New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-22

The following account OF Captain Thor
wegan's new steamboat is from the st
Louis Republican of the nineteenth:
One of the most striking examples O
American pluck and enterprise that The his
tory of st. Louis exhibits is afforded by al
undertaking which was formally inaugu
rated yesterday in the launching of Captain
w. Ii. Thorwegan's new mammoth steam
boat. At time when the 81 cam boat inter
est has deprecated to its present low
stage, an enterprise of this kind is of very
notable Importance to the city of St. Louis
which fact was attested by the interest
manifested in yesterdays event. Captain
Thorwegan has for five years MANAGED the
Great Republic, one OF the largest steam
ers in American waters, and has made q
most brilliant success of his work. Wher
that boat was built it was freely
prophesied by river eroakers that
she would prove an elephantine fail.
ure, but he took charge of her
with self confidence and managed her
with phenomenal skill and Judgment
which proved the utter fallacy OF such
prophecies. So when he proposed TO EN-.
bark in this new enterprise, he met little
encouragement and many unpleasant pre-
dictions from friends WHO considered them
selves far-seeing. But he had been keen of
observation while managing the Republic,
and he reasoned if her carving capacity
was increased, the cost of operating her
would amount to lirtle more than it did in
her present shape, Consequently, if she
was paying in her present shape, she must
reap much larger profits if her capacity
were greater-especially when the cotton
trade was rising to such gigantic proper
tiOns as it promises. Discarding the gloomy
warnings of the majority of river men, and
relying on his own clear head and knowl-
edge OF eamboating, ne determined to in
vest fortune in the construction of the
largest boat that ever traversed inland
waters.
Last July the Carondelet Marine Railway
and Dock Company began work upon the
hull of this boat, and on Friday it was COM
pleted and ready for the upper works. As
it lay on the docks at that time, it was a
wonder to all who beheld it, Its length is
$40 feet, breadth of beam Sc feet s inches;
floor, 55 feet inches, and it's breadth over
all lob feet. Its hold ranges from 10 to II
Il feet Elk inches. The planking, which is
of carefully selected material, is 4a4 inches
thick, and very network of heavy oak
timbers forms the ribbing. There is none
but first class material in any part of the
boat and it is safely asserted that she could
have been built for twenty five per cent less
than her cost if Captain Thorwegan had
pccH Wiling W couhttudnce any Ialse econ
omy in quality of material OF work. Mr..
Silas Adkins, superintendent of the marine
ways, takes great pride in the quality as
well as the size of the job, and has no fears
whatever that he will hear that any repairs
are needed for many months.
The capacity OF the boat will be about
1000 tons-almost as much as any two other
boats on the river. Some conception of her
may be gained from the state
ment that she can hide 5000 bales OF cotton
without any strain. Yet, gigantic as she is,
her draft will be only four feet aft and two
feet eight inches torward-whieh is very
necessary feature in Mississippi travel. The
magnificent cabin of the Great Republic will
be transferred to this monster hull, as will
a large portion of the machinery of the for
mer boat. She will have seven boilers, each
twenty-eigh feet long and fOrty-two inches
in diameter, and made of steel. These will
be furnished by Joseph Wengler. She will
have the two large engines from the Great
Republic, which have cylinders tfty-fve
inches in diameter and ten feet stroke, and
two new smaller engines, the cylinders of
which will be twenty-six inches In diameter
with ten feet stroke. Such tremendous mo-
tive power as this would drive whole feet.
The new engines will be furnished by
Gerard b. Allen & Co., who will have
charge Of the adjustment of all the ma
chirery. The wheels of the boat will have
3 diameter of thirty seven feet The cabin
will be considerably enlarged by moving
put the bulkheade, thus making 1.-THE state
rooms much more rOomy. This work will
be done by John Pipe. The boat will 90.
'ommodste 2so passengers with perfect