Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-02-01
GREAT STEAMBOAT RACE
More Than a Million said to Have Bee,
Staked Upon the Result.

GREAT STEAMBOAT RACE.
More Than Million said to Have Bee,
Staked Upon the Result.
Inc greatest steamboat race that wa,
ever run in the world was that which
occurred in June, 1870. from New Dr.
leans to st. Louis, between the Robert
+. Lee and the Natchez. The latter was
built at Cincinnati. was commanded nv
Captain L. p. feathers, and in June OF
the above year made the fastest time on
record from New Orleans to St. Louis
l,2'S 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 tc
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 II few hundred tons of freight
and few passengers, and was adver-
tised to leave for st. Louis on June 80.
In the afternoon the Robert Z. Lee
backed out from the levee, and five
minutes later the Natchez followed
her. The whole country watched the
race with breathless interest, as it had
been extensively advertised by the
press, and the telegraph attended its
progress along the river at every point
At all the principal cities atchez,
Vicl1sburg, Helena, and Memphis
people for many miles were present to
see the racers pass, and the time OF
passing was cabled to Europe. When
Cairo was reached the race was vir-
tually ended, but the Lee proceeded to
st. Louis, arriving there in three days,
eighteen hours and fourteen minutes
from the time she left New Orleans,
beating by thirty-three minutes tho
previous record of the Natchez. Tho
latter steamer had run into fog and
grounded between Memphis and Cairo,
which delayed her more than six
hours. 1t is said that 10000 peopla
crowded the wharf. the windows and
the housetops to welcome the Lee on
her arrival at St. Louis. Captain Can
non was rendered banquet by the
business men of the city, and was gen
orally lionized while he remained here.
1t was estimated that more than
81 900, 900 changed hands on the result
of the great race. Many of the bets
were withdrawn, however, ON tho
ground that the Lee had been assisted
the first hundred miles of the trip by
the power of the Frank Pargoud added
to her own, and many steamboat men
have ever since regarded the Natchez
as the fastest boat of the two, but think
she was outgeneraled in the race by
the Lee. There was so much adverse
comment afterward by the press that
peat such a performance. 81. L0uis
Globe Democrat.