Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-25

trip, with her cabin full of people, and 1t
may be supposed with some freight aboard
The Natchez, too, ran against the current
of rising river, which is usually not the
case al the season when the PrincesS made
her famous run.
The following which We clip from the st
Louis RepHbls5GR, gives the particulars of
the try of the Natchez:
MEMORANDA STEAMER NArcHEz.
Left New Orleans 80 minutes past o.
clock P. NJ, Saturday, June IS, 1870; timed
from ST. Mary's market; had on board so
cabin and As deck passengers, aud some
freight; made the run to Natchez II hours
and 81 minutes: made Yucatan for her 24
hours run; landed at Services, above Natchez;
made landing at Rodney; landed at Rodney;
made landing at Grand Gulf; Vicksburg &c
hours, 81 minutes; landed and took on SIX
hundred and ninety boxes Of coal Left
Vick6hurg, and made landing at Tallulah,
landed at Lake Providence, landed st
Greenville, made landing at Columbia,
made landing at Bolivar, landed at White
river, coaled three hundred and ninty-fye
boxes. Found bottom in Chute, and had
to haul back, landed ct Memphis, lost thirty
minutes, landed at Henderson's point and
took six cords of wood, landed and coaled
at Cairo, lost one hour and FIVE minutes,
struck bottom at Liberty bar, landed at
Grand Tower.
END OF THE YoYAGE-NTENsE INTEREST.
At thirty four minutes past 3 o'clock
yesterday the steamer Natchez made the
cid time marks of the II White Oppo-
site the Arsenal grounds. Intense interest
was felt by all the passengers. 1t was
known in the city that the Natchez was
coming upon fast time; and a large nunl-
Der Of citizens, representing all classes,
merchants, steamboatmen, mechanics, pro-
fessional men, some even OF the clerical
gentlemen Of the city, had collected on the
wharf and watched with earnest interest
the rapid progress Of the boat as she
ploughed her way aga INST the swift current
by this time the passengers on board, Of
whom there were more than a 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
out on the guards and forecastle, gazing
with intense eagerness toward the near
ing wharf If the passengers were
thus affected, what must have
been the emotions of that brave old river
captain, who stood upon the roof Of his
ONA lll1O AnAADA L1A-4AA DAA SA-O
dial of his watch pointing toward the hour
which for twenty-six years had been the
standard, inaccessible to all succeeding
nayigators of the river, as the fastest time
on record. On the way from Cairo at
Liberty bar; she touched bottom, her speed
was checked; thus far she had made an
unsxampled run. Must she now be stayed
and stick in the mud, and the coveted tn
umph be changed into an ignominiOus
failure? There was clear head anda steady
hand at the helm. Her engines were re-
versed; the ponderous wheels rolled back;
her bow was veered little to the laboard
and onward with increased speed she
dashed through the foaming river. An
was yet safe. Two hours yet remained, In
which to make her time and claim the
palm of victory. The walls of the tail
buildings of South st. Louis appeared in
the distance. The captain gazed with in
tense earnestness as the buildings became
more and more distinct. The spires, the
towers, and lofty walls grew nearer and
nearer. Carondalet was gained, only 3
days, 81 hours and 50 minutes out from
New Orleans. Every one of the
officers Of the boat were at their
post; cool, calm collected, with victory
already almost attained; yet few miles
remained. The identical point where tie
White signalled her arrival, a little more
than twenty-six years before lay still above.
But there was no more than an hour yet in
which to make the distance. And now
came the moment for emotion-the mo-
ment in which the magnitude of the
achievement was to be realized. There
is the arsenal grounds" There is the
point reached by the G. III. White. There
is the end of her voyage" and all eyes
were turned toward the well-known land
mark with an eager, earnest, intensity that
held the tongue still, and no word, no ex-
ultant cheer escaped from the lips of those |
earnest lockers toward the shore-the goal |
of 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 a safe con-
clusion. A few more minutes and /
the great steamer was still, reposing quiet
ly on the bosom of the river, at her wharf.
The spell was broken. The pent-up feel
ings, the anxiety, the tension Of the deep
ly-absorbed minds Of the officers gave way.
A vast company of our citizens rushed on
board, Capt. Leathers received them calm
ly, though it was evident that in that mo-
ment of triumph he felt and realized the
significance of his achievement. He knew
that he had accomplished what might not
be accomplished in a generation-m might
never be accomplished again. He knew
that in after years men would turn over
the pages on which are written the history |
Of the past, to learn of the run of
the Natchez, and he realized, too,
that when he should be numbered with the
silent sleepers, his name would still be /
recalled in connection with the grandest
feat thus far recorded in the annals OF /
steamboat navigation on the Mississippi.
We know not how we can better con-
clude our notice of this memorable voyage /
of the Natchez than in the expressive Ian
gusge Of the brsve old captain, as he stood /
triumphantly, proudly on the deck Of the |
Natchez, feeling and realizing the siguif-
canoe of the feat. ''Ah, gentlemen" said
he, Every many of US old steamboatmen,
and many young ones too, viii be in our
graves, and have mouldered to indistin-
guishable dust, before the time is made /
again. s.r-.r
OFFICERS OF THE NATCHEz.
Thomas P. Leathers, captain; Samuel /
Ayles, Esq, clerk; Ovid Dell, ID clerk; |
Capt. Frank Cation, Capt. - Durham, |
pilots; Andrew Pauley, John Farrell, en-
gineers.
As matter of interest to our boatmen, /
we give the runs of the J. NJ. White as