Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-07-06
elg UsIoN AND AMERICAN
THE GREAT BOAT RACE.
What Is said of the Contsst-The
Fastest Time On Record - Scenes
aud Encidenss oE the Race.

reporter OF Inc AlemllhlS h6tt6NCt
boarded the r. e Lee at Memphis, anC
proceeled- 60 Cairo, from which he tele
GRAPHS thrilling account Of the great race
fro.n which We extract the following:
~ few minutes past eleven on Saturday
night, the Il f Lee put out from the whar
at Memphis, TO continue on her triumphant
way. Two tugs, with barge OF coal each,
500 barrels, lay out in the stream ready &c
run alongside the steamer, From the rlve'
opposite the mouth of Vol, looking down
ward, the scene was grand, almost suohms.
The countless lights along the wharf, the
bonfire shooting its flames atnwart 1ne SKY
the pyrating rockets and playful fireworks;
the dull sound of the cannon across
the waves of the Mississippi, and
the % labored breathing Of the
praat steamer as she skinned along, made
a series of impressions not easily forgot
fem The pine knot torches presently
blezed out at her bows, dsrkly moving
fo1res on her decks became visible, the
little tug boat screamed, and before one
had time to think the two bargss were
dashed alongside, and became full of men
making a tremendous disturbance among
the coal The tugs cut loose, we half doz-
on of us, orawled up on the leyiathan, and
we were driving along the darkness of the
night at the rate Of fifteen miles an hour.
The pine knot torches, the shouting of the
deck hands, the rafting of shovels, and
the rushing hither aud thither of coal car
riers, made a sort of internal Babel
for about an hour, at the end of which
time the empty barges were cut
loose, the torches dropped into the water,
the men subsidized into comparative quiet
and nothing could be heard but the creak-
ing of the steamers timbers, the splashing
Of the paddles and the strong isochronous
Whit of the steam pipe. The officers
eagerly inquired for the A0GlGRchG, and
every one connected with the boat we've
anxious to know what The world or dry
land was thinking and saying about this
race. Since leaving New Orleans they had
been in great measure shut out from
the great world, save the odd glimpses they
had often had of it at the few places where
the boat briefly touched, and then the view
they got Of it was of such transient and
uncertain character that they became aware
Of nothing except that this race had made
big excitement. When the ACaldRche
reporter assured them that the race was
discussed with considerable interest in
ANSAAOA AAlA L dAlS, d " ca hS III ". A-OeAos
they appeared much gratifed and justly
proud of the unparalleled running of this
magnificent steamer Considering that
this is the greatest of all the very exciting
contests that have taken place on the father
of waters, the events on board of the
steamer Lee from New Orleans MP have
been of the tamest description. 10 start-
ing out, the Lee, like the great M m after
eb. = Il
and no boasts. Like hero who UNDER
stands the situation, knows exactly what
is to be done, and has sufficient intellect
and calm Judgment to estimate
the power of his enemy, the Lee started
upon her long race of 1900 miles, quietly
conscious of her power, and conscien-
tously determined to do her best. On
the other hand it appears the Natchez felt
in bosstful spirit, and thought that the
result of the race was q foregone conclu
sion, and allowed her pretty, but pre-
sumptuous antagonist, to get away three
minutes ahead of ner. Capt. Leathers,
standing on the levee at New Orleans, his
hat drawn down over his eyes, chewing
the stump of cigar and whiting stick
with slow elaboration, said: II only want
q six hours show at that one, she will be
nowhere before we reach VicksSurg" The
Lee fred her gun passing st. Mary's
Market, New Orleans, her starting point, at
three minutes and thirty seconds past five,
on the evening of Thursday, the Both of
June. The Natohez fired her gun at the
same point, exactly three minutes later.
This is the time taken from the boat s log,
and Is the only correct time,
The following points were made in the
tune set down Donaldsville, 4:59: Pla-
quemine, 7:05t; Baton Rouge, 1925; Bayou
Sara, 1926; Red River, 1886; Natchez,
l7:I2;-coal. Yicksburg, 24:3s Napoleon,
1922; White River, 4O:j6;-coal. Helena,
47:25. In forty-eight hours the boat hsd
reached half mile below the mouth of the
st. Francis. Memphis, 54:O1,-coal. Foot
of Island %, 81 hours; foot of Island &c,
G1:27; Columbus, 1921.
GRACEFULLY GIVES IT UP.
The following, which we take from the
Cincinnati Gazette of the 4th inst, is in
the right spirit, and gives the credit where
it rightfully belongs:
The three days agony is over. We are
glad Of if. There can be no doubt now as
to which is the fieetest steamer on the
Mississippi. The Robert E. Lee need not
make another run until a steamboat is
built in the future that, upon trial, will
excel ner in speed. Cincinnati may be
proud of the Natchez for her beautiful
model. Her machinery is also good, else
she would not have made the run she did
-sometimes even gaining on the Lee
''Generalship, and many other things,
mdy have had their influence in the race,
but the solid fact stares US in the face that
the Lee has beaten the Natchez. The rea-
son of this, to plain, common sense peo-
pie, is apparent, namely: The Lee is the
fastest boat. The Natchez was built ex-
pressly to beat the Lee. The question
heretofore has been, "Will the Lee beat? ?"
The only question now is, Has she done
it," We think she has, and fairly, too.
The thirty-four inch cylinders could not
cope with the forty inch cylinders. Gin
cinnsti must build another boat and try
the large cylinders.
THE LEES LOG BOOK.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati ca
Eette telegrsphs as follows from Cairo, IN
der date of the Sd:
dropping on board the Lee in mid
river, a. though shot from a cannon, 1
manage TO got the following items during a
two mile ride. The Lees officers report
leaving New Orleans at 4:59 P. N, June
80. She arrived here at $50 this evening,
New Orleans time, making three days and
one hour out between the two cities The
Eatchez was precisely one hour and twelve
minutes behind the Lee at Cairo point
The following is the time of the Lee as
kept by her pilots and clerk, who both
agree: From New Orleans to Carrolton. 2S
minutes; to Harry Hills, hour 30 sec
onds: Red Church, hour 80 minutes; Col
lege Point, 3 hours 80 minutes 80 seconds;
Courant, hours 50 minutes; Donaldson
vile, hours SO minutes; Piaquemine. Z
hours minutes; Baton Rouge, 5 hours %
minutes; Fort Tuniea Island, II hours 56
minutes; Red river, u hours Sc minutes;
katchez, II hours Il minutes; Rodney, 20
hours IS minutes; St. Joseph, q hours;
Grand Gulf, % hours 1 minutes; Warren
ton, "a hours I minutes; Vicksburg, ! day
80 mintes; head of Pawpaw Island, day,
hours, 10 minutes; Napoleon, day, is
hours, 20 minutes; White river, day, 10
hours, So minutes; Helena, day, 20 hours,
20 minutss; st. Francis river, days 2
minutes; Memphis, days, hours, min
utes; New Madrid, , days, 10 hours, 80
minutes; Hickman, , days, % hours, %
minutes; Columbus, days, % hours, 81
minutes; Upper Tow Head, above Column