Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-10-27
GREAT sreAMeoAr RACE.
More Than Million Said to Have bee
Staked Upon the Result.

More Than Million Said to Have Been
stakrd Upon the Result.
The greatest steamboat race TINT was
ever run in the world was that which
occurred in June, 1870. from New Or
leans to st. Louis, between the Robert
Z. Lee and the Natchez. The latter was
built at Cincinnati, was commanded by
Captain +. p. feathers, and in June OF
the above year made the fastest time on
record from New Orleans to st. Louis.
1,27s miles in three days. twenty-one
hours and tifty-eight minutes. The
Robert f. Lee 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,
a matter that was deemed prudent in
those exciting times. She was COM
manded by Captain John w. Cannon,
who died at Frankfort, KY, in 1882.
There was great rivalry between the
boats, and when the Natchez made her
great run Captain Cannon determined
to beat it. He stripped the Lee for the
race-removed all parts Of her upper
works which were calculated to catch
the wind; removed all rigging and out
fit that could be dispensed with to
tighten her; engaged the steamer Frank
Pargoud to precede her a hundred
miles up the river to supply coal; ar
ranged with coal yards to have fuel
flats 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 passengers. The
Natchez returned to New Orleans and
received few hundred tons of freight
and u few passengers. and was adver.
tised to leave for St. Louis on June 80.
In the afternoon the Robert +. Lee
backed out from the levee, and five
minutes later the Natchez followed
her. The whole country watched the
race with breathless interest. rs it had
been extensively advertised by the
press, and the telegraph attended it,
progress along the river at every point
At all the principal cities-Natchez
| Vicksburg, Helena, and Memphis
| people for many miles were present tt
see the racers pass, and the time o
passing was cabled to Europe Wher
Cairo was reached the race was vir
tually ended, but the Lee proceeded t.
| st. Louis, arriving there in three days
| eighteen hours and fourteen minutes
from the time she left New Orleans
beating by thirty-three minutes tn
previous record OF the Natchez. Tn
latter steamer had run into fog ant
grounded between Memphis and Cairo
which delayed her more than 81.
hours. 1t is said that $4,000 people
crowded the wharf, the windows ant
the housetops to welcome the Lee OF
her arrival at st. Louis. Captain Can
non was rendered a banquet by TIL
business men of the city, and was gen
orally lionized while he remained here
1t was estimated that more thai
81. 900, 900 changed hands on the resul
OF the great race. Many Of the bet
were withdrawn, however, on tn
ground that the Lee had been assisted
the first hundred miles of the trip b,
the power of the Frank Pargoud adde,
to her own, and many steamboat mel
have ever since regarded the Natche
as the fastest boat of the two, but thinl
she was outgeneraled in the race b,
the Lee. There was SO much advers
comment afterward by the press tina
there has been no attempt since to re
Globe Democrat.