The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-10
THE J. VI. WHITE.
THaH RaNHsHENG TOUCHES PUT ON TsHE
FINEST BOAT EVER BUILT.

A Fulr Description of the Floating Palace.
the Future Favorlte of Travellers
The Perfection of steamboat Building.
Courier journal. August ~
We visited Cairo several days ago for the
purpose OF seeing the finest and no doubt the
fastest boat ever built We refer to the new
Capt. John W. Tobin for, the New Orleans,
Vicksburg, Greenville and bend trade After
spending two days In examining her thor
oughly, we left her fully satisfied In our mind
steamboat In America, and beyond doubt the
finest furnished steamboat In this country.
THE HULL
is 321 feet long, 80 fert beam, 3D. feet wide over
all, tx feet hold amidships, and III feet at
the bow and stern: floor timber II inches
Il inches apart from centre to centre; main
kelson 11x18 inches fore and aft; hnlkhead OF
III inches In poplar, doubled, knuckLe telson,
gx13 inches; clamp, 4x15 and 3Lsx13 inches,
ranging in size from 7Ix1l inches to 4x1o
inches her bottom plank and UP and around
the knuckle 10 light water are ~ inches thick
and the bend 3H inches. TO, support The
weight of her ten immense boilers there are
eight arches In the hold Of heavy timber run
ming fore aud oft, we'll bolted and fastened; SO
there is no possibility Of the hull sagging
under tho boiler-a new feature In equalizing
plete. Ali through the hold, In fact, great in
genuity Ia displayed In the arranging of
chains, braces, bulkheads and stancheons, SO
as to meet the strain Of n load Of cotton, and
yet utilize all the space for the towage OF cot
ton bales.
Her main deck frame and guard beams are
q great feature In her construction, having TO
support the weight Of 10000 bales OF cotton,
the greater portion of which is overhanging,
on Tile guards. The beams and outrigger Of
the forecastle are and inches thick, 20 to ~
inches apart from centre TO centre, and II
inches deep at the breech Her guard chain
o,ltriggpr is inches thick and u inches
deep. Guard chain Is OF IA and 2 inch round
iron.
The hugo tmbers TO support the engines
and shafts have their foundations In the bot
are 50 feet long, 1s by 2G inches, on solid pine
filling ID and 20 inches thick.
The }. NJ. White is the two hundred and
seventy. sixth boat built by the Towards, and
their browning effort. She is the fourth boat
they have built for Capt. Tobin.
Great care was taken IN the selection OF
timber. The oak was from West Virginia, the
pine from. Pennsylyania, and the e. heatvy
were from Scott county, Ind In her con-
struction there were 100000 pounds Of ''hog-
chain iron used. in addition to drift-boIt,
spike and other fastenings, which iron was
the purpose Her model is faultless, with q
shape fair Mt every point, round knuclles,
and water-ires to cause the least resistance
and give her buoyancy when being driven
Her draft of water Is six and q hall feet in
light running trim, and she is calculated to
carry 10000 bales of cotton.
The work Of building the cabin was COM
menced August 16, 1877, and finished June H.,
1878 The designs and plans were made one
year before it was contracted for, but after
The contract was made the plans were revised
and now ones made Ittook from ten TO forty
men constantly employed, with the AID OF q
l..& liner tod
pose Of getting out work for steamboat cab
ms, ten months to complete the massive
The boiler deck Is $50 feet long, IS feet high,
g5 feet wide over all; area OF boiler ueck,
10000 square feet.
The main cabin is 10 feet wide, 233 feet long,
10 feet high in clear on each side Of CABIN !,
state-rooms 8xlO and oS1o to aft OF wheels
and from there Oft t'4e rooms are ox14, and
the two aft rooms, which are tho bridal
chambers, arc 12x14; all the rooms are feet
~s1siigghs office and bar t0x12, with octagonal
Nlome over each, feet diameter, toet hlgh,
each one with eight ssy-light sashes and q
chandelier in each one, making on each SIDE
az the cabin twenty three lengths Of rooms
and one length for chimney-hole, making in
gill twenty four inside state-room r. d 4 on
VII by 50 feet. The floor is laid with mosaic
I, wood carpet
! Immediately aft Of the ladies' cabin there Is
q hall with twelve large windows around , tn9
high, fitted up for a ladies private pnrlor, al,
of the twelve windows with ornalnented
GLASS, and made SO as to open, to take view
OF the surroundings.
1Immointnlv forward Of each wheel house,
on boiler deck guards, are the barber shop
and pantry, each 17x36 feet, - feet high. inc
one on the starboard is divided up into pam
try, 17x22 feet washing groom, 72Xl'
feoet and stairway to the cook house, which
il below the boiler deck The pantry is lin
ished off in solid black walnut floors; also
the shelving and dish cupboards are walnut;
ceiling paneled and brackets.
The one on the lahoard side Is DIVIDED UP
into d barber-shop 17x22 feet and 13 feet high,
bathroom 71qx7, and Water-closets, also
stairway to store-room below the boiler deck
The floor of the barber-shop Is laid with
walnut and sugar tree flooring 81 inches
wide. alternate; side finished In panel work
columns and ceiling paneled, with brackets
overhead aud pendant drops.
Boiler deck guards aft OF wheels, 70 feel
wide by 60 feet long, with rails maze OF turned
balusters and stanchions 80,
Boiler deck guards forward 15x140 feet, with
turned balusters and stanchions.
Forward of cabin open space on bolle re geek
3Ox6O feet for passengers. One light OF STAIRS
to hurricane roof, on each side forward or tht
side-houses, and one flight of stairs on each
side on aft guards to the hurricane roof.
The texas is 1870 long % feet wide. contain
mo q, hall for the captain 8 by %, and two
quarters of the circle forward, and one room
on each side of the hall 6 feet by feet, all
of the captains hall. Hall for the officers,
by a. with four rooms on soe, oy ~ " an 4hi
n three-fOOt passage on each size alt OF tFt
officers hall. Hall for colored passengers
feet wide and 90 feet long, and Il rooms Oh
each side, 5 feet 8 inches by feet z inches
and ona room on each side 8 by feet . lnches
which are the bridal chambers, and one pas
sage ON each side 3 feet inches vide ana 81
of the colored passengers hall. Hall Tor boys
by q feet and two quarters OF the alt CIR
Gle. with four rooms on a side feet inches
n Fnnt o inch ppntTp