Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-03-27

RACING AT MEMPms.-The Memphis Bu1stiE gives
this account Of some sport had on the Memphis
Course on Saturday.
The much talked Of race between John Buffers
chestnut horse and John Francis roam, came off
Saturday at the race track-single dash of a mile
for $500 a side. After good start, Buffers ches-
nut took the lead, maintained it throughout the
race and came home winner in Isl. The excite
ment created by this match brought some four or
five hundred people to the track, anxious to wit
ness the sport Previous, however, to this race
trOttng match came Off-mile heats in hSrness-
which was won easily by the Morning Star pony, -
beating the Big Black mare in time 3:45 and
3:4Gl. A match was afterward made up between
Seweu WTights clay bank " and DR.. Ness brown
horse. mile heats best in ., TO sukes. As the
clay bank proved himself unable 20 win in Il urot
his driver used persuader which brought him to
"a beautiful hand gallop leaving the owner of the
brown horse 10 take down the purse-frum a well
known rule this track, viz: that foul riding or
driving rules the horse off and forever prohibits the
offender from taking any part whatever in any race
atterward run over the same.
BulNISG or THE Steamboat PEEslA-Torn DE-
sTEUcuoN or TINE Boar AND CAReo-Two LIVES
Losr!-We copy the following particulars OF the
burning of the steamboat Persia of which mention
was made in our Geographic dispatches, from the
Memphis Baasiin Of the oath:
O s.
suing from the hull of the steamboat Persia. Capt.
Cochran. lying at the leyee opposite the foot Of
Court street The alarm was at once given, the
matches battened down and every effort made to sub
due the flames but without success, and she was
soon after cut loose in the hope that the current
would carry her out into the stream. She was lying
against the bow of the wharf boat of Messrs. J. D.
Morton & Co.. with the w. II. Langley. Victoria and
Z. ~ Ryland Immediately above, and closely
wedged in that after swinging round few feet she
ar,I MA rfranraH hpaf
named. Meanwhile, the fire brigade arrived in full
force, but the locality Of the flames being beyond
their reach they could only flood the deck and upper
works with water. in the hope of sOntining the fire
10 the hold for great length of time possible.
Unfortunately. too, the machinery Of the Langley
and Victoria were not in full repair, and they
in consequence unable TO raise steam and back out
from the danger with which they were threatened,
while the position Of the wind was such, that had
either been cut loose, they must inevitably have
hoated against the burning Loaf
The other steamers at the landing. the lngOmar
AID South Bend, together with the ferry boat, Ma
shObah. Immediately commenced firing up and
after some DELAY the latter dropped down from her
moorings and came CALAMITY to the rescue. She
immeditealy made fast to the stern of the Persia,
and after considerable pulling and Juggling, sue
ceeded in releasing her from her implement drew
her into the river and across to Saughter-HOuse
Point, where while attempting to ground her on
bar the flames burst forth from the hold and in
very few moments had enveloped her entire upper
decks. At that time the scene presented was per-
haps one of the grandest ever witnessed from our
bluffs The steamer. with her every part one mass
of lurid flame floating gradually down the river,
lighting up its dark surface and rejecting upon its
banks for miles either hand the red glare Of ten
thousand fiery furnaces all contributed 20 make up
a picture seldom equalled in thrilling magnifcence
and one which viii long linger in the remembrance
of every beholder. The fire continued to burn
for several hours, until finally the wreck sunk near
the head of Presidents Island, and the water hid
forever from sight the last vestiges of the Persia.
The saddest feature of the calamity Is the fact
that it attended by the loss Of at least one
and perhaps two lives. One of the unfOrtunates,
deck hand. was seen TO fall INTO the burning hold
As the boat was being towed ont into the steeam,
and was IN all probability OverpOwered by the
heat and smoke. The other, whose name and occu-
patton are unknown. but who Is supposed 10 have
have beer one of the boats crew. observed
rushing wildly about her boiler deck, crying loud
ly for assistance, she was passing the lower
wharfbOat His fate is not known 10 certainty,
but there to be little doubt that he either per-
ished with the wreck or drowned in attempting to
reach tie shore.
To Mr.. VIM Spain, the commander of the Nasho-
bah, Who'll came to the relief of the imperllled
steamers, at the risk Of his craft, is due the
credit of saving from almost certain destruction
not only the wharfboat but the steamers lying i'm
mediately above the Persia, His daring intrepid
tv won the admiration Of every witness of the
scene and viii not we are certain, fail of due
appreciation at the hands OF Memphis boatheh
generally.
Tie Tsia arrived at Memphis from Cincinnati
on the 22d, with heavy cargo, which she had dis
charged and was commencing to receive cotton pre-
paratory to her return. The Bu!siis of the 25.h
states the amount of cotton on board was burned
at PA bales which fully covered by insurance.
The Persia was owned by Capt. ROBERT COCHRAN,
her commander, and Nessrs NENNIcE AZ Co., of Pitts
burgh and New Orleans, She was valued at from
$4,000 to SI2O 600 and insured at the Eureka office
at Pirtsburg for $1,000 The total loss on boat and
cargo will not fall short of $4,000 The Persia was
built at Pittsburgh about seven years since. by
Capt BEN HUrcHIsoN, now Of the Sovereign, and
within the past year had been supplied with en-