Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-07-02
THE GREAT RICE OF THE.
Il L. A-IrE-n l.

CENTURY.
or late European kilograms have
recited in glowing electric accents all
details of yacht races in the British
channel aud Atlantic ocean. We are
gravely told by the cable that Mr.,
AshbIry, on board his yacht the Cam.
bria, is coming over to America
with prizes Of the immense value OF
eco. How insignificant the con.
tests of these miserable little sailing
vessels ~contrasted with this pending
between two magnificent steamers on
the greatest river in the world, and
how trihing these gold and silver
cups with which victors r re-
warded in European yacht races,
when here, in this remote quar-
ter of the globe, a single steamboat
captain is said to have staked money
and property Of the extent Of S2OO,O OU
-e4O, 600 on the issue Of the struggle
between the steamers r.. Z. Lee and
Natchez. For many years past the
finest steamers on American rivers
have been employed on the lower
Mississippi between Natchez and New
Orleans. 1t signiied nothing TO rich
cotton and sugar planters along the
coast who commanded a vessel. If
the steamer were5wit and staunch and
its -able l~uXuriantly furnished, wealth
was lavished on the owners of such a
packet. To monOpOlize this Nicks-
burg and New Orleans trade and
travel, the r.. T.. Lee and NatcheZ
both were built. Captain John Can
non is no novice in this business. He
built and commanded twelve or more
of the costliest steamers that ever buff
feted the pillows of the Mississippi.
He owned and commanded the i'll
lated steamer Louisiana, whose eX-
plosion at the wharf at New Orleans
brought ~desOlation TO many a South
ern fireside and inspired the muse OF
L'Inconnue as no event before or
since has walked the echoes of her
triumphal Tyre.
He owned the W. W. Farmer, the
Bella Donna, the Nicksburg, JnO. a.
Quitman, ard other splendid steam
ers, whose names are familiar to navi-
gators OF American rivers. 7. p.
feathers, the commander Of the Nat
chez, is as well known as JnO. Cannon.
Tradition tells Us that he was born on
the Mississippi, at least none now iv-
ing can recUr to the time when T. p.
feathers was not a fireman, deckhand,
pilot, or captain on some vessel navi-
eating the great river, or one of its tri-
butaries. His pilots, Frank CaytOn
aud Mort Burnham, like Yves. Con
nor, who huIds the helm on the
Lee, are hardly less experienced sea-
men than Capt. feathers. JnO. SmO-
ker, famous in song and story, is also
on board the Lee, and with him, and
on The Natchez, there are very many
of the first steambOatmen Of the Val
ley Of the Mississippi. Ali are
thoroughly interested in the contest,
and all deny any possibility Of dan
ger. In fact steambOatnen say that
when a race is in progress the utmost
care is exercised by every officer on
board. There is no listless careless
ness at a time Ike this. Every screw
and bolt is properly adjusted, and
every movement Of the grooming
machinery is watched as closely as
a physician scans the last ~pulse-beats
Ofdying humanity. Accidents become
impossible, and TO such a degree'of
perfection havedevices to insure safety
been brought that an explosion from
an excess Of force begotten by steam
is simply impossible. Boilers are
now plugged With a fdsible alloy
which melts' when water within is
exhausted and the gases and steam
escape. Steam gauges are used 50
adjusted that when the pressure ex-
ceeds one hundred and sixty degrees
in the boilers Of the Natchez, a valve,
beyond the control of the engineer, is
opened, and yet the boilers Of the
Natchez have been subjected TO a
pressure Of 2lO'. We do not
apprehend any danger to the
two steamers, unless they run side by
side, and one should violate rules
OF navigating the river and seek to
drive the other ashore, and thus COM
pei il to fall into the wake Iof the one
holding the channel way. Muskets
have been used by pilots in such cases,
which can hardly occur in this extra
ordinary race. When two boats run
side by side they seem drawn together
by OmeextraOrdinary force. Whether
by that vast electric power generated
10y steam and moving machinery, or
by forces Of currents created, we are not
prepared to say. 1t is certainly true
that boats under such circumstances
find it difficult to get apart, and with
reference to the speed Of his craft and
TO this fact Captain Cannon has said
that If the two boats came alongside
one another he would make the Match
ez think the Lee one hundred miles
in length. The Lee is one OF the most
costly and s~killful!y constructed boats
on the Mississippi. Her builders