The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-25

extraordinary Mississippi Travelling An Ex-
crinu Narrative with n Certain Amount of
Pathos In tt. u.erat t
The st. Louis Democrat Of June % has the fol-
lowing:- .- = 60
and bs minutes out from New Orleans, distance Of
1900 miles, has revived the interest in fast river
steamers The event recalled the great run Of the
orleans ON the sth Of MAY, 1s44-S days, 23 hours,
and minutes out from New Orleans. o. ~
The time made by the j. M. White for twenty-six
years had remained unsurpassed by any steamboat
on the Western waters. Other fast boats had made
the attempt, but failure was written on all their
efforts. 1t had become settled conviction in the
minds OF great majority of our steamboatmen that
her time could never be excelied.
The time of the Natchez from New Orleans to
Natchez was II hours and 81 minutes 1t is not ne
ce to say that the arrival OF the steamer Natchez
CAPTAIN Thomas j. Leatners in command, on yester-
day evening only days q hours, and 5s minutes
M. White hour and II minutes. AT the time the
White made her trip our steamboats, burned wood,
and she was necessarily hindered In getting her
fuel as her landings were all made against the
banks But the Natchez also came up on a business
trip. She made tweDty-one landings remained 80
minutes at the wharf at Memphis and one hour and
five minutes at Cairo.
the Natchez made the old time marks Of the j. NJ.
"A hite opposite the Arsenal grounds. Intense inte
Tss ss Sy @ M Nscnes Coming on fast
time; and large number OF citizens, representing
all classes, merchants, steamooatmen, mechanics,
Of the city, had collected on the wharf. On the
way from Cairo at Liberty bar she touched bottom,
her speed was checked: thus far she hao made an
unexampled run. Must she now be stayed, and
stick fast in the sand and the coveted triumph be
changed into an ignOminous failure There was a
clear head and steady hand at the helm.
Har engines were reversed; the ponderous
wheels rolled back; her bow was veered little to
the larboard and onward with increased speed she
dashed through the foaming river. All was yet safe
T~o hours yet rema9ed IN IN whgn en- 70 maze 81 aer tlme
bui dDgs Of South st. Louis appeared in the dis
tance The captain gazed with intense earnestness
tha hnilA hpc m nd M
The spires and towers and lofty walls grew nearer
and nearer. Carondelet was made, only days. 2l
Every one OF the officers of the boat were at their
post; cool, calm, collecsed, with victory already
identical a''i pojnt where the White sgnalied her
arrival, little more than tWentysiX years before,
lay still above But there was more than an hour
YET in which to make the distance. And now came
the moment for emotloD--the moment in which the
TSere IL the arsenal grc1ndsS There IS the pont
reached by the j. Nj. White 'Ihere is the end of
her voyage and all eyes were turned towards the
tensty that held the tongue stll, and no word, no
exultant cheer escaped from the lips OF those ear
nest lockers towards the shore-the goal at one OF
the most noted OF steamboat triumphs In speed The
victory was won; the quickest voyage from New
Orleans to st. Louis was brought TO safe conclu.
sion. A few more minutes and the great steamer
was still, reposng quietly on the bosom of the
river at her wharf. The spell was broken. The
pent-up feelings, the anxiety, the tension OF the
deeply absorbed minds OF the officers gave way.
Captain Leathers received them calmly; though
it was evident that in that moment OF triumph he
felt and realized the significance of his achieve
ment. He knew that he had accomplished what
might not be accomplished in a generation--migh
never he accomplished again. He knew that in
after years men would turn over the pages which
written the history OF the past TO learn the
of the Natchez, and he realized too, that when he
should be numbered with the silent sleepers, his
name would still be sometimes recalled in con-
nection with the elandest feat thus far recorded in
the annals of steamboat navigation on the Misss-
sippi.
We know not how we can better conclude our no.
tice OF this memorable voyage OF the Natchez than
in the expressive language OF the brave old captain
as he stood trumphanty, proudly on the deck Of the
Natchez feeling and realizing the significance OF the
feat. "Ah, gentlemen" said he,' very many OF us
old steamboatmen and many young ones, too will
be In our graves, and have moulded TO indistin-
guishable dust, before the time is made again"