Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-03-19

HulVAly as bteaM power could pr0pel q
boat up steam. The excitement that
attends the trial Of speed between boats
prompted about twenty Eve gentlemen
from this city to take passage satur.
day night for Helena.
ALWAYS AHEAD.
A representative of the LEDGER
vas the only newspaper man aboard
(but then the LEDGER, with its usual
modesty, can truthiully say it always
is in advance of its contemporaries.
The possibility Of bel g an eye wit
ness to an accident, and of being able
to get the only correct report of the
same, were the ruling motives which
prompted the Bohemian from this
office to accompany the expedition.
Thanks to the attention Of Commo.
dore Milt r. Harry, and his officers.
the party from Memphis enjoyed the
run to Helena, arriving there at 3
o'clock Sunday morning. The Kate
Adams was found
LYING AT THE wHARFBoAr.
aud to board her was the
work only of few seconds.
Ascending to the cabin the scene that
presented itself was solemn in its
stiffness. The boat
SEEMED DESERTED,
save by two colOred "gemmen" who
were engaged in scrubbing the front
portion Of the cabin floor. The cleo
trio light Of the steamer cast forth a
mellow light which was reflected from
the handsome pannels Of the steamers
cabin, but the stiffness OF the scene
remained and brought to mind the
story Of Vanderdecken's "Phantom
Ship" The clerks office was empty.
THE BAR WAS CLOSED,
and even the barber shop was deserted
The pantry door was locked, and
nothing gave signs of Life on tho
steamer saving
DESCENDANT SOUNDS
OF sleepers who evidently had eaten
too heavy a supper, and gave
vent to their distress in
unmlstakable SHORES. The excursions
lists from Memphis took possession of
the cabin. aud while some of them
made themselves comfortable on sofas
others were compelled to await the
approach of dawn and gain what
comfort they could in gazing at the
stars from tie decks. 1t was about 4
clock when signs Of life became
manifest. First the barkeeper put in
az appearance; then came one or two
OF the passengers, who perhaps
sNIFFED THE NARCOTICS
OF which some of the Memphians par.
took. Captain Check, who had given
orders to be called at Eve, was soon
afterwards mingling in the party. but
shortly descended to the deck of the |
steamer aud personally supervised the |
preparations that we're being made TO
get under way. The steamer had been |
trimmed the night before, and was in |
SPLENDID CONDITION
Tor the race. At 6 o'clock nearly all |
The passengers, and there were about |
80 of them, had assembled and were |
gazing on the still sleeping city, when |
the order was given TO
"LET GO.
The steamer backed down gracefully
aud soon strengthened up stream The |
Engines were reversed, and when the
boat began creeping up the river it
VAS exactly IL minutes past 6 o clock |
when the white house in
the upper portion Of Helena
sss reached and that beinr
he starting point her whistle was
'eunded and the Kate Adams was on
her run. Helena was lost sight of in
xactly five minutes. The first point
be reached whore any record of |
lime OF the James Lee had been given
vas Harbert's, which was reached 10
81 minutes, The Lees time to this
point is given as 5li minutes. Ac.
iordlng to this the Kate was
TWO MINUTRs BEHIND
The Lee. At the foot of Burdeaux
which was reached in l hour 274 min
utes, she was 81 minutes ahead of the
lee. At Ashley's Point, 2 hours 81
minutes out tom Helena, she had
aimed 81 minutes on the Lee At
Folks Landings, 3 hours and min
utes out, she vas
TWELVE MINUTES AHEAD,
Il was now evident that, barring acci>
dents. the Kate would accomplish her
task. The declining waters had .howev
er, great deal to do with the run. On
arriving at Cow Island, the Kate went
around instead Of going Through the
chute and thereby had three miles
further to 90. When Harris store
was reached. she had been out 4
hours, % minutes, % seconds, and
was IL minutes 10 seconds ahead of
the Lee At the foot of Presidents
Island she was Ia minutes ahead and
when the whistle was sounded at the
foot OF Beal street the time showed 5
hours l8s minutes, which beats the !
LEES Sihe i4s minutes. II vata
gallant run and the Kate Adams
is Justly entitled to the proud dis.
iinctiop of being tha fastest steamer
that plies the Mississippi r,ver. When
tits remembered she had eighty cabin
passengers whom it was difficult to
control, and who occasionally would
use the steamer to list, the run is
all the more remarkable, Then. again,
4 /