The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-06-10
THE THREE STATES.
THE CAIRO CITY FERRY COMpANY's
NEW BOAT
SHE l. EQUAL TO ANY FERRY BOAT
On TIE RIVER.

Tho travel between this city and the
neighboring states OF Kentucky and Missouri
has grown so rapidly within the past fye or
the third time been compelled to place
in.the trade new and more capacious boats.
THE FIRST BOAr
sed by the company was a small side
wheeler called the Rockford At her
best she could not carry more than two or
three loaded wagons: and her cabin would
not accommodate, comfortably, more than
dozen people.
We remember one occasion when party
Of young people of this city engaged the
Rockford to take them to Mound
City, to attend dance to be
given III stokes nan. The uIp
up the river was made in good time, and
without any unusual occurrence. The party
lett Mound City to return home about three
o'clock in the morning. Jack Hodges was
her pilot as well rs captain, and on the trip
back to Cairo, in order TO not run on the
wreck of the Mohawk, then lying in the
Ohio near the Illinois shore, he Rugged the
bar on the Kentucky side Of the river. In
deed. we think Jack was SO cautious that he
did not at any time come within mile of the
Mohawk's wreck, and in his determination
And there we were. There was not power
enough In the engines, which by the way,
boilers and all, were not larger than an or
binary stove, to bulge her. Jack,
seeing the condition of affairs, came TO the
conclusion that she would have to be
Gifted oil the bar" Overheard he went
into the water, which was only little over
knee .deep. Several others followed him,
and with rails U.ord knows where the rails
came from; but they got them they lifted the
boat out of the sand and of the ar II was
| nearly eight O'Clock when the party arrived
| back in Cairo, and more disconsolate and
| forlorn looking crowd we never saw before
nor since. II was not long alter this that
the Rockford was dispensed with. So much
for the First boat"
THE SECOND BOAT.
| Next came the ferryboat "Cairo" which
has done service for the company Tor several
years. she was AS great an improvement
over the "ROckford" az the
"Three States is over her. Though
she is five times as big as the ''Rockford''
was and has a carrying capacity to cores
pond, she, too, has had to give way to the
rapid growth OF the trade of the ferry com
pany, and was yesterday superseded by
the splendid new boat, the
"THREE sTATKs."
The new boat we venture to say will com
pare fayorably with the ferry boat
In operation at st. Louis, Louisville, Gin
cinnati or any other OF the large
cities on the river. The "Three States"
was built by the boat building firm OF How.
ard Il Co., Jacksonville, Indiana; her en-
gnes were built by Ains!c, Corcoran 4 Co.
of Louisville. She is 200 feet long over all
she Is ~ feet in width over the deck, he
hold is Al feet. she has a 20 inch cylinder
with Fix foot stroke; he
wheel is 20 feet in diameter, will
buckets II feet inches. sh,
was built at u cost Of go, 900, and is in every
particular satisfactory to the directors OF III,
ferry company. on her trip down the river
from Jeflersonylle, she brought 100 bar
rels OF salt for Halliday brothers.
She yesterday commenced making her
regular trips between Missouri, Kentucky
and this city, and SO fer has proven herself
the right boat in the right place