Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-01-29

seen the Lee was going to win, a.
launch was rent out in the stream and
the trophies we're delivered to Captain
Cannon. The Lees record to Natchez
was nineteen minutes better than the
Princess.
From Natchez the Lee began to gain
but her gains were so slight that ex-
cursion trains were run from as far
east as Cincinnati to zee the racers.
Both boats were stripped of all equip
hnent not actually needed for the race j
Arrangements were made for barges
along the river to bring them fuel for
the trip.
x Cap Fled Eoltz, now rs years old, |
was pilot on koat plying between
New Orleans and Vicksburg. This
boat had 900 cords Of pine. knots for
delivery To the Lee Volfz held hls boat
;alon sidn4he1seas for ten miles while
the fuel was being loaded ou=the racer.
After leaving Natchez, vicksburg was
the next goal to race for. anil the Lee
beat the Natchez there. showing ga in
In running time Of eighteen minutes
over her rival. 1t was-the end of the
first day. the Lee passing Vicksburg
wharf at eighteen minutes to six ac-
cording to the Kolns record-oa the
afternoon of July /, and the Natchez
passing at three minutes after. six
The Lee ran up along the upper wharf
boat and discharged a few passengers
and started off. pickiag up two coal
flats in the river. Coal beavers
swarmed over then an they were cast
off, minus the coal, in a few minutes.
In doing all this the Lee lost only eight
minutes. The Natchez tried the same
feat. but got one of the barges. across
her bows and she was delayed several
minutes. The end of the first full day
Of the race closed with the race still in
II e balance. Lut with the Lee eighteen
minutes in the lead.
LEE APPEARS TO BE SURE WINNER
The Lee was lin Memphis at four
minutes after eleven the next night
the night of July 2 In the thirty five
hours since she had left vi ksburg she
lad begun to show that she was almost
"a sure Winncr. She was out of Mem
phis minute after she arrived. The
Match vas ten miles behi'd. The
Natcht z cleared for the north at thir-.
t. en- minutes after twelve O'Clock and
the dash was on for Cairo
he Lee passed the mou-b of the
Ohio. three m les fro Cairo, at four
minutes after six, the afternoon of July
3, and took onroal and pilots, running
at almost full speed TIE Natchez
passed at quarter past SEVEN. The pi-
lots picked up by the Lee to take her
t. st Louis Cannon aud his pilot, Wes-
ley Conner. not beirg amiiar enough
with the river above the mouth of the
Ohin-wcre Cap Jesse T. Jamisoo-
and Enoch King Jamison, reviewing
the race after he had taken Connnr's
place at the wheel. once said: We'd
,st left Cairo and daylight behind
v hah f G settled down.
you bet, we'd a'run that ,g If we'd
k own Uncle Charm vas waitin,' for
US midway" said Jamison grim'y.
:. When it began dropping down on US
as we shot by Devils Island. Enoch-
my pard in the wheelhouse. E ,och King
turned TO me and said:
We'll cut right through it Jesst?'
of course" SAID
The news that we got the next
morning that the Natchez had tied UP,
dazed us. She had been holding on like
a bulldog to book agent clear up to
Cairo, and when Enoch and / were waf-
ted out into midstream on a coal scow
to board the Lee and hunt easy water
for her into st. Louis, we could look
down the bend and see the Natchez'
smoke filing the air like the battle of
Waterloo The river then betwt en-
Cairo and st. Louis comprised about
300 miles of the tou2 hest pilotirg you
ever. saw around these parts anywhere.
There wasn't a lighthouse from end to
end of the run, and there were snags.
bars and Overhanging trees enough to
discourage Pilgrim ghost. Jim Pell
and IVES Connors, who had steered all
the way out of New Orleans, were as
tickled as schoolboys to see us. You
see, they had Only studied the ri1er to
louisville. and we were sent down by
rail to take the racer into the St Louis
terminal
sThe fog shook hands with us at
DEVILS Island. We supposed, as mat
ter of course. the Natchez would tackle
it, and we never thought of doing any
thing else. At that stage of the game
9 blow up wouldn't have been worse
than to have trailed in behind"
The experiences Of that night turned
lamison's hair white. The Natchez,
which had been hanging ON the rear of
the lee all the time. was lost in the fog.
Jamison did not know where she was
All night long he strained his ears to
catch the whir of his rivals paddles and
the pumping of her pistons At last he,
became possessed with fear that the
Natchez had passed. Not until he was
within eighteen miles of ST. Louis did
he know he had won.
There the Lee was met with great
delegation from st Louis. The fastest
boats in the harbor had come down to
escort the winner.
Col. Hunter Ben jenkins, at that
time second clerk on the Glasgow.
which was then plying on the Missouri
River, was on the water front to catch
the time of the winning boat. Mark