In making the journey from Dubuque to St. Paul and return, one of these
steamers--and yet not of the largest class--requires a supply of five
hundred bushels of coal, and full one hundred and twenty-five cords of
wood, to keep its devouring furnaces ablaze and its wheels in motion.
The round trip between these two points is made, including the landings,
in about three days. The _up_-trip is performed with as great speed as
that is down, owing to the greater economy of time in making the
landings. In going up these are easily made, with bows on shore (they
have no wharves); in coming down stream the ship is compelled, for her
own safety, to turn in the river before reaching the landing, and then
run "bows on," the same as when going up, else, if this was not done,
the current of the river, which is often quite powerful, might drive
the vessel too high on the shore, or wheel it around to its damage. This
evolution requires a few minutes for its performance at each landing,
and thus the whole time is about equally divided in the going and
returning.

The average dimensions of the class of steamers employed in this trade
may be said to be about two hundred and forty feet in length and
thirty-five in breadth, drawing from two to four feet of water, with
accommodations for about one hundred and fifty cabin and as many more
second-class passengers.

The first deck is wholly devoted to the machinery and freight; and all
is exposed to view from every side. The great furnaces occupy the centre
of this deck, and their lungs of fire roar and breathe flames eagerly
and dangerously out, like a serpent's forked, flashing tongue. The sides
glow and swell from the increasing heat, and the iron arms of the
machinery tremble and quake with the pent-up and rapidly accumulating
forces, running unseen to and fro, only too ready to lend a helping