nerve. These are
essentials.
Native Of Ireland.
John Killeen was born In Ireland,
November 81, 1874. His mother died
when he was five years old. and his
father when he was but nine. He
began his river service when In his.
tenth year. out OF st. Louis. first as
a deck-sweep, lamp-boy, and later as
q deck hand. In the spring OF 1851,
In his seventeenth year, he was
working on the Nebraska in the st.
Louis and New Orleans trade. The
opening Of hostilities between north
and south found his boat at New
Orleans, loaded for st. Louis. In
recent chat the captain related the
difficulty his boat experienced in get
ting back to the north on her last
trip. Three boats, the. Nebraska on
which he was employed, the West
and the Prince of Wales,
left New Orleans on the same even
ing. The Nebraska alone got through,
the others being halted and turned
g. no - "a for Lore ny
The Nebraska was stopped by a con-
federate garrison at Island No. 10.
and was held there for something
over twenty-four hours, awaiting the
decision Of the authorities as to
they would release her or
not. She was the last boat to make
the trip from New Orleans to st.
Louis until after the blockade was
raised, more than two years later.
Comes to Upper River.
the lower river being blocked.
young Killeen came north. and in the
spring of 1852 we find him making
and setting up the rigging Of the new
steamer Lansing the first boat OF
the Diamond 10 fleet-it was not a
line at that time, only single boat
of which J. B. Wilcox was master,
plying between Prairie du Chen and
Lansing. He ran on the Lansing
as deck hand until she was sold to
the Minnesota Packet company in
midsummer, 1862, when the entire
crew was transferred to the Flora
After making one trip as deck hand,
Captain Wilcox and his mate having
young Killeen was APP
pointed mate, under protest, as he
did not think himself old enough to
take charge of a boats crew; but
Captain Wilcox insisted that he was
plenty old enough and entirely cap
able, and he was practically forced
to accept This was the beginning
Of friendship between the two men
that lasted until the death of Captain
Wilcox. While employed on the
Flora killeen formed the acquaint-
ance of three men of the crew be-
tween whom there also grew up q
close and lasting friendship; William
later captain, and also broth
erin-law of the captain, who died in
May, 1891, and is buried in Mt. Olivet
cemetery, Dubuque: Harry Leitch,
later mate, now living at Trufant.
Mich-a friendship remaining until
this day unbroken except by death.
On Many Boats.
I'm the spring of 1863, Killeen was
employed by Reynolds to rig the 'Dia-
mond Jo then just off the stocks, at
the completion of which duty he went
back to the Minnesota Packet COM
pany as deck hand for the remainder
of the season. In 1864 he served In
the same capacity on the Key City
and Itasca,' in 1865 on the Northern
Light and in 1866 on the Northern
Light until she sank in Coon Slough,
then on the Milwaukee, a short time.
In September 1866, he went to woTA
for John Robson of Winona, Mimi,
as mate Of the Imperial He worked
for ROBSON during the seasons of
1860 inclusive. the last two seasons