Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-07
A FAMOUS RACE.
The Contest Between the Natchez
and Robert E. Lee.
A Steamboat Race Which Excited
Interest Throughout the Civil
lied SVorid---The Time
Cabled 20 Europe.
cincinnati ENQUIRER

No steamboat race ever excited so much
interest througho ut the civilized world as
that which took place between the Robert E.
Lee and NatcheZ in June, 1870, from New
Orleans to ST. Louis. On the 9th of that
month Capt. T. T feathers telegraphed Capt.
Perry Tharp, of this city, that the Natchez
had arrived at st. Louis, having overcome
the distance from New Orleans, Pts miles in
three days, twenty-one hours and f1fty-eight
minutes. From the time that she was built
at Cincinnati much rivalry In regard to speed
had been exhibited between her and the Rob-
ert E. Lee, which was built at New Albany
during the war and was towed across the
river to the Kentucky side to have her name
painted on her wheel-houses, measure of
safety that was deemed prudent at that ex-
citing time. Both boats had their friends and
| admirers, as did the captains of both. Capt.
John W. Cannon, who died at Frank
fort, KY, about a year ago, commanded the
Lee, and Capt Thomas P. feathers, owner
of the present Natchez and her half-dozen or
more predecessors Of the same name, COM
manded the Natchez of that time. Both
were experienced steamboatmen, but as the
sequel proved, Capt Cannon was the better
strategist While both boats had their
friends, the name OF the Robert E. Lee was
Mississippi river.
Before the return of the Natchez to New
Orleans Capt Cannon had determined that
the Lee shorld beat the record of her rival,
the fastest that had ever been made over the
course. He stripped the Lee for the race; re-
moved all parts of her upper works that were
calculated to catch the wind, removed allrig-
ging and outfit that could be dispensed with,
to tighten her, as the river was low in some
places; engaged the steamer Frank Pargoud
to precede her hundred miles up the river
to supply coal; arranged with coal yards to
have fuel fats awaiting her in the middle of
the river at given points, to be taken in tow
under way until the coal could be transferred
to the deck of the Lee, and then to be cut
loose and float back He refused all business
OF every kind, and would receive no passen-
gers.
The Natchez returned to New Orleans and
received few hundred tons of freight and
also few passengers, and was advertised to
leave again for St. Louis June Both At
o'clock in the afternoon the Robert E. Lee
backed out from the levee, and five minutes
later the Natchez followed her, but without
such elaborate preparation for race as had
been made On the Lee, Capt. feathers feeling
confident that he could pass the latter within
the first one hundred miles.
\ steamer had preceded the racing boats
up the river many miles to witness all that
could be seen of the great race that was to
| be- The telegraph informed The people along
both banks of the river and the world at
large of the coming great struggle for su-
premacy in point of speed, and the
world looked on with as much interest
as it would had it been an event
local to every part of it. Wherever
there was human habitatiol the people coll
lected on the banks of the mighty river to OBJ
serve thu passage of the two steamers. The
Lee gained slightly every hundred miles as
the race progressed, which gain at Natchez,
800 miles from the starting point, amounted
to ten minutes, attributable more TO landings
that had been made b, the Natchez for fuel
than anything else. The people of the whole
city of Natchez viewed the race. At the
bend at Vicksburg, although the two steam
ers were ten miles apart by the course of the
river, the smoke of each was plainly discern
ible from the other. Thousands of people
were congregated on the bluffs. At Helena and
other points it seemed that the population for
miles back from the river had turned out to
witness the greatest race Of this or any other
age.
At Memphis 10000 people looked at the
passing steamers, neither of which landed,
the Natchez by this time having adopted the
Lees method of receiving fuel. At every
point where there was a telegraph instru-
ment the hour and the minute of the passing
steamers were licked to all points of America
that could be reached, and newspapers
throughout the country displayed bulletins
denoting the progress Of the boats.
The time of passing Memphis, Vicksburg,
and Cairo was cabled to Europe. When
Cairo was reached the race was virtually
ended, but the Lee proceeded to st. Louis, ar
irving there in three days, eighteen hours and
fourteen minutes from the time she left New
Orleans, beating by thirty-three minutes the
| previous time OF the Natchez. The latter
steamer had grounded and run into fog be
tween Memphis and Cairo, which delayed her
more than SIX hours.
! When the Lee arrived at ST. Louis 80, coo
! people crowded the wharf, the windows and
| the housetops to receive her. No similar
event had ever created so much excitement.
Capt. Cannon was rendered a banquet By the
business men Of the city, and was generally
I liOnized while he remained thera 1t was
! estimated that more than 81 600, 600 had been
wagered On the race by the friends OF the two
steamers. Many Of the bets were drawn on
| the ground that the Lee had been assisted the
first 100 miles by the power OF the Frank
| Pargoud added 10 her own; and men of the
coolest Judgment have ever since regarded
| the Natchez as the faster boat, but outgen-
Grated By the commander Of the other.
Neither the present R. E. Lee nor the pres
| ent Natchez is the same Lee and Natchez as
| engaged in the race, and neither is as rapid a
traveller as her predecessor, although both are
| fast steamboats,
Newspapers throughout the civilized world
| condemned the Lee-Natchez race. One east
| ern paper, noting the arrival of the Lee at
Cairo, said that she had accomplished the dis
lance without an explosion, and presumed
she would be able to reach ST. Louis in safety.
Bill yye's -Baled Hay.