The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-26
THE MISTRESS OF THE WEST
ERN WATERS.
Arrival of the Mary Bell.
7106 Bales Of Cotton and 1921
Sacks of Seed Her Cargo.

Yesterday morning there was large gather
ing along the leyee front when it becam
known that the leviathan of the Mississippi
the steamer Mary Bell, was about to arriv
with her enormous cargo. About IL oclocl
the crowd drifted toward the head of Gravie
street, awaiting the first sight of her chimney
around the bend, and when the imposin,
picture of her lofty smoke stacks, from which
| rolled volumes of smoke, showed through the
masts of the shipping, an exclamation o
admiration escaped from all.
| Like some animated creature of the deep
on she came, her deep breathings sounding
| above the din of drays and the hustle of com
merce.
When she reached spot where her great
yet sym metrical proportions could be observed
the opinion was generally ex pressed that with
out doubt to her belongs the title of the
Mistress of the Western Waters"
Tier on tier Of cotton lined the guards, and
yet, notwithstanding that there were 7l0G
bales and 19, 254 sacks in the cargo, there Was
ample room fer more. Answering her helm
with the ease of pleasure yacht she rounded
to to make the landing, and the picture was
complete. The crowd of deck-hands ready
with the lines, the mates busting about, and
the watchfui pilots at the wheel, all gave an
animation to the scene.
As the wharf near Canal street was occu pied
she had to effect her landing higher up the
levee and the huge vessel after few more
revolutions of her ponderous engines at lass
became quiet, passive thing beside the
wharf
As but few persons are aware of the i'm
mensity of this boat, description may be of
interest. The extreme length is 325 feet
breadth Sc feet, floor so feet, depth OF hole IL
feet. Add to this a sheer Of six feet from
amldship fore and aft, and a guard of Is feet
all around, then some idea of the proportions
of the gigantic vessel may be formed. The
bottom and knuckle planks are five inches
thick and from fifty to seventy feet long. In
no other ship-yard in this country, perhaps,
could these immense timb ers be handled.
No one can look at this magnificent boat
without feeling impressed with its superior
strength and safety. The tonnage is estima-
ted at $500 tons, storage capacity 10000
bales cotton. Draught-aft feet, forward 3
feet. Thus it will be seen two points of great
interest have been attained-a light draught
Of water and great carrying capacity. An
other departure by the owners OF the Mary
Bell is in the boilers They have battery of
eight steel boilers, having three times the ten
sile strength of iron, thus insuring entire im-
munity from explosion. The engines are
81 inches in diameter with 8 feet stroke
Wheels SO feet in diameter, Isl feet bucket.
The following are the names Of the largest
'onsignees the fuli manifest being published
n another column:
80 bales to Richardson & May $50 to Meyer,
Ntis & Co; $50 to L Ii. Il j. NJ. Allen & Co; $40 10
4ehinsn, Abraham & Co.; ASS to S b. Newman & |
20. 412 to John Phelps d Co; 1871 TO McGehee |
nowden & Violet; 352 to Aliens, Schurck & Autey;
- 10 Prestidge Graham q Co; 2O5 to r l.. d VI. |
dams; 1913 to Jurey & ellis; 173 to ]: L. Harris g. |
To-; l4S to John l. Noble; 146 to Bussey & Co.; 1872 to
;lapp Bros 81 90 lis to Stewart BIOS & Co: los 10
L. NJ. q. eenwood g. Co.; Ill to Pritchard & Bick
am; LOG to buckner & Co; 81 10 John Chatf, Il Sons