The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1870-07-02
NATCHEZ vs.. a. &. LEE
THE GREATEST RACE or THE DAY.
FULL PARTICyLA o. THE START
. o. FROM NEW ORLEANS. y''.q q
lspecial pi.patch q ,be Repulliean,

| NEw ORLEANS, june '30-This after
noon, the appointed time for Che departure
ofthe steanlb boats X. Il. Lee and NaicheE,
the lcyee in the vicinity where these boats
lay was denscly blocked with masses Of
people, viewing as best they could the pre-
parations for the race. atii 'HI o." Vol {
A strong breeze prevailed from the
southwark, carrying the dust in inufFera-
Bile clouds into the faces Of tho people.
The excitement ran very high as the time
passed, and tho expected hour n leaving
4 About o clock, the La Fourch packet,
Henry Tate with q fine brass band ON
board and her guards crammcd with peo-
pie, steamed out into tho sttcsm for an
excursion twenty miles up tho coat,
aiiording passengers for dollar a head a
chance 70 see the races under full head
| way. All the spare boats ID port, In fact,
have goncup with great throngs on bosrd.
I While the, multitude were waiting ion
shore, preparations were going on quietly
md almost noiselessly on board both
steamers, 90 Capt, Cannon Of thel, Lee
seemed in excellent spiriA and, evhontly
very confident, yet emitting nothing call
culatcd 70 increase the speed Of his boat.
He was in occasional commuuicAtion With
the arst engineer and pilot who both ap.
peared ~ realize that much was expected
of them. Capt. feathers Of the hatcher
looked the triumphant veteran oil lover.
Some Of his friends think BIO has boon al
together too confident while, others say
TINT no one knows what he has been doing;
and what his arrangements arc about fuel,
landings, etc. I'f"Fia NJ .pIieD
The Lee is certainly in some respects In
better trim than the Nstchez. Neither
takes any freight exdept piue knots.
While it is given out that The Natehsz
will land six times between here and
Cairo, II is declared that the Lee will go
through without touching shore, getting
her fuel from steamers unJor way
The Lee Is thrcc years older than the
Natchcz Her light boilers are very large
aud her OFFENDERS forty inches in diane
ter, have ton foot stroke driving wheels
of thirty-eight feet diameter, while the
Matches wheels are forty-three feet
diameter, of cylender thirty-four inches,
and ten foot stroke. The Natchez is
more than seven feet longer than the
Ice The latter, however, has greater
breadth of beam by about three feet.
No such excitement has existed IN New
Orleans for long time as the prospects
of this race has created. Money Is piled
up ''mountain high ut Hawkins club
room, and every man and boy in the
streets talks of nothing but the contest
between the two boats. The Lee is the
favorite nj short odds on account Of being
better prepared but Capt feathers can,
IL necessary, improve the condition Of the
Natchez ON the run. Tho friends Of each
steamer are jubilant and await the time
of three dinners on bosrl to decide which
is fleetest
The scene ut Canal street when the
boats pushed out was exciting beyond des-
cription. My hand trembles writing this
dispatch, from the nervousness IL produc-
ed. The crowd swayed and sweated,
.training necks and opening wide their
eyes. The pilots were nloft sometime be-
fore the departure. Engineers below con-
tnued 10 look after nuts and bolts, and to
find new places for oil. The hoarse voices
of the mates were mellowcd somewhat in
giving orders 10 the crews In the firn.
aces the fires cracked and rurrbled, and
from the chimney tops rolled dense vol
umes Of black smoke, The wheels dashed
and clattered in the water like the hoofs of
horse impatient 10 be oil. On the hurri-
cane decks paced the anxious captains,
neither Of whom could now conceal n spice
of that excitement that was visible evory-
where ashore. There was more nervous
ness shown aboard of the Lee than on the
Natchez. The taps Of the bell that indiea-
ted she was about 10 cut loose were fol-
lowed by swift movements on the part of
the negro deck-hands. The taste iines
were quickly Embossed, the pilot spoke
through the trumpet TO the engineer, there
was u jngling of bells, the great wheels
reyolvcd, and at precisely two minutes
before o'clock the steamer r. 4. Lee
started on her journey amidst the most de-
feaning and prolonged cheeiing ever heard
Of this wharf.
Scarcely was the Lee f,irly in the
stream before another shout rent tho air,
and "look "look there y Wa heard on
all sides, and every eye was directed to
where the Natchez, the movements on
board which had been queter, was gliding
from her dock. Now again ARC o yocifer,
Gus, tremendous, thunderous tlaudits, in
which II seemed that every voce in the
whole vast multitude joined, and il was
not for some momeuts that the hurrahine
ceased.
The progress of the boats WAS watched
us long us the racers could be seen and
the throngs on the levee gradually disper-
sed, and formed knots upon the sidewalks
and streets to discuss the event Of the
day.
SECOND DISPATCH.
Since the departure Of the boats the bet
ting has been more even, the Natchez
coming up rapidly in favor. This even.
ing the interest is intense, and tho saloons
and public places are full of people AT
the ST. Charles and st. Louis hotels the
Cafe Imperial, Hawkins and other club
rooms, the Picay4ae Office and other con-
spicuous resorts the throngs are immense
A large crowd is now Is o'clock at the
Levee awaiting the return of the Henry
Tate and the other boats that won't up the
river toknow which Of the racing steamers
was ahead a. tho twenty.milo point,