4-Admission into the Union. Passing over the fierce discussions which eventuated in the establishment of Missouri as one of the confederacy, 1820, we come to the year 1822, when St. Louis, by legislative enactment, was erected into a city by the name which she now bears. Since that time, what wonderful changes have taken place? Working her way to importance and greatness through all the impediments which have been opposed by the neglect of the general government, and the tardy and grudging action of the state, of which she ought to be the pride, and is the chief support, St. Louis has still maintained her onward and upward flight, like unto the noble bird, which by its own power and strength, unsustained and unsupported, floats majestically over the storm-clouds of the sky. permit him to rest from his toil. Besides these natural difficulties, communication with New-Orleans was at this time rendered dangerous, from the circumstance that a numerous band of robbers, under the guidance of two men, named Culbert and Maglibray, had located themselves at a place called Cottonwood Creek, La rivière aux Liards,' and begun a system of depredation which was highly alarming and detrimental to those who navigated the Mississippi. As communication between the two ports could be effected but once a year, the boats were generally richly laden, so that the plunder of them was wealth to the plunderers and ruin to the owners. The gay song of the voyager, as he kept time with the stroke of his oar, was the signal for the robbers to rush from their retreat. Armed at all points, they seized upon the vessels, and "The advantages of education, the lights compelled the astonished and terrified crews of science, the blessings of religion, placed to run them to shore. There they would within the reach of all; the establishment divest them of all that was valuable and of a wise and vigorous municipal govern- leave them at liberty either to continue ment, under the auspices of which her limits their route, or return to their place of dehave been enlarged and her interior improved parture. This system of pillage was carried and embellished; the erection of manufac-on with success; it was rare that a boat tories, the extension of the arts, the regula- passed these robbers unseen, and seldom tion of commerce. All these results, so did they see one which they did not pillage." well known and appreciated by those who 6.-First Steamboat on the Missouri River. hear me, have flown from the natural reFRANKLIN, (Boonslick,) May 19, 1819. sources of St. Louis, and the intelligence "ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMBOAT.-With no and enterprise of her citizens. She has now a name and reputation abroad of which we may all be proud. Let it be our care always to maintain them, so that hereafter, when away from our homes, the title of citizens of St. Louis may be more potent even than that which in ancient times afforded protection to the citizens of Rome." 5.-Steam Navigation to St. Louis and on the Missouri. 64 ordinary sensation of pride and pleasure, She "The grand desideratum, the important fact is now ascertained, that steamboats can safely navigate the Missouri.” ST. LOUIS STATISTICS OF.-The St. "Up to this time communication with New-Orleans was rare and difficult, and although Spain claimed the exclusive navigation of the Mississippi, yet she was not able to protect her subjects from the rapacity of the amphibious pirates who infested that river. The early efforts of the citizens of Virginia, from 1769, and the hardships Louis Republican of the 1st inst. contains its and dangers which they encountered in at- annual review of the commerce of that city, tempting its navigation, bear me out in say- and a variety of statistical tables, containing ing that a trip from St. Louis to New-much valuable and interesting information, Orleans, was more arduous than a trip from which we condense the following parwould now be to China. Now we have ticulars for 1850: steamboats which waft us with a velocity that seems almost to annihilate distance. Even the short interval of five days from New-Orleans to St. Louis, is not considered as anything extraordinary in the speed of the mighty crafts which stem The population includes 23,774 natives of the bold current of the Mississippi. Then Germany, 11,257 of Ireland, 2,933 of England, the oar of the hardy voyager alone moved and 2,450 of other countries, making an the dull bark against the rapid current, ex-aggregate of 40,114 natives of foreign councept, occasionally, when the southern tries, leaving 37.051 for natives of the breeze would spring up, and filling the sail, 'United States. This is even a greater dis Population-free, 74,849; slave, 2,616; grand total, 77,465. Productive industrycapital invested, real