{"id":10077,"date":"2022-06-23T20:42:14","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T01:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/?p=10077"},"modified":"2022-06-23T20:42:14","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T01:42:14","slug":"on-the-mississippi-by-edwin-woolsey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/2022\/06\/23\/on-the-mississippi-by-edwin-woolsey\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Mississippi by Edwin Woolsey"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

On the Mississippi<\/h1>\n

by Edwin Woolsey with art by Freeman Payne<\/strong><\/p>\n

Out of money, Roosevelt\u2019s luck gradually changed. He agreed to build a self-propelled riverboat for Livingston and Fulton. Their ship would navigate the continent\u2019s interior waterways. Constructing the vessel\u2019s hull in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the internal machinery came by wagon from foundries in New York. The workmen assembled all the pieces onsite. By 1811, the three men finished their first Mississippi steamship and named it the New Orleans for her home port in lower Louisiana.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s riverside piers and the Ohio\u2019s bordering banks teemed with townspeople. The crowds waited for a glimpse of the marvelous steamship leaving her berth. Engineer Nicholas Baker ordered a pair of crewmen to stoke more coal in the firebox burning beneath the boiler. Bursts of pitchy smoke belched from the tall stack. As the steam pressure increased, Pilot Andrew Jack pulled a cord attached to the boat\u2019s whistle. An excruciating shriek signaled the vessel\u2019s departure. Watching the side paddle wheel thrash the water, the mob roared as the boat casually cruised into the downstream current at three miles per hour.<\/p>\n

Steering with ease and making good speed, the sleepless passengers remained on deck during the night. They admired the unbroken expanse of Ohio forest sweeping by on either side. The moon\u2019s thin waxing crescent and the long tail of Tecumseh\u2019s Comet illuminated the glassy water. The river\u2019s face glimmered like a broad ribbon of undulating silk.<\/p>\n

Safely reaching Owensboro, Kentucky, Roosevelt decided to anchor the boat on December 15. They would spend a peaceful night on the river, or so he thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with this Labrador?\u201d the Captain grumbled, trying to evict his dog from the passengers\u2019 cabin by the beast\u2019s collar. \u201cUsually, he enjoys sleeping on deck,\u201d straining harder, the man mused, \u201cbut not tonight, for some strange reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

The whining animal braced broad paws against the floor and yelped as its nails screeched across the polished wood.<\/p>\n

\u201cNicholas, kindly let poor Tiger stay,\u201d Lydia begged as she finished suckling Henry who waited to be tucked in his cradle.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, please\u2026\u201d their drowsy daughter whimpered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, alright,\u201d the reluctant father agreed. \u201cOutnumbered two to one, I know when I\u2019m bested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Relieved to be free, the family pet nosed the mother and daughter as if to say, \u201cThank you!\u201d before slinking between the stove and cabin wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat creature is simply not normal,\u201d Roosevelt frowned. \u201cI wonder if he\u2019s ailing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry. I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be fine in a day or two.\u201d Alluring, Lydia stroked the covers of her bed, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you come and keep me warm? The river\u2019s chill is especially keen tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gladly surrendering to the woman\u2019s call, the Captain momentarily kissed Rosetta, dozing in her crib, before joining his wife.<\/p>\n

Except for the black Labrador and the early morning watch, everyone was asleep as bubbling muck gas boiled from the slime at the river bottom. The noxious odor of rot bathed the ship\u2019s hull and crept over its deck while the full length of the waterway seethed. Lurching from its hidden lair, Tiger circled the passengers\u2019 quarters. The furious creature raged at the unseen mayhem beyond the cabin walls.<\/p>\n

Soon, loud rapping pummeled the compartment door, \u201cCaptain, we need you outside IMMEDIATELY!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in God\u2019s name is going on?\u201d Roosevelt clambered from the jostling bed as if from a drunken stupor.<\/p>\n

While Lydia consoled baby Henry and little Rosetta, Nicholas grabbed his uniform to dress. Staggering onto the reeling deck, he passed the cook and two nurses. Leaving them to assist his frightened wife, the man joined the ship\u2019s pilot, engineer, and crew at the bow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in hell is this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn earthquake, Sir,\u201d Baker growled. \u201cOne like I have never seen!\u201d<\/p>\n

As water boiled beneath the rolling boat, the men clutched the rigging. They watched unimaginable devastation rip the riverbanks away. Mountains of rubble sank in the churning current. Silhouetted by the Great Comet of 1811, the timber on either side of the Ohio, rose and fell like the undulating spine of an enormous dragon. The buckling ground rid itself of the clinging forest before hurtling skyward. Thousands of trees collapsed in giant ripples. Each time a monstrous root was erupted from the ground; a splintery explosion resounded like cannon fire. In the distance, the horrified observers watched entire islands sink beneath a tumultuous tide of darkness. In only moments, the entire watercourse changed as familiar landmarks completely disappeared. The New Orleans floated on a cataclysmic flood of destruction.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, what are your orders?\u201d the timid pilot whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll push floating debris away from the hull and side wheel until morning to keep our anchorage here if possible,\u201d Roosevelt pointed. \u201cThen, when the deepest channel is visible at daylight, the ship will proceed to Henderson, Kentucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, Sir,\u201d Jack agreed, \u201cif this damned shaking has stopped in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly so,\u201d Nicholas patted the pilot\u2019s shoulder, excusing himself to join Lydia and the kids.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, another monstrous quake struck six hours later at 8 o\u2019clock in the morning. The aftershock released as much violent terror as the first. But this time, the total effect was visible.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s coming back on us, Sir!\u201d the pilot screeched.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is, Jack?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire river, Sir!\u201d the befuddled fellow pointed. \u201cThe current has reversed!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSteer into it, man!\u201d Roosevelt barked. \u201cDon\u2019t let the leading wave swamp us!\u201d<\/p>\n

Aware of necessity, the engineer jerked the firebox damper open and shoveled more coal. The rapid side wheel responded, and the New Orleans quickened her pace, leaving a plume of ash and glowing cinders in the boat\u2019s wake. Bucking like a wild horse, the steamship plowed into the rolling billow. Crashing through the ridge of water, the bow lifted and dropped between each intervening trough and peak.<\/p>\n

Within four hours, another massive tumult battered the torn earth and roiled the troubled tide. The horrific midday shock whipped a bleak veil of dust and vile gas overhead. The revolting mist obliterated every scrap of blue sky and blotted the beaming sun above the shattered town of New Madrid.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] On the Mississippi by Edwin Woolsey with art by Freeman Payne Out of money, Roosevelt\u2019s luck gradually changed. He agreed to build a self-propelled riverboat for Livingston and Fulton. Their ship would navigate the continent\u2019s interior waterways. Constructing the vessel\u2019s hull in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the internal machinery came by wagon from foundries in New…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1668],"tags":[410,437],"class_list":["post-10077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writers-artists-night-2022","tag-edwin-woolsey","tag-freeman","category-1668","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10077"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10078,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10077\/revisions\/10078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}