, 1870-06-25

st. LOUIS. 200 do 3 days, 9s hfa, mIn
The timo made by the J. n. White for TWEEN
ty-si1 ycass had remained unsurpaused by any
steamboat on the Western waters. Other fas
written on a1l their efforts. It had become 3
settled conviction in the minds Of great ms
jori,y Of Our steamboatmen that her time could
never be excelled. Other boats have
made good runs- The steamer Alex.
apder Scott left New Orleans Oh
several hundred tous Of freight tho United
States mail, afty-two cabin and si1ty-seven
deck passengers, and came up against tho cur
rent of the great Hood" OF n, lost three
hours on the night Of the 18th on account OF
fog, and Was detained five hours on the trip up
By 5eason q the difficulty Of obtaining wood,
snd o,., asTived at st. Louis on
twenty minutes ont from New Orleans. Tit
time Of the Princess, in August 1855, bet ween
New Orleans and Nachez war seventeen hours
and tHcnty minutes-the fastest time on
record. i should be taken into eonsid e1stion
that the pTtncess was stripped for running
that she Waa run to make time, while the
Eaehez WAS on business trip, with her cabin
full ct people, and. it may be supposed, With
some freight aboard. The Nachaz, too, ran
against the current Of 4 rising r1ver, which il
Princess made her famous run.
The time OF tho Natchcx from New Orleans
to Natchez was II hours and 81 minutes. But
it is not necessary to 60 into all the detzils OF
the "runs' male By tho A. L. Shorwcu, the
Eclipse and the Reindeer. Suffice it to say
tain Thomas P. Leathers in command, on
yesterday evening only days, q hours and
Is minutes from New Orleans, Burpasses
the time Of the J. NJ Whito
horr and II minutes. At the time the White
make her trip al our steamboats, burned wood,
! Il. II.t .l,. i =
fuel, Al her landings were III made against the
banks. But the Natchez also caue up On busi-
ness trip. She made t7ronty-one landings re-
maired thirty minutes at the wha1f at Mem
phie, and one hour and five minutes ut Cairo.
1t ia not necessary to enter into further de-
tails It is evident that feat has
the annals Of rivez eznaagation- No man had ever
made the Gip in the time Of the J. II. White
from Now Orleans to st. Louis before that
memorable trip, nor for many year after
ward until tbs iron horse, with his breath Of
flame and ne1yes Of steel, hauled with lighta-
ing speed tho laundering carriages Of the
nay even now, tho name Of Captain Converse
and l's fast boat, the J. II. White, are Known
faniliArly to thousands Of people, and will be
handed down to generations yet in
the womb OF tho future. PcrhAps IN
thia fset age the aclisvment
immediate interest. But yet the record il
made. It stands On thepsges Of the present;
it will be Transcribed on the more durable
Volumes that ellall unfold 10 the men OF the
future, what was accomplished By those who
lived, acted and thought in this age. It will
be many day before such an achievement
will be again accomplished.
The oi1cets Of the Natchez ato: Thomas
r LeAthets, Captain; Samuel Aylcs, ESD,
clerk; Ovid Bell, second clerk; Cspsain Frank
Cation, Caltasu - Burl,ham, pilpta; Andrew
panley, John Farrell, engineers.
The following are the mkmorands Of tho
steamer: "Left New Orleans So minutes psst
from St. Mary market; hadon board 10 CABIN
and 45 deck passengers, and aomc freight;
made the run to Natchez II hours aud 81 min
utes made fncatan for her 3113 hours run
landed at Services, above Natchcz made land
ing at Rodney; landed at Rodney; made1and-
at Grand Gulf; vibksburg, &c hours,
"A minutes; landed and took on six
Left Vicksburg, and made landing at Tallu-
lab, landed ut Lake Providence, landed at
Greenville, made landing at Columbia, made
landing at Bolivar, landed at White River,
coaled three hundred and ninety-hye boxes.
Found bottom in Chute, and had to hall back,
cd ut Hendersone point, and took ak cords OF
wood, landed and coa1ed at Cairo, lost one
hour and five minutes, struck bottom vt
Liberty Bar, landed at Grand Towor..'
At thirty-fonr minutes past 8 o'clock, yes
terday, the steamer Natchez made the old
time marks Of the s.. ID. White opposite the
Arsenal grounds. Intense Interest w4s felt by
all the assengets. It WAS known IN the city
that the Natchez Was coming up On fast time
and large number Of citizens. representing
all classes, merchants, steamboatmcn, me-
chnnics, professional men, some even Of
the clerical gentleman Of the city, had
collected On the wharf aud watched
boat as she ploughed her way against the
swift current. BY this time the passengers
on board, Of whom there ware more than
hundred, were wrought up to the highest
pitch OF enthusiasm, but there was no cheer,
no word spoken. Silent and unconscious
Of all else around them, they had
gathered ghs. T. out ~. 49,, on II the guards and
ness toward the nearing wharf. II the pas
sengers were TINS Affected, what must have
been the emotions Of that brave old rivar cap
tain, who stood upon the roof Of his own fine
steamer, IS the index hand On tbs dial Of his
watch pointing toward the hour which for
twenty-sir years had been the standard, mac
cessible to IL succeeding nayigators Of tho
On the way from Cairo, 1t Liberty bar,
she touched bottom, her, speed
was checked; thus far ehe had mAdo IN unex-
ampled run. Mrat ahe now be stayed, and
etick fast in the sane, and the coveted triumph
be changed into IN ignominious failure7
There was clear head and steady hand 1T
the helm. Her engines were reversed, the
ponderous wheels rolled back; her bow mas
vccted little to the larbuard, and onward.
With increased speed, she dashed through the
foaming river. AL was yet safe. Two hours
yet remained, in which to make her
time ans cl2im the palm Of victory. The wAlls
Of the tall buildings Of South ST. Louis ap-
pekrcd in the dists1ee, The Cspt1in gzzed
with intense earnestness a. the buildings
became more and more distinct. The spires,
and towers, And lofty walls grew nearer and
nearer. CAroudelet was made, only days, a
hours and 81 minutes ont from New Orleans.
Every one OF the ot1aoe1a OF the boat were 1t
their post; cool, calm, collected, with Victory
already almost attained yet = few miles re-
mained- The identical point where the White
slgnAlled her arrival, little more 3h&n TWEEN,
ty-six years before, lay still above. But there
wAa more than m hour yet in which to make
the dlstance. And now came the moment fo1
enoticn-the moment in winch the magnt
tude OF the achievement WAS to be- rallied.
There il the arsenal E1ounds.' There i
White" 'Thare is tho end Of her
VOYAGE" and al eyes were turned toward the
we'll known Landmark with an eager, earnest,
intensity th1t held the tongue si1, and no
word, or e1ultaot cheer escaped from the lips
Of those earnest lockers toward the shore
the goal Of one Of the naoet noted Of steam
boat tziumphs IN speed. The victory vas won !;
the quickest voyage from Now Orleans to H-