The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-19

Horh Wei, and ne Boat 4 Pronounced III
FdHef Croft on Tie Oki0.-Lf asked our
iAVortte way Of travelling We would,
for our own comfort, say, give us q
pleasant boat and 4 gUod river, &C.
companied by q kind commander, such
IS Capt. Godfrey MuhlemarS and q cheer.
full crew, and then we would calmly resign
ourselt 10 pleasures that can only be found
among strangers in j%ourneying.
On Saturday evening We were made
acquainted with the new and elegant
sTEANER DIuRSAL.
She was booked TO make her tint tripin
the Wheeling and St, Mary's trade, leav.
ing our wharf al 0 o'clock Sunday morn.
ing, and long before the hour OF departure
had arrived the few, probably forty In all,
who had been honored with an invitation
TO accompany Capt. j.. g. Muhleman on
his initial trip, were at the wharf; bat Ow.
ing TO the fact that the band which had
been engaged for the occasion was late, we
did not depart until halt an hour after the
specified time. Once under headway we
sailed without hindrauee, arriving at
Heatherington's Coal Works in an incFedi.
bic short time. There we cOaled and then
proceeded on our way, enjoying the beauti.
full scenery that strikes the vision on either
side Of the Ohio river. The cool air OF the
day made the trip exceedingly pleasant,
and all on board, with one accord, pro.
nounced the new boat a fine craft. Her
running Is smooth and she appears as
graceful as could be expected By the most
tastidiOus.
A partial description OF the Diurnal has
| AnnRaRnH In thu INsRBFE NabH.rUH ktNk 80 Il
was not complete we will now inform our
readers who built the boat, and how the
idea Of daylight passenger steamer was
first conceived,
Some months since Capt Charles
Muhleman became impressed with the
belief that q packet built with sufficient
speed to enable her to make the distance
between this city and Parkersburg in day.
light, would be Off decided advantage to
the W. p. &c. Transportation Company.
The scheme was made known TO Capt.
John Mcclure, aud he at once became the
protector Of the new boat by furnishing
plans for its construction. The advantages
and disadvantage Of a daylight packet
were freely discussed, and in a short time
after the subject was first broached, Capt,
Mcclure was sent to the boat yards OF
Knox & Son, Harmar, where he contract.
ed for thehull, which Is two hundred and
twelve feet In length, thirty feet beam
and four and one-fourth feet hold.
The hull after its completion was brought
to this city and taken to Hanes & Will
sons boatyards, North Wheeling, where
the cabin was built Having finished the
cabin In trst.class style, the boat was then
taken to the engine shops Of Sweeney &
Son, who put in the machinery, which is
composed Of three steel boilers, thirty.eight
inches in diameter, twenty-six feet long.
with five top welded flues in each, two Of
which are ten inches in diameter and the
remaining three nine inches. There are
two high pressure engines with cylinders
Of twenty-five inch base, and forty.eight
inch stroke, having double slide valves,
supplied withthe Dillon & Lester balance,
thus giving the engines a powerful stroke.
She is
ASIDE WHEELER.
and her water wheels are seventeen
and a half feet in diameter, having a thir-
teen and a half feet bucket, two feet wide,
with fourteen irons to each wheel. The
shaftsandcranks are madeoi wrought iron,
the journals being nine and a half inches
in diameter with steel wrists. The CYL
lnders and steam shirts arc made in one
casting and together with the balance
columns, they are jacketed with alternate
courses OF black walnut and ash wood.
The principal feature OF the new detail
in the machinery OF the Diurnal, is in the
valve gear two steam openings used from
the steam chest into the cylinder, in place
Of one as is generally found. The effect
OF this plan is to reduce the valve travel
one-halt OF that required for a single open
ing, while at the same time, the reduction
as to the cylinder is twice as rapid as with
a single opening. Much of the precision
and smoothness with which these engines
and valves work, is due to this plan-a
variable cut of Is obtained through the
intersection OF a stationary link. This
fine engine is manipulated by Capt.
John Oliver, than whom there is none
more skilled.
The cabin Is handsomely grained in
imitation OF walnut BY our young friend
Ben. Higgins, this making it the finest
cabin on any Of the upper Ohio river
boats, and is handsