History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 168

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 168
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 168

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The danger and the primitive slow mode of navigating not- withstanding, it will be perceived that even thus early the ut- most efforts were put forth, with studious care, to cater efficiently for traffic while also inspiring the confidence of the public.

EARLY TRADING VESSELS.

The building of sea-going vessels was established at Pitts- burgh by a French gentleman, Louis Anastasius Tarascon, who emigrated from France in 1794, and established himselt in Phil- adelphia as a merchant. In 1799 he sent two of his clerks, Charles Brugiere and James Berthoud, to examine the course of the Ohio and Mississippi, from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, and ascertain the practicability of sending ships and clearing them, ready-rigged from Pittsburgh to Europe and the West Indies. They reported favorably, and Mr. Tarascon associated them and his brother, John Anthony, with himself, under the firm of "John A. Tarascon Brothers, James Berthoud & Co.," and established at Pittsburgh a wholesale and retail warehouse, a ship-yard, sail-loft, an anchor smith shop, a block manufac- tory, and everything necessary to complete sea-going vessels. The first year (1801) they built the schooner "Amity," of one hundred and twenty tons, and ship "Pittsburgh," of two hun- dred and fifty tons, with which they opened trade in flour, with the West Indies and France, direct. In 1802, they built the brig "Nanina," of two hundred and fifty tons; in 1803, the ship "Louisiana," of three hundred tons, and 1804, the ship "West- ern Trader," of four hundred tons.

NEXT, STEAMBOATS ARE TALKED OF.

According to the Western Spy of March 26, 1801, however, there appeared in that issue a notice for a meeting at Griffin Yateman's tavern, then located at the cove, corner of Sycamore and Front streets, Cincinnati, to take into consideration the practicability of a new invention for propelling boats by steam.

A truly remarkable document, indeed, as it serves to show that ten years before Fulton directed his attention to our western waters, the subject was under consideration. But without dwell- ing on the various experiments, interesting, of necessity, singu- larly varied in their prospects, we will at once proceed to re- fer to

THE DAWN OF STEAMBOATS ON WESTERN WATERS.

The first steamboat which descended the Ohio was the "New Orleans." It was a vessel of four hundred tons, construeted in 1811, at Pittsburgh, Pa., under the superintendence of Robert Fulton, its cost exceeding $40,000. The success which had at- tended steam navigation on the Hudson led to a careful exami- nation of the western rivers, to ascertain their adaptation to be navigated by steam. The result was, that the boat named- and the first steamer-was destined to ply between Natchez and New Orleans. In October, 1811, the "Orleans" commenced her adventurous voyage down the whole length of the Ohio and Mississippi, and her novel appearance, and the rapidity with which she seemed to rush through the waters (upon which flat bottomed boats only had hitherto appeared floating upon the current) excited the profoundest amazement among the dwellers upon the bank of the lonely stream. She continued to do a profitable business down to 1814, when she was snagged and lost, near Baton Rouge, La. The second boat was the "Comet," built by D. French, for Samuel Smith, in 1812-13. She was sold in 1814, and her engine was subsequently appropriated to the running of the first steam cotton gin in the United States. About the year 1814 the steamboat "Enterprise," a small stern- wheeler was also built at Brownsville, and placed in command of Captain Shrieve. In the fall of the same year she was char- tered from Pittsburgh by the government with military sup- plies for New Orleans, and arrived there in time to take part in the battle of January 8, 1815.

THE FIRST STEAMER ARRIVED UP THE RIVER AT STEUBENVILLE.

Hitherto, no steamboat had ventured to buffet the current of the Ohio on an up stream trip, but the famous Captain Shrieve recognizing nothing to be impossible when the will was sub- stantially backed with nerve and perseverence, put the head of his little craft to the stream, and soon got under very favorable headway. During the month of June, 1815, considerable ex- citement prevailed in Steubenville upon the circulation of a re- port that some kind of steam propelled water craft was ascend- ing the river near "Potters," (now "Mingo") Island. People hurried to the river bank in large numbers, and after waiting about an hour, their curiosity was fully gratified by the arrival of the "Enterprise," which approached the landing, cast her anchor, and reported that she had made the trip from New Or- leans to Cincinnati in thirty-five days. It would be needless to attempt a description of the astonishment that seized every one present, but as they subsequently beheld her charmingly steam away for Pittsburgh, regardless of the stream that was running, they very naturally concluded that a new and im- portant era in navigation had fairly dawned. Next we find, the same year (1815), Captain Shrieve took an active interest, also, in the building of yet another steamboat to be named

