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Telegraph vs. Hibernia on the Ohio River, 1849


-from the Wheeling Daily Gazette, Feb. 7, 1849 (vol. 1, no. 7)

THE HIBERNIA. — The Pittsburgh Journal in speaking of the recent fast run of this steamer between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh says:

"The Hibernia No. 2, being menaced with "a beating" by the Telegram phNo. 2, on the trip up from Cincinnati, gave that brag boat and the world a specimen of what she could do. Although she broke her buckets badly the first night, yet she made the trip from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh in 46 hours 15 minutes.

From Wheeling, where the water was falling, every thing was favorable, except the damage to her buckets, for the run thence to Pittsburgh. Accordingly, we find her time from Wheeling, was 9 hours 29 minutes! -- Beating the Telegraph No. 2, 13 minutes in the same run, despite broken buckets! It is a fair and bad beat, and we want to hear no more bragging about the Telegraph No. 2."

We are glad to hear that the HIBERNIA made a good run. It is always a source of pleasure to us to be able to chronicle any thing calculated to give the world a just conception of the speed and splendor of our Ohio steamers, and the gentlemanly and polite bearing of their officers and crews.

But we cannot praise one good boat at the expense of another, to say the least, equally as good.

The Hibernia is, beyond a peradventure, a splendid boat; commanded by a man who is every inch a gentleman; but with the same regard to truth we may certainly be permitted to say the same thing of the TELEGRAPH NO. 2.

Both boats are an honor to the liberality of their proprietors and the mechanical skill of their builders and an ornament to the river; and why our Pittsburgh friends seem disposed to praise all other boats at the expense of disparaging the merits of the Telegraph No. 2 we are at a loss to understand.TELEGRAPH NO. 2 has made the quickest trip between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, on record. Why endeavor to conceal of controvert this fact -- a fact well known to every man and woman along the river between the two points? Until her time be beaten she is undoubtedly entitled to the name of being the fastest boat on the Ohio, and we understand that her Captain will not neglect his regular business to make another fast run until that time be beaten.

We are sorry to find the captain of the Journal, who is usually very fair in his comments connected with river matters, allowing his feelings to get the better of his magnaminity, and giving place to strictures which while they can not do the TELEGRAPH any possible harm, are but poorly calculated to do Pittsburgh any good.


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