
Trivia Too – Sounds of the calliope
When I was 12 years old, I always became very excited when I heard the calliope. The calliope is a musical instrument, and at that time, created music by the use of steam. So the employees on the steamboats had to continually shovel the coal to maintain enough steam for the calliope. The calliope music was so shrill that you could hear it miles below the river and miles above the river and you knew that the showboat was coming.