The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-07-02
The Great Steamboat Race
Between the Famous Natchez
and Robt. E. Lee,
From New Orleans to Cairo.
The Lee Gains Half a Minute
on the NatcheZ I'm TWEEN.
ty.three Miles Run.
Excitement at New Orleans
and Along the River.

and Along the River.
M rival steamers Natchez, Captain
Thomas F. Leathers, and Robt. E. Lee,
Captain John Cannon, left New Or
leansbn Thursday night, the former
for St.Louis and the latter for Louis
vile. Notwithstanding the command
ers Of hese steamers have announced
that thy would come up merely on
busines trip, i is understood in marine
circles hat both boats will make their
best TIM to Cairo. II will be remem-
bered tht the Natchez, on her recent
trip. cam to Cairo from New Orleans
in three lays, four hours and thirty
four miIbtes, and to st. Louis in three
days, twsty-one hours and fifty-eight
minutes-she fastest time ever made by
any boat % St. Louis. The Lee has
made the run from New Orleans to
Cairo in tltee days, eight hours and ten
minutes. Knowing ones predict that
both boats will come to Cairo inside Of
three days, .E the present trip, provid
ing they meet with no extraordin-
airy detention We have no doubt but
that Natchezgill be reached inside OF
sixteen hours and Vickshurg inside OF
twenty-four, ad Cairo inside of three
days. There he run of the Natchez
will be apt to md, as the water in the
Mississippi is nit of sufficient depth to
make any kind # time to st. Louis.
The Natchez, which is the newest
boat by some thne years, was built last
year at Cincinnati, and is 30I feet E
inches long, by Il feet BEAM and 3Sl
feet floor, and 10 feet hold. She has
eight high pressure boilers, making all
the steam she can possibly work She
is propelled by two high pressure cyl
inders, thirty-four inches diameter 10y
ten feet stroke, and works Il water
wheel OF forty-two feet and eleven
inches iH diameter, with fifteen feet
seven andR half inches length of buck
ct, which are twenty-siX inches wide
She has , beautiful model, and is
thought to be Il faster boat than the
ROBERT T.. LEE,
Which has the following dimensions
The Lee, three years older than the
Natchez, has been kept in such thor
ough repair hat she may be said to be
as good as new. She is three hundred
feet long 10y forty.six feet beam and
thirty-siX feet aoor, and nine and half
feet depth OF ibid She has eight very
large boilers, which make all the steam
she wants-ndwithstanding the gen
eral opinion TO he contrary. Her cylin-
ders, the largcst2igh pressure ever built
in the West, are.iorty inches in diane
ter with ten feet ,troke, turning water
wheel Of thirty-cEht feet in diameter,
with sixteen feet nine inches length o.
buckets, twenty.sit inches wide Meth
er boat carries, we believe, any more
than their Customhous measurement,
which i'll the Lee is l4O1 tuns. The
Natchez, it is claimed, carries 1900 tuuS
New ORLEANS, Jmc 3O.-Thc Rohcr.
f. Lee left here at j:0l p. NJ, draw
ing six feet forward and six and half
feet aft The NatchU left nj r04! p.
NJ, drawing six ami half ;rct for
ward and five feet two inches aft They
took no freight and very few rassen-
gers. The Natchez was four minutcs
behind at twenty-thee miles abov,
the city. Great excitement on the
levee and throughout the city. Scv-
cral steamers crowded with people went
up the river twenty-five miles 10 see the
rival steamers pass up.
New ORLEANS, Juuc 29.-Thc Lee
will make no landings. Her fuel will
he received from steamers which went
up the river this evening. The Nat
chez will land six times. The excite
mcnt is great. Several steamers will
90 out in advance with crowds OF peo.
pie to see the racing boats when the,
pass the twcnty-mile post.
EVANSVILLE, June 30-The Natchcz
and Lee excitement is up TO fever heat
and numerous bets are being made, gen
orally even. One yonng man bet twcnt'
dollars in gold against twenty dollar
in greenbacks on the Natchcz. \
heavy bet was made by Captain Pierce,
of the Lawrence, on the Lee.
The following, clipped from the New
Orleans papers of Tuesday, shows the
excitement relative to the Natchcz ana
Robt. f. Lee race:
SPECIAL NoTICE.-lm order 10 wime,>
the departure of two OF the fastest pacl.
cts afoat, the steamer Henry Tctc will
leave the landing at / P. NJ, on Thur
day next on an excursion to Fifteen
mile Point, where both packets can hr
seen to advantage. The fare for the
excursion will he the sum of 81. Come
one. come all. JOS. D,LFERES,
Capt. Steamer Henry TctC
CARD To THE PrRLIC.
Being satisfied that the steamer
Natchez has reputation of being fast,
| take this method OF informing the
public that the report that the Natchcz,
leaving here next Thursday, 3Oth inst.
intended racing, is not true, All pa,
sengers and shippers can rest assured
that the Natchez will not race with anN
boat that may leave here on the sam"
day with her
All business entrusted 10 my care,
either in freight or passengers. viii
have the best attention.
L. L. LEATHEE>,
Master Steamer NatchcZ
MEHrnIS, July 1.-The excitement
over the race between the Lee and
Natchez Is intense Betting heavy odds