The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-12
ROBERT z. LEES
ARRIVAL, AT CAIRO

hOBEh r. LEES
ARRIVAL AT CAIRO.
A Republic stan correspondent made the
trip on the Robert z Lee. He tells the fol.
lowing graphic story OF the run from Cairo
to ST. Louis:
Cairo. Sunday. July 3.-The intense in
terest felt in the great race eliminated at
s o'clock this afternoon, when the Lee,
leading her competitor by one hour and ten
minutes. arrived at a point Immediately OPP
posite the city and tapped her bell to
score the thOusandth mile in the race, at
three days. one hour.
As she did so a gun that had been firing
on the Cairo levee in honor of her arrival.
returned the salute with the loudest and
heaviest report.
Our little tug had grappled the outside
coal barge, and stood with IL out In the
stream that the monarch might run be-
tween 1t and the next one and take them
in tow.
EnOch King, the pilot, who had come
down to meet the Lee at Cairo. and take
her over the worst part of her race from
the point to st. Louis, stood on the lar
board barge and waved his handkerchief to
direct his charge where to come; the little
black tug whistled fiercely by way of let
ting people know that it was not TO be
sneezed at and the great steamer responded
TO the call Of her noisy little friend with
the deep. hoarse voice OF her own whistle.
In a lew moments the Lee was between
NAC oiA c dhN hhSg were Hldue last 10 her
sides. the tug snorted a fierce adieu and
started back TO Cairo. and the monarch,
without having come 10 a full halt and
without losing more than three minutes in
her Roadway. was steaming up the river.
Everything on her and about betokenedt the
business she was on.
BARGEs OF BOAT
ARE UNLOADED.
We stopped the engines to take in tow
fWn h0rngQ .nf ana1 rhns
and then went ahead with them dashed to
our sides.
IL was all done in a moment. and no SOON
er were the barges made fast than out negro
deck hands. who entered into the spirit OF
the race and shared the excitement to an
even or greater degree than the officers
and passengers. tumbled into them like so
many fiends and attacked the coal heaps.
In Just twenty-four minutes by the watch
the larboard fat was cleared and in one
minute more the one on the starboard was
cleared also and l.9O bushels OF coal had
been transferred TO the broad guards of
the Lee. The cables were unlashed and,
with a shout from the bargemen to the
noble steamer. the detached fats whirled
away from her sides. on the deep swells
she threw from her bow. and the unclogged
vessel shot through the water with her ac-
customed speed
ALI along the banks were little groups OF
people from the surrounding country COL
iected to cheer US with waving Of parasols,
handkerchief and umbrellas from the la
dies. and yeIls from the men: and Il was
not a little amusing TO see. here and there,
parties of excited Fifteenth Amendments,
male and female, dashing through the corn
fields like Quarterhorses to the river bank
to get a good view of the racing steamer as
she sped by.
GREETED WITH BONFIRE
AT CAPE GIRARDEAU.
At Cape Girardeau, which We reached
four hours and forty-four minutes out from
Cairo, they greeted US with a bonfire that
illuminated the front of the town, and sent
a bright. red glow across the river: and
from there up. past other towns n ham,
lets. our track was skirted with bondres.
When the Lee left Cairo the smoke Of the
could be seen hanging on the hori-
ION in the rear. and APPARENTLY about twenty
miles away. The Lee lost sight of her an
tagonist at Vicksburg. and she did not
Into view again during the race; but
up to Il O'Clock Sunday night she did not,
for one hour, lose sight OF that pursuing
black cloud, which told where our great
rival was when she could not be seen.
Sometimes II seemed to approach nearer,
and then II appeared TO recede further of,
but all the time. day and night, on the
der the heavy pressure OF steam carried by
the Lee. the safety valve became disordered !
and her supply of steam ran down TO a
stage that was alarmingly low for a boat
running a race.
Her speed slackened TO about ten miles
and hour. and remained at this point till Inc
valve could be readjusted. and the supply |
OF steam replenisbed. During this time he |
Natchez smoke crept closer and closer. snt