THE "GEORGE WASHINGTON,"

which excellent craft was constructed at Wheeling, W. Va., un - der the superintendence of George White. She was the first steamboat having her boiler and machinery on deck, and was launched on Monday, the 12th of May, 1816. That evening a ball was held on board, and the next evening she arrived at Marietta, exciting no little surprise on her arrival. But little was her fate of the next morning anticipated, when a terrific ex- plosion took place upon her, as best described by the report hereafter given, as taken from the Pittsburgh Mercury, of June 22d, 1816,% and copied by that paper from a Marietta publica- tion that reported the disaster on the spot. That paper says:

'Horrible Accident .- We have a painful duty to perform in re- cording an unparaleled scene of human misery and anguish, which occurred on board the steamboat " Washington. " lately built at Wheeling, Va., and commanded by Capt. Shrieve. She started from Wheeling on Monday last, and arrived at this place (Marietta) on Tuesday evening following, about 7 o'clock,

*The apparent discripancy between the date of this sad occurrence and the date of the pa- per quoted, as containing the report, is accounted for by the fact of the Marietta paper only benig published weekly -then taking some two or three weeks to travel by mail routes to Pittsburgh, and the Mercury not inserting the news until its day of publication, at the end of another week.

486

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

and safely came to anchor opposite Point Harmer, where she continued until Wednesday morning, The fires had been kin- dled and the boilers made sufficiently hot, preparatory to her de- parture, when the anchor was weighed and the helm put to lar- board in order to ware her into position to start her machinery, but only having one of her rudders shipped at the time, its influ- ence was not sufficient to have the desired effect, and she shot over, under the Virginia shore, where it was found expedient to throw over the kedge at the stern to effect it. This being ac- complished, the crew were required to haul it again on board, and were nearly all collected on the quarter for that purpose. At this unhappy fatal hour, the end of the cylinder towards the stern, exploded, and threw the whole contents of hot water among them and spread death and torture in every direc- tion. The captain, mate and several others were thrown over- board, but were saved, with the exception of one man, (who is still missing), by boats from the town, and by swimming to the Virginia shore. The whole town was alarmed by the explosion. Every physician, with a number of citizens, went to their re- lief immediately. On going on board, a melancholy and horri- ble scene presented itself. Six or eight were nearly skinned from head to foot, and others slightly scalded, making on the whole seventeen. In stripping off their clothes, the skin peeled off with them to a considerable depth ; added to this melancholy sight, the ear of the pitying spectator was pierced by the screams and groans of the agonizing sufferers, rendering the scene horri- ble beyond description. The cause of this melancholy catastro- phe may be accounted for by the cylinder not having vent through the safety valve, which was firmly stopped by the weight that hung on the lever having unfortunately been slip- ped to its extreme without being noticed, and the length of time occupied in wearing, before her machinery could be set in mo- tion, (whereby the force of steam would have been expended)- these two causes united-confined the steam until the strength of the cylinder could no longer contain it, and it gave way with the greatest violence. The steamboat was warped across the river and safely moored in deep water at Point Harmer, where it is possible she will stay several weeks until her boiler can be repaired. As her cylinders were on deck, the boat has received no material injury from the explosion.

"The following is a list of the sufferers: Captain Schrieve slightly ; also Mr. Clark (engineer), Rev. Tober (passenger); James Blair, Amos Bennett and George White, all slightly ; ¡Notely Down, Enoch H. McFeely, Israel Moreland, all badly ; Joseph Walsh, *Peter Lanter, *Barney Harvey, Thomas Brown (painter), *James Nutter (passenger), *Sam'l Wait (carpenter), all severely. A man named Joseph was also found missing, and a black man named Jacob was very severely injured."

