New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-09
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THE RIVAL STEAMBOATS,.
We copy the following personal sketche
from St. Louis Republican,:

from St. Louis Republican:
THE COMMANDER OF THE LEE.
Captain John w. Cannon. the commander
of the Lee, on her memorable trip is, If we
are SOrrectly informed, native of New Or
. leans, and is now about tfty-twO years OF
age. In personal appearance Captain Can
NON plainly indicates his Southern origin.
He is. like the commander of the Natchez,
large man, six feet in height. He is muscu-
lar. but not at all cOrpulent. His face wears
that dark, sunbrowned color. gained by long
exposure to Southern sun and atmosphere.
His eyes are dark and searching though not
piercing His whiskers, which he wears on
his lower chin and under his jaws, are very
black, with only sprinkling, it may be, of
silver among the dark mass. He is a young
looking man for one of his years, and to
casual acquaintance, or stranger, he would
appear as q nervous. restless spirit, that
could not be still. His would not, perhaps,
be called a very attractive face. He is by
no means reticent man, but quick and ac-
tive in speech as well as in motion.
Captain Cannon is self-made man. He
has acquired his knowledge of steamboating
by having worked his way up. The first
boat he ever commanded was the Louisiana.
She exploded her boilers while lying at the.
wharf at New Orleans in lS4S, killing a
large number Of persons. Much blame was
-heaped on Captain Cannon in consequence
of this mtOward event. But Captain e. was
the greatest loser by the catastrophe and
the accusation of the excited multitude was
doubtless without reason. The next boat
commanded by Captain c. was the Downs,
a small Ouachita river packet The days of
the Downs passed. away, and we next hear
of him in command of the Bella Donna, a
famous boat in her day. The w. w. Farmer
was next built and run for some time. The
Farmer was followed by the X. w. McRea.
The great steamer General Quitman was
Captain Cannon's last boat previous to his
bringing out the Lee. For ten years the
Quitinan was the undisputed champion of
the river.
THE COMMANDER OF THE SATCHEZ.
Captain Thomas p. Leathers, commander
of the Natchez, is q native of COyingtOn,
Kentucky, and we should suppose him to be
fifty-five or fifty-seven years OF age. In per
sonal appearance he is grand specimen of
man. Tall. full chested. erect, and in
every respect well developed, he moves
around with calmness and cOmpOsure born
of that consciousness OF physical power
which he must feel is his. He is, perhaps,
less agile in movement, less eager, less
prompt in execution, it may be, than his OPP
pOnent in the late race. His face seems to
be in perpetual repOse. He is evidently a
man not easily aroused. but the bump of
destructiveness is evidently well developed,
and if he is slow to wrath he would proba-
bly, be long time in forgetting. He is eX
.ceedingly self-reliant and takes the world
with calm, philosophical ease. The ex-
preston of his cOuntenance is open, frank and
rather pleasing. But if any one is willing to
calmly read that face, such one would very
probably conclude that he would not like to
have him for an enemy. He is evidently a
man of untiring perseverance and great
hxedness of purpose, and one not easy to
be vanquished Captain feathers. like
many others of our noted steambOatmen,
has worked his way up through all the
vlcissltudes OF fortune. Leaving his native
place when yet very young man; he went
South, where, it is said. he began his career
on deck, and successfully rose to be mate,
and finally commander OF a fine STEAMBOAT.
The first boat commanded by Captain
feathers, if we are correctly informed was
called the Natchez. This was in l845 The
Natchez of that day was handsome boat
of the kind, and ran in the New Orleans
and Natchez trade. The next boat after this
first Natchez was also called the Natchez
No. ,. 1t was a famous boat in its day,
and after running many years in the New
Orleans and Natchez trade, she was
sold to some parties in Mobile, and
was used as a tOwbOat in the harbor at that
place. Her place was filled by the Natchez
No. 3, in the same trade. She did not run
very long. AT inc great steamboat nre III
New Orleans. which took place in 1855, she
was consumed, along with numerous other
boats Several lives were lost; among the
unfortunate ones who were unable to es-
cape was a brother Of Captain feathers.
The Natchez No. 4 was a famous runner,
and contested the claim Of the Eclipse to the
championship, and, although a much
smaller boat, was the equal of the Eclipse
in running capacity. The fifth Natchez was
built, like the present, at Cincinnati, and
was very beautiful and swift boat. She
was run up the Yazoo, and burned during
the war. The sixth boat of the same name,
commanded by the same captain who COM
manded her five predecessors, is now lying
at our wharf, the superior of most steam
boats in the rapidity of her course through
the water.