1849 Missouri ” ” 4 19
1869 Dexter ” ” 4 9
1870 Natchez ” ” 3 21 58
1870 R. E. Lee ” ” 3 18 14
FROM LOUISVILLE TO CINCINNATI–141 MILES
D. H. M.
1819 Gen. Pike made the run in 1 16
1819 Paragon ” ” 1 14 20
1822 Wheeling Packet ” ” 1 10
1837 Moselle ” ” 12
1843 Duke of Orleans ” ” 12
1843 Congress ” ” 12 20
1846 Ben Franklin (No. 6) ” 11 45
1852 Alleghaney ” ” 10 38
1852 Pittsburgh ” ” 10 23
1853 Telegraph No. 3 ” ” 9 52
FROM LOUISVILLE TO ST. LOUIS–750 MILES
D. H. M.
1843 Congress made the run in 2 1
1854 Pike ” ” 1 23
1854 Northerner ” ” 1 22 30
1855 Southemer ” ” 1 19
FROM CINCINNATI TO PITTSBURGH–490 MILES
D. H.
1850 Telegraph No. 2 made the run in 1 17
1851 Buckeye State ” ” 1 16
1852 Pittsburgh ” ” 1 15
FROM ST. LOUIS TO ALTON–30 MILES
D. M.
1853 Altona made the run in 1 35
1876 Golden Eagle ” ” 1 37
1876 War Eagle ” ” 1 37
MISCELLANEOUS RUNS
In June, 1859, the St. Louis and Keokuk Packet, City of Louisiana,
made the run from St. Louis to Keokuk (214 miles) in 16 hours
and 20 minutes, the best time on record.
In 1868 the steamer Hawkeye State, of the Northern Packet Company,
made the run from St. Louis to St. Paul (800 miles) in 2 days and 20 hours.
Never was beaten.
In 1853 the steamer Polar Star made the run from St. Louis to St. Joseph,
on the Missouri River, in 64 hours. In July, 1856, the steamer Jas.
H. Lucas, Andy Wineland, Master, made the same run in 60 hours
and 57 minutes. The distance between the ports is 600 miles,
and when the difficulties of navigating the turbulent Missouri
are taken into consideration, the performance of the Lucas
deserves especial mention.
THE RUN OF THE ROBERT E. LEE
The time made by the R. E. Lee from New Orleans to St. Louis
in 1870, in her famous race with the Natchez, is the best
on record, and, inasmuch as the race created a national interest,
we give below her time table from port to port.
Left New Orleans, Thursday, June 30th, 1870, at 4 o’clock
and 55 minutes, p.m.; reached
D. H. M.
Carrollton 27
Harry Hills 1 00
Red Church 1 39
Bonnet Carre 2 38
College Point 3 50
Donaldsonville 4 59
Plaquemine 7 05
Baton Rouge 8 25
Bayou Sara 10 26
Red River 12 56
Stamps 13 56
Bryaro 15 51
Hinderson’s 16 29
Natchez 17 11
Cole’s Creek 19 21
Waterproof 18 53
Rodney 20 45
St. Joseph 21 02
Grand Gulf 22 06
Hard Times 22 18
Half Mile below Warrenton 1
Vicksburg 1 38
Milliken’s Bend 1 2 37
Bailey’s 1 3 48
Lake Providence 1 5 47
Greenville 1 10 55
Napoleon 1 16 22
White River 1 16 56
Australia 1 19
Helena 1 23 25
Half Mile Below St. Francis 2
Memphis 2 6 9
Foot of Island 37 2 9
Foot of Island 26 2 13 30
Tow-head, Island 14 2 17 23
New Madrid 2 19 50
Dry Bar No. 10 2 20 37
Foot of Island 8 2 21 25
Upper Tow-head–Lucas Bend 3
Cairo 3 1
St. Louis 3 18 14
The Lee landed at St. Louis at 11.25 A.M., on July 4th, 1870–6 hours
and 36 minutes ahead of the Natchez. The officers of the Natchez claimed
7 hours and 1 minute stoppage on account of fog and repairing machinery.
The R. E. Lee was commanded by Captain John W. Cannon, and the Natchez was in
charge of that veteran Southern boatman, Captain Thomas P. Leathers.
Chapter 17
Cut-offs and Stephen
THESE dry details are of importance in one particular.
They give me an opportunity of introducing one of the Mississippi’s
oddest peculiarities,–that of shortening its length from time to time.
If you will throw a long, pliant apple-paring over your shoulder,
it will pretty fairly shape itself into an average section