Subsequently she was repaired and run as a regular packet between Cincinnati and Louisville for some time, finally finding her way into the New Orleans trade. Her captain having the utmost faith in her speed, early in the year 1817 challenged the captain of the steamer "General Pike " to race from Cincinnati to Louisville for $1,000. They duly started, and ran for some- time very evenly, when Captain Shrieve (who, by the way, was a notorious man to swear), stood on the safety-valve of his boat, to keep the steam in, swearing lustily at the stoker while giving orders that he should fill up the fire box to the doors -- pine knots and resin being the chosen kind of fuel in those days. He thus got a length or two ahead, when suddenly the " Gen. Pike " blew up, and a dreadful sacrifice of human life resulted, But Captain Shrieve continued his trip and took up the stakes. From Louisville he proceeded to New Orleans, and on his re- turn, the spring or summer of the same year, the yellow fever was raging so fearfully that he had to man his boat nine times ere he reached Louisville, and even then arrived with four dead on board as he cast anchor. Captain Shrieve now found it de- sirable to temporarily retire from nautical life, and for a while rusticated in the country until the steamer " Ohio " was com- pleted, building at New Albany, when he again returned to the " bosom of Father Neptune. " The last we have been able to learn of him he was in the government employ on Red river, cutting out the rafts that obstructed navigation, and so popular had he become in that section that a small town newly sprung into existence, was named after him, and is still called Shrieve- port, or, by perversion, Shreveport.

STEAMBOAT BUILDING IN STEUBENVILLE.

Arthur M. Phillips, one of the first founders and steam engine

Those marked (*) are since dead.

+Some time after this accident Notley'Down became 'master of the " Tricolor. " and May 16th or 17th, 1831, was backing her from Wheeling wharf, to take on some flour at Bridgeport, when just, off the end of Wheeling Island, his boat blew up, and he, with sev- eral others, was killed.

builders in the west, migrated from Carlisle, Pa., to Steuben- ville, Ohio, in 1807. He was a blacksmith by trade, and soon established himself in a small business. Being an excellent me- chanic, fortune smiled upon him, and so early as 1815 he pur- chased the present site of Means' foundry, where he lost no time in erecting a foundry. Here he soon began to put up land en- gines, mill work, &c., beside which he produced hollow-ware and grates-but, of course, was only favored with horse power to conduct his boring, turning, and other heavy branches of the business. So early as 1819-20, he received orders to prepare the boiler and engine for a steamboat to be put up here, by the name of "Bazaleel Wells," which he had no sooner accomplished than his success was such as to gain him abundant work in that line, and subsequently he fitted out with machinery the "Con- gress," "Thompson," "Steubenville," "Aurora," &c., constructed in Steubenville, besides several put up at Wheeling and other places, until he became quite an adept in the business. As we have said, the "Bazaleel Wells" was the first steamboat built here, and of which the inhabitants felt particularly proud. It was by no means a large boat, but just such as was calculated to conduct successfully a limited amount of business. Steam- boats in those days were mainly small-sixty or ninety feet, keel, fourteen to sixteen feet beam, three to four feet open hold, single engine, side wheels, boilers placed in the hold, and cabin on the first floor. Elijah Murray opened a boatyard, at which hulls, cabins and everything was built entire. . The "Wells" at first did considerable skimming around at home, when it was conclud- ed safe to place her upon

HER FIRST TRIP TO PITTSBURGH,

an interesting sketch of which we append, as taken from the col- umns of the "Olden Time Monthly," of August 1847, and written by one of the passengers who fortunately (or otherwise) in- dulged the privilege of said trip :

"Mr. Editor :- As one object of the Olden Time seems tobe to chronicle events connected with, and descriptive of the early settlement and improvement of the region round about Pitts- burgh, it may not be amiss to devote a few of its columns to a narrative of a steamboat voyage from Steubenville to Pitts- burgh, which was made at an early date, (1820) and before the art of propelling boats by steam was well understood in this country. The boat above referred to, was the first of the kind ever built in Steubenville, and as the builders were altogether unacquainted with the principles and construction of steamboat machinery, it was not to be expected that the work would be very perfect. The novelty, however, of such a work gave it great notoriety, and as soon as it was completed, a large num- ber of gentlemen and ladies including the writer, resolved on making a pleasure voyage to Pittsburgh. The hour fixed on for our departure, brought to the beach (for we had no wharves in olden times,) an immense concourse of people to see the new steam boat start ; for really it was then a phenomenon of no or- dinary occurrence to see a steamboat running up the stream without the aid of oars, poles or paddles.

