The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-07-29
GREATEST STEAMBOAT RACE In
HISTORY STILL HOLDS RECORD

a jingling of bells. the great wheels
trumpet 10 the engineer. there was
revolved and precisely at minutes
before the steamer Robert E. Lee
started on her journey amid deafen-
ing and prolonged cheers.
Scarcely was the Lee fairly in the
stream than another shout went up
and the eyes of the crowd were turn
ed To the Natchez. as that majestic
steamer glided from the dock. and
the rival steamers were of ON the
greatest boatrace ever known in the
United States.
For three days the race was the
topic of absorbing interest in the /
towns along the Mississippi. From
the time the smoke Of the racing /
steamers could be seen down the river !
until the boats passed. business was
practically suspenden In Vicksburg |
Memphis. Cairo and other towns along |
the river Work was suspended ON
lac, plantations for niles back from
the river, and at eve-y landing
throngs of enthusiastic people gather
ed.
AT Natehez the feeling was almost
unanimous In favcr of the steamer
that had been named for that city,
A magnificent pair of elk horns had
been purchased To be presented by
the city 10 the steamer which had
been named In aer honor waen II woi
the race Vita the Lee, as the Natche2
people were sure she ~opll do. an
for weeks III horns had been dis
played eonsp cuously ON the city
wharfhoaf Great excitement prevail
ed as The smoke of the steamers was
sighted down I'd river, and vast
crowds had gathered on the wharf
but when TIE Lee came In sight first
| there was disappointment. The band
Il music that had heen pfovid2J 10
play as the Natchez went by forgot to
sound a note. When the Lee passed
the whanboat Captain Cannon. who
stood well forward. with grin On
his face and cigar in his mouth,
shouted 10 the wharfmaster: Take
down those horns" and they weFe
promptly lowered. much to the chag
rim and disappointment of the friends
Of the Natchez
Women and children who hal wait
ed long and patiently for the appear
anee Of the rival steamers Weps from
disappointment and modification
when they saw the lee pass fir 4
Captain Leathers shouted as his boat
passed the Natchez waarfboat that
his steamer would yet overhaul the
Lee, but the people were afraid he
had underestimased the power of that
magnificent steamer and refused to
Ia conforted by his assurances.
HI From the start the Lee. which had
two minutes the advantage, steadily
gained en the Natehez At Cairo she
Twas more than Eve hours ahead and
, d steady gain was notad all the way
up the stream While the result o
1.-THE race was practically known AT st
, Louis before the boats reached tht
1 finish at that city, the excitement wa!
] intense. Vast throhgs of people ha;
: besieged the telegraph off.ces and tn
i newspaper Offices The railroads tool
! large excursions on the morning o
Z the Fourth of July to points dow
/, the river to come up with the boat
!, as they neared the finish, and ever.
4 steamer and ting in the ST. Louis por
!. eatriei excursion parties to see tn
! race Business was suspended in tn
Il neighhorhood Of the river
AT precisely 1890 o'clock On tn
morning Of the Fourth of July tn
/ Lee landed at her dock at the s
Louis wharf and the Natchez came |
!, at 545 o'clock, six hours and Is mil
:, utes behind. This time, howeve
! beat the record of the steamer ].
u White. which had held the record b
tween New Orleans and St Louis.
= broken pump on the Natehf
II caused some delay on the way whic
4 slightly reduced the time by whic
= she had been defeated, bur the rae
{, resulted in the settlement for all tin
- Eof the question of the relative spec
n, OF the NaTchez and the Lee. 9th
q boats have for short distances bes
i, en- the average time Of the Lee, b
49, to this day the steamer holds Il
I, record for the full trip between {
- Louis and New Orleans.
ou- ratna ~. Old paint Com ~