Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-02-18
1t he remained unperturbed.

AID askaI Capt. Cannon if he was COINS
to make The race. The captain replied
that hi. s'a'mer would leave on tn:
scheduled d.'y and pay no attention u
the Na'chez. But when he arrived IN
tie Ohio FLYER, merchants and admirer.
insisted That he accept the challenge
Upon reaching Caro- he telegraphed Wiest
to be ready to 20 on the boat at Vicks.
burg As she came back down the river
This he did. and as he suspected, Capt
Cannon announced that the Lee would
race the Natchez, "and beat her." They
arrived ut New Orleans on Tuesday even.
ing and Immediately began to prepart
for tn contest.
On the down trip Capt. Cannon had
taken aboard 25O cords Of pine knots and
at New Orleans the Lees bunkers were
stored with all the coal they could hold
without Overburdening the boat. The
crew tore Of the floor in the hold and re.
moved The spars, extra stages, the ex.
haust pipes. the doors and even the wash
tonse 1T the rear of the steamer. This
latter wac done 80 that the water thrown
from the giant wheels would find no re-
distance. During the night men in
yawls lowered about the hull of the boat
and creased with tallow, her sides and
bottom as far as they could reach. This
was to futher overcome resistance from
the water and make the huge boat lit.
orally glide over the waters.
At 5 O'Clock Thursday afternoon, June
30. 1879, the memorable race was to be-
gin. That morning Capt. Cannon called
all the officers for instructions. h
ordered every man on board to be reao !,
to go at 5 o'clock-the pilot in the
pilot house. but not in sight; the engineer
at the throttle; the mate with one stage
plank 80 balanced that the weight of a
single man would clear it of the wharf,
and one line out and man ready to cut it
with an ak. No bells were to ring, he
said, but when the moment came for the
race to start, one tap would be sounded
and this for all instructions.
Steamboat Inspected.
During the afternoon the United States
Inspector came aboard. He examined
the safety valve, set it to blow off at 40
pounds ri steam and then locked the
same En- tat this limit could not be ev-
ceeded. West watched the performance.
The inspector went ashore. At 5 O'Clock
the captains bell tapped Just loud
enough to be heard by those for whom
the signal wac meant. The shore line
was cut with one blow OF the ak; the man
on the stage balanced it clear of the
wharf; the pilot seized the wheel; the
engineer brew the putting. waiting steam
into the engines and "Wild Bob" was
oil. As the Lee passed st. Mary's
market, from where tie line was regis
tered. canlon roared the official begin
ming 1! thc race A minute and a few
seconds later the Nstchez steamed by.
That Wa. the CLOSES. she ever came to
na," Wie5t chuckled
They had not gone far until the Lees
safety valve. which the inspector had 40
scrupulously set and so carefully locked,
blew IF. That meant che was going u.s.
last az the law allowed, the ''speed linn
it," IL We would cay to-day.
well never win the race this way"
Wie@' tcld Capt. Cannon.
II !rsvs that to you, john" came the
Ia ;or &c ID, meaning reply.
Anil '',s' was the last time the valve
VAS lie ri fsr,m.
Il ida't break the seal either" West
Insists. Il never have told how l did it
bee usr always feared Uncle Sam might
yet me. But that's too long ago and
90 might inst az we'll out with. 1
slipped file under that lock 90 as to hold
the valve and it never blew off again.
oae hrrdred and forty pounds of steam
'vas our limit. but we never carried less
Than 1870 ard very often we were going
with 250 pounds and maybe more. The
register wasn't big enough to tell just
how much juice we did carry"
But it was not all easy sailing in that
race. When only FIVE miles from New
OrleenT large hot-water pipe burst in
he hold. West and q crew soon re-
paired it, out West was badly scalded in
the effort. During the came night, the
FIRST ont, one of the boilers began to leak
and and the steam to fall. The Natchez
vac slowly but surely creeping up. West
vent ont on the guards to locate the rival
and Is he did, the stokers on the Natchez
opened the fire doors. He thought he
Felt the rot breath of the roaring boilers,
Tor the Natchez was less than 400 yards
away
West Got Busy.
The watsr was already putting out tn
fires, and it seem as though the Lee
would have to 60 TO the bank for repairs.
That will never do" shouted West,
and got busy. The crew tore down the
sheet iron work about the boilers, and,
with three streams of water playing upon
him, West crawled into that seething
hell to find the cause of the trouble. He
discovered that one Of the caps was loose
md the water sprinkling in every direc-
ion. Knowing the cause, West soon
devised a remedy. Cutting fine qusn-