We left Steubenville about two o'clock in the afternoon, and made such rapid progress the first mile that the crowd on shore were (for they seemed unwilling to lose sight of us) at their best gait to keep up with us. Here it became necessary to cross to the Virginia shore, where we found the current rather more than a match for our steam power, and in order to stem it at all, every one who could pull a pound were required to parade on deck, and exert themselves to the utmost of their power in the employment of bushwhacking, and although our progress was sometimes scarcely perceivable, still we remaincd in fine spir- its, until we had overcome nearly another mile, when we were informed by the engineer that the force pump had given way, and that we must stop and repair before we could go any fur- ther. This for a time seemed to throw a little gloom over our prospects, but no one appeared to doubt the practicability of our finally reaching the place of our destination, and we all agreed to put up for the night, and wait patiently until the pump could be repaired, which by working all night was accom- plished by ten o'clock next morning, when we again set out for Pittsburgh.

The repairs made on this occasion did not increase our power so much as we had hoped it would have done, for (although we had become very tired of it,) we were obliged to keep up our bushwhacking, or go down stream instead of up, whenever we met with stiff water. By one effort and another, however, against noon the second day, we hove in sight of Brown's Is- land, the lower point of which is a little short of four miles

487

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

above Steubenville. Here we met with a eurrent more power- ful than any we had before eneountered, and one too which in the end proved too great for us to encounter. We were, how- ever, slow to believe this fact, and spent the whole of the after- noon in efforts to round the point of that island.

Sometimes we acted very harmoniously ; at others got into considerable brawls, eharging each other with want of skill and discretion. Fortunately for us we had on board a venerable old gentleman, (after whom the boat was named,) whose well-spent life had placed him upon an eminence among his fellow men, which gave him great influenee, and whenever our discussions bore an angry aspect one eoneiliatory word from that good old inan set all things right. Still even with his assistance we were unable to get any farther up stream, and when night stole in upon us we were obliged to eable to the shore below the point of the island which we had so earnestly and untiringly struggled to pass.

This for a time seemed to thwart our prospeets and depress our spirits ; but we were soon made to forget our troubles by the many visitors with which in a few minutes we found our boat crowded. The news of a steamboat lying at the point of Brown's Island had spread far and wide, and brought to that plaee the lads and lassies of all the hills round about. A dance was proposed, the cabin cleared out, the flutes and fiddles made to accord as near as was thought to be of any importance, and then went off such a jollifieation as was truly characteristie of olden times. The good old gentleman referred to made no objections to our amusements until the proper hour of rest had arrived, when, at his suggestion, we all went quietly to bed, and spent the remainder of the night in sweet forgetfulness.

Next morning brought with it its troubles. The point of the island and the unyielding current were in full view, and the associations connected with our unsuccessful efforts the day before and the prospeets of the then present day, had no favora- ble tendency to render us comfortable. What to do was a per- plexing and vexatious question ; one, too, on which we found ourselves no better united than we had been on the day pre- vious.

Many were in favor of returning home, said it was silly non- sense to think of getting to Pittsburgh with such a boat; that this was the third day we had been from home, and that we eould still hear the town bell ring for dinner, while our good captain and others declared that they would rather build a ma- chine shop on the shore and wait to repair the machinery, than submit to the mortification of returning.

In this state of things, and when the altercation became rather boisterous, our good old peace-maker again interfered, and by bis unbounded influence had carried unanimously a proposition : That we should return to Steubenville for the purpose of re- pairing, with the understanding that no one should ask to have his fare refunded, and that we should all hold ourselves in readi- ness at a moment's warning to embark again and accomplish our undertaking.

