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.The shouts were not so loud as it was expected they would be from the size ofthe crowd.The enthusiasm was not so demonstrative as became the importanceof the occasion.The colored boatmen, however, made a great deal of noise,some of them yelling at the top of their voices, some falling on the ground androlling over in the agony of delight.Slowly the victor backed about, and gracefully moved down stream, thenrounded to again and came alongside of the wharf boat, to which she was madefast.Then there was a grand rush on board, and the friends of the officersgrasped their hands, and tendered their congratulations.114 " Celebration in St.Louis 185The victorious Robert E.Lee had reached its destination at 11:24:30 a.m.,and its official time from New Orleans to St.Louis was announced to thecheering crowd on a long, canvas banner tied to the larboard railing on theboat s boiler deck:N.O.TO ST.LOUIS, 3D., 18H.14MThe Lee had not only beaten the Natchez to St.Louis but it had alsobeaten the record time for a voyage from New Orleans to St.Louis, set bythe Natchez on June 22, 1870, less than two weeks earlier, by three hours andforty-four minutes.In New Orleans the feat of the Robert E.Lee and its captain and crewwas extravagantly heralded on the front page of the Picayune, whose readerswere informed:The greatest steamboat race that has ever taken place on the Father of Watersis over, the hopes and fears of thousands are settled, and the R.E.Lee wearsproudly the title of CHAMPION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.Not easily were her honors won, for her rival was swift of keel, and so closelycontested the race that it may almost be said she shared the honors with her.The people of the entire Mississippi Valley have been excited about this raceas they never were before by any similar event, and the banks of the great riverwere thronged with thousands of deeply interested spectators during the progressof the race, all along the route from New Orleans to St.Louis.It is not to be denied that the illustrious name which the victor bears hadmuch to do with the popular sympathy for her in this contest.To such an extentwas this feeling carried that we heard of parties who had their money staked onthe Natchez declare they would prefer to lose it rather than the Rob t E.Leeshould be defeated.2On reaching downtown St.Louis, Captain Cannon had sped the Lee pastWalnut Street, where it was to land, and as if taking a victory lap, continuedup to where the piers for the new bridge across the Mississippi were underconstruction, then had made a sweeping turn and headed back to WalnutStreet, slowed his vessel and tied it up to the wharf boat there.Once it wastied up, the throng of well-wishers pushed their way onto the boat to con-gratulate all who were aboard, creating a lively celebration. On board the Lee, the Democrat s reporter wrote,  the scene was onethe like of which is seldom witnessed.Although the police placed on the stepsleading to the cabin were active and determined, such crowds passed up andthrough the cabin that hardly anything could be heard for the noise arisingfrom the confused movements. 3Cannon found himself swamped by the crowd, but managed to push freeof the mass of bodies and make his way off the Lee and onto the wharf boat,where he was met by the official welcomers, including Captain Nat Green,186 Four.The Outcomewho led him away from the throng and into a private office to escape the crowdand confusion, which he seemed to tolerate well enough. He does not seemexhausted by the vigils necessary for the task performed, the Democratreporter commented.Among the dignitaries on hand to congratulateCannon were a host of fellow steamboat captains as well as Mary Lee,the thirty-five-year-old daughter of the man for whom the triumphantRobert E.Lee had been named, and James B.Eads, designer of St.Louis s newbridge.A man of forceful personality and opinions, Eads volunteered to Can-non that he would bet a thousand dollars that if the Lee had an ironhull, instead of its wooden hull, it would have made the trip from NewOrleans faster by five hours.He told Cannon that an iron hull would havemade the Robert E.Lee a foot lighter in the water and he then pressed Can-non to tell him how much faster the Lee could have gone if its draft had beena foot less.Fortunately for Cannon, another well-wisher was brought to himto be introduced then and he was able to turn away from the argumentiveEads.Captain Cannon did take time to answer other questions, though.Oneof his fellow steamboat captains asked him about the stage of water he pre-ferred when attempting a fast trip.Cannon quickly responded,  Bank full ofwater.I want it bank full, always for my fast trip. 4 Cannon, the reporterobserved, seemed  very happy, and when asked about his feelings, Cannonreplied that if he seemed happy, it was because he had met so many friendsand was deeply gratified by the reception given him.Cannon attributed hissuccess to the Robert E.Lee s machinery, calling its engines  the best in theworld and claiming that except for the water leak, the boat s machinery wasin as good condition at the end of the race as it was when the Lee left NewOrleans.Commenting on the fog that had slowed down the Lee and had crit-ically delayed the Natchez, Cannon admitted,  Someone aboard was in favorof laying up, apparently referring to himself,  but I persisted in runningslow, and in a few minutes the fog was left behind. 5Amid the hubbub, one of the Lee s passengers, feeling effusive over thesuccess of the Lee and Captain Cannon s handling of the vessel, penned a noteof gratitude and commendation to him:We, the undersigned passengers of the Robt.E.Lee, take this method of ten-dering our thanks to Capt.John W.Cannon and his officers, for the pleasanttrip just made, and would compliment Captain Cannon on his superior judg-ment and skill in the management of his boat, making the time quicker than itwas ever made before.And we must say in praise of the noble craft, that every-thing worked to the satisfaction of all aboard.And we would hardly have knownthat she was on a fast trip had it not been for the continued cheering that14 " Celebration in St.Louis 187greeted us at every landing as we passed.There was no excitement exhibited bythe officers and crew during the whole trip.We would say to those who wish totake a pleasant, safe and speedy trip, to go on the  Robt.E [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]