Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-06
A FAMOUS RACE.

TACOMA, March. 1884.
A FAMOUS RACE.
The Contest Between the hatcher aud
Robert q. Lee.
Cincinnati ENQUIRER.
No steamboat race ever excited 50
much interest throughout the civilized
world "a that which took place bet ween
the Robert T.. Les and NatcheZ in June,
1870. from New Orleans TO st. Louis.
On the 24.h Of that month Captain i. II.
Leathers telegraphed Capt. Perry Tharp
of this city, that the Natchez had ar
rived a, 81. Louis, having overcome the
distance from New Orleans, 1878 miles,
IN three days. twenty one hours, and
fifty eight minutes. From the time
that she was built at Cincinnati, much
rivalry in regard to speed had been ex-
hibited between her and the Robert +.
Lee, which was built at New Albany
during the war and was tOwed across
the river to the Kentucky side, to have
nor name painted on her wheel house. a
measure of safety that was deemed pru
dent at that exciting time. Both boats
had their friends and admirers. as did
the captains of both. Captain John w.
Cannon, who died at Frankfort, ky.,
about year ago, commanded the Lee.
and Capt. Thos. L. feathers, owner of
the present NatcheZ and her half dozen
or more predecessors of the same name,
commanded the NatcheZ of that time.
Both we're experienced steamboatmen,
but, as the sequel proved. Capt. Cannon
was the better strategist. While both
boats had their friends, the name of the
Robert K. Lee was most hOnOred, aud
most popular along the Mississippi
river.
Before the return of the Natchez to
Sew Orleans Capt Cannon had deter
ord of her rival, the fastest that had
ever been made over the course. He
stripped the Lee for the race (; removed
all parts of her upper works that were
calculated to catch the wind, removed
all rigging and outfit that could be dis
pensed with to tighten her, as the river
was low in some places, engaged the
steamer Frank Pargoud to preoede her
hundred miles up the river to supply
coal, arranged with coal yards to have
fuel flats awaiting her i'll 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 passengers.
The Natchez returned to New Orleans
and received a few hundred tons of
freight and also few passengers, and
WAS advertised to leave again for st.
Louis June 30th. At - o'clock in the
i afternoon the Robert +. Lee backed Out
from the levee. and five minutes later
the Natchez followed her, but without
such elaborate preparations for race
AZ had been made on the Lee, Capt.
Leathers feeling confident that he could
pass the latter within the first hundr,
| miles.
A steamer had preceded the racing
boats up the river many miles to wit
moss all that could be seen of the grea,
race that was to be. The telegraph in
formed the people along both banks of
the river and the world at large of the
coming great struggle for supremacy in
point Of speed, and the world looked on
with rs much interest as it would had il
been an event local to every part of il.
Wherever there was human habitation
the people collected on the banks of the
mighty river to observe the passage of
the two steamers. The Lee gained
slightly every hundred miles IA the race
progressed, which gain at Natchez, 3OO
miles from the starting point, amounted
10 ten minutes, attributable more To
landings that had been made by the
Natchez for fuel than anything else
The people of the whole city of Natohez
viewed the race. At the bend at Vicks-
burg, although the two steamers were
ten miles apart by the course of the
/ river. the smoke of each WAS plainly
discernible from the other. Thousands
| of people We're oongregated on the
| bluffs. At Helena and other points /,
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 instrument the hour and min
ute of the passing steamers were tucked
| to all points of America that could be
reached, and newspapers throughout
the couatry displayed bulletins denotinp
the progress Of the boats.
| The time Of passing Memphis. Vicks-
burg and Cairo was cabled to Europe.
When Cairo Was reached tho race was
virtually ended, the Lee proceeded to
st. Louis. arriving there in three days,
eighteen hours and fourteen minutes
rom the time she left New Orleans,
beating by thirty three minutes the
previous time Of the hatcher. The lat
ter steamer had grounded and run into
a fog between Memphis and Cairo.
which delayed her more than six hours.
When the Lee arrived at ST. Louis.
! 1000 people crowded the wharf. the
windows and the housetops to receive
her. No similar event had ever created
80 much excitement. Captain Cannon
WAS rendered n banquet by the business
men of the city, and Was generally lion
ICED while he remained there. II was
estimated that more thvn 81 ,0C0,0 900
had been xagered 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 Par
| 4oud added to her own; and men of the
| coolest Judgment have ever since re
garded the Natchez as the fastest boat.
ou, outeeneraled by the commander Of
the other.
Neither the present X. 4. Lee nor the
present Natehez Is the same Lee aud
Natchez AS engaged In the race, and
neither Is rs rapid traveller as her
predecessor, although both are fast
/ steamboats,.
Newspapers throughout the civilized
world condemned the Lee Natshez race
One Eastern paper. noting the arrival
of the Lee az Cairo, said that she had
accomplished the distance without an
explosion. aud presumed she would Do
able TO reach ST. Louis in safety.
DIR. +. q. johnson gives especial at
tention TO the treat ment of Chronic Dis
| esses. including Liver Complaints. AZ
fections Of the Lungs. Catarrh. Affec-