and personal, $3,853,351: persons employed, 7,929; annual product, $13,908,577. tion, under bond for the payment of duties at St. Louis, the entries being received, the foreign value of which is, $107,902 00 Amount of duties on foreign merchan dise collected in 1851. Amount of duties unpaid for merchan- dise in store 31st December, 1851. parity betwen the native and the im- We condense the following from its religious statistics: Grand total, 49 churches, containing 35,712 seats, and valued at $1,213,500. The last division includes 2 Unitarian churches, with 2,100 seats, valued at $70,000; 2 Evangelical, with 600 seats, valued at $4,700; 2 Baptist, with 1.600 seats, valued at $38,000; and 1 Boatmen's, with 500 seats, valued at $15.000. In addition to these, there are 2 Synagogues, with 470 seats, one of which is rented, and the other valued at $7,000. The Roman Catholic population is much more numerous than is indicated by the number of seats in the Roman Catholic churches, as a very large portion of that deromination worship in the aisles and vestibules, and an average of three several congregations assemble at each church at the different hours of the several masses on Sunday morning. The educational statistics of the city comprise 15 public schools, with 2.378 pupils; 44 common schools, with 2,847 pupils; 9 Roman Catholic schools, (including two convents,) with 1,356 pupils; 1 Roman Catholic College, 250 pupils; and 2 Medical Colleges, with 14 professors and 202 students. There are also a number of schools and seminaries in the county, beyond the city limits, not in cluded in the above. dise to transmit from other ports, des- merchandise imported for this port in Of the above. exclusive of the said mer- Germany and Holland. Total foreign value.. 239,318 68 8,261 89 32,679 20 280,259 77 406,113 00 38,404 00 23,239 00 220,770 00 68,983 00 .$757,509 00 The general description of merchandise imported, entered for consumption, and warehoused in the year, and foreign value thereof, is as follows, viz. : Sugar and molasses.. Hardware, &c... Railroad iron. Earthenware Tin plates, tin, iron, copper, &c. Burr stones Drugs and medicines.. $289,753 CO 133,401 00 100,211 00 98,786 00 81,482 00 24,712 00 24,287 00 2,259 00 2,618 00 $757,509 00 $2,941 00 $3,441 44 1847. 1849. 1851. 502. 313. 300 430. 406. 457 656. STEAMSHIPS-PROSPECTUS FOR ESTABLISHING A LINE OF PROPELLER STEAMERS BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND NEW-ORLEANS.BY WM. MURE. It is proposed to establish a line of steamers to ply between the ports of New-Orleans and Liverpool, commencing with two vessels to be worked by screw propellers. The required capital, amounting to $400,000 or $450,000, to be raised by subscription, in shares of $1,000 each, payable in equal instalments of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The vessels to be of the register burthen of about 1500 to 1600 tons, and to have extended accommodations for first and second-class passengers, as well as capacity for large cargoes. The principle of propulsion by screws is adopted for its economy and convenience. A vessel built on this plan, by the best workmen on the Clyde, similar to the "City of Glasgow," which has answered the expectations of its projectors, will only cost about one-third of the sum invested in the large steamers of the Cunard and Collins lines. The working expenses, coal, &c., are also on a greatly reduced scale, while the capacity for goods and passengers is larger, owing to the great saving in the space occupied by the engines and coals. EXPENSES IN DOLLARS. Wages for Captain, per month. The time is opportune, as the British West India steamers have been forced (from lack of time to visit so many points) to give up calling at Mobile Point or Havana, and a considerable number of passengers and goods could be had by touching at the latter point. It is also believed that the English Government will give the Havana mails to the first company putting on a direct line of steamers. Indeed, on the faith of this, it was lately proposed in England to place a steamer on the Havana and Liverpool sta- Victualing per month 53 hands.. tion; but the trade between the two ports being thought insufficient, of itself, the project has been for the present abandoned. 66 $200 120 160 66 3d Engineer. $50; Assistant, $40. 90 6 Firemen, $150; 2 Lampmen, $40.. 190 66 2 Boys, $16; 2 Apprentices, $16. 32 12 Seamen. $15 per month. 180 66 66 8 Waiters, $120; 1 Chambermaid, $12. 