This question being settled, we cut loose from shore, and in a few minutes found ourselves at the place we had started from. In about a week afterwards we were notified that the boat was in readiness, when we again set out, and after surmounting many difficulties reached the far famed city of Pittsburgh, but the narrative of this second tour must be deferred for the present."

THE SECOND AND SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT.

" MR. EDITOR :- Having in my last, given you some account of the first attempt of the Steubenville folks to visit Pittsburgh by means of steam power; I will now proceed to narrate the second, in which I am happy to say we were more successful.

Our boat being fitted up with great care, and all the skill pos- sessed by its worthy builder, we again set out on our contem- plated visit, and got along finely for more than twenty miles, running at the rate of from two to three miles an hour, and pass- ing all the islands, and everything else we come to, without any trouble, or the application of any power save that of steam.

We all felt highly pleased with our situation and prospeets, and looked with disdain on the petty keel boats as we passed them, and pitied the poor fellows who had to work their way by pulling and bush whacking. Soon, however, an accident oc- curred, which convinced us that after all, this is a world of dis- appointments. We were informed by the engineer that the force pump was broken all to pieces-that it could not be repaired and that we could go no further without a new pump. This threw a terrible gloom over our prospects, and awakened in our

minds all the unpleasant associations connected with our former failure. We felt that we could never overcome the mortifica- tion of again returning without seeing Pittsburgh ; and after a long and sullen consultation, we came to the determination that we would go ahead without a force pump-that as often as our boilers became empty, or so low as to eause danger of explosion, we would lie to shore, open an avenue in their upper sides, in- troduee a funnel, and by means of buckets, dip the water out of the river and fill them ; and as this was considered an expedient which would require considerable labor, it was agreed that all the male passengers should assist in its accomplishment. To this agreement some of the party made serious objections, al- leging that their fine clothes would become so much sullied that they could not make a genteel appearance when they should reach Pittsburgh. A large majority were however in favor of it, and the influence of publie opinion soon compelled the mi- nority to yield. Aeeordingly we all went to work, and although we felt our employment tedious, tiresome and disagreeable, still by patience and perseverance we in this way replenished our boilers as often as they needed it, until we worked our way to Pittsburgh. We were well aware before we adopted this expe- dient, that it would be a serious undertaking, still we were met with many difficulties after we put our plan in operation, which did not before develop themselves.

The matter of reaching water above our heads we found to be very fatiguing, and the trickling of the drippings down our coat sleeves by no means pleasant or agreeable; besides this, almost every time we landed to fill our boilers we got fast on bars, and to get off again generally kept us in employment while the water was boiling.

On the evening of the third day we reached what is called the deadman's ripple, and after filling our boilers discovered that our coal was nearly exhausted, that it would be folly to attempt to eneounter such a current without a better supply of fuel, and upon inquiry learned that there was no coal bank within less than six or seven miles, nor was there any cord wood in the neighborhood to be obtained. This state of things occasioned much dissatisfaction and murmuring on the part of the passen- gers, and drew upon the head of our worthy captain many eurses for his want of foreeast. As night was approaching, however, it was agreed upon as our only expedient that we must lay over until morning, and in the meantime proeure fenee rails and prepare for the flues sueb quantities as would enable us to reach a coal bank some six or seven miles ahead. Aecord- ingly we all took off our coats and went to work and cut and carried rails until a late hour in the night, that we might be able to make an early start in the morning, but being much fatigued we overslept ourselves, and were quite late getting off the next day, and when we got under way, to our great disap- pointment and mortifieation, we found that with such rails as we had procured for fuel we could not overcome the current we had to encounter. We tried it again and again, but when- ever we would reach a certain point in the ripple, like the Irish Captain, we found ourselves advaneing backwards. This per- plexing predicament put us all out of humor, and drew upon the head of the captain a fresh volley of complaints and re- bukes, and the pilot, who was altogether dissatisfied, began to threaten to leave the boat. The captain, who seemed unwilling to bear the blame, alleged that the helmsman was in fault, that he kept too far from shore, and although the captain was warned of the consequences, he compelled the helmsman to approach so near the beaeli, that before we knew what we were about, a heavy current struck the bow of the boat and swung her with tremendous force on the bar below, leaving us almost on a dry beach.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 168

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728