132 Annexed will be found a schedule of the estimated income and expenditure, which, it Or for 12 months, and no deduction is made will be noticed, shows a net annual profit of $92,616 for one steamer costing $220,000, or 42 per cent.; a very ample deduction for interest and depreciation, say 25 per cent., having been made from the gross earnings. Coal, 300 to 400 tons, say 350 tons for 8 voy- (The coal can be bought in Liverpool at 12s. Wharfage and pilotage per trip, and dock It is certain, from the character of the cotton trade between this port and Liver-100 pool, that a vessel which could be relied on to arrive within a certain time, would always command a preference from shippers, at a higher rate than current for sailing vessels. At the present time, a difference of 1-8d to 1-4d would readily be paid, so that 1-2 per Ib. might be fairly calculated upon as a very moderate freight. Estimate of Receipts, Expenses, and Profits, also depreciation, of a Steamer upon the propeller principle, of about 1500 to 1600 tons, capable of carrying 3200 bales of Cotton, and on her return voyage 850 tons of Measurement Goods and 500 tons of dead weight, to run between New-Orleans and Liverpool, touching at Havana Discharging cargo in Liverpool.. 2,560 $2,112 $25,344 15,000 16,000 8,000 ..$250 2,000 $500 2,000 250 1,000 10,240 6,000 2,000 $87,584 Compressing and stevedores' wages on Commission 2% disbursements in New- Allow for interest on $220,000, insurance, ance... 55,000 $142 584 STEAM-BOILER EXPLOSIONS. — Since the melancholy and terrible explosion of the Louisiana, at the New-Orleans levee, by which from one hundred and fifty ...£30,800 to two hundred persons were ushered into Income of four outward trips from New- £7,700 The pecuniary loss in the 209 instances, at the supposed reasonable average of $13,302 for every boat, is $.780,118. Regarding the subject of the loss of life just mentioned, we will add that in numerous cases where it is known that many human beings were launched into another world, the records show nothing. The following estimate is reasonable it may fall short of the reality: Estimate of persons killed, in 209 explosions, averaging eleven persons to each case.. 2,299 Estimate of persons wounded, averaging nine to every explosion.. Supposed total killed and wounded. 1,881 .4,180 The record of the boats destroyed by collisions is somewhat incomplete, we think. It comprises a list of 45 boats, whose original cost was $538,906; depreciation while in service $153,673, and the final loss $379,933. STEAMBOAT DISASTERS.-BOATS SUNK, BURNED, OR OTHERWISE INJURED, ON WESTERN WATERS, 1849.*-Below we give a list of steamboat accidents which occurred during the past year, as taken from the files of newspapers. This may not include all, but a majority of the cases will be found correctly and duly chronicled. The estimated loss of each is also taken from the same source, and it may be slightly defective as to real value, but in the aggregate the figures will not be found to differ widely from a true statement: BOATS TOTALLY DESTROYED. 21,000 10,000 15,000 3,000 Edward Bates, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis.. $20,000 Illinois river... 14,000 14,000 35,000 14,000 12,000 Mary Ann, Jan. 17, sunk, collision, Pittsburg 8,000 Mustang, summer, burnt, Duncan's Point.. 12,000 Matilda Jane, fall, sunk, near New-Orleans, 15,000 36,000 Montauk, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis Mamaluke, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis.. 30,000 Mandan, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis. 12,000 Marshal Ney, Oct. 10th, burnt, New-Orleans, 35,000 Martha, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis. Mary, July 29th, burnt, St. Louis.. Northern Light, Jan. 18th, burnt, Pittsburgh, 10,000 Oella, No. 2, Dec. 13th, sunk, Anderson's Ferry 30,000 44,000 6,000 26,000 16,000 20,000 Prairie State, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis. river. Sarah, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis. 21,000 12,000 70,000 12,000 Samuel Walker, summer, burnt, Memphis.. 20,000 river. Estimated value Saranak, fall, sunk, near Baton Rouge.. 25,000 Anne Elizabeth, Jan. 27, sunk on Falls of Ohio .$35,000 16.400 Alph. de Lamartine, April, burnt at Bath, Ill. river... Andrew Fulton, Feb. 22d, sunk at Platin Rock... 35,000 .28,000 40,000 Transport, fall, sunk, Lower Mississippi. 18,000 20,000 28,000 30,000 Alice, May 17th, burnt, St. Louis. Courier, spring, sunk, Lower Mississippi. De Kalb, Feb. 12th, sunk, Santee river... 25,000 10,000 Viola, Dec. 27th, sunk by collision, near Donaldsonville. Total number, 83. Total estimated loss.. $1,585,400 The above estimate of losses includes cargoes on board at the time of sinking. 12,000 Accidents to Steamboats, which were after.10,000 wards raised and repaired. 8,000 Anthony W. Vanleer, collapsed a flue at 4,000 Plaquemine, by careening, Feb. 21st. One 8,000 negro fireman killed and four others badly 10,000 scalded. 30,000 8,000 Amaranth, came in collision with the Every year tells a similar and even more sad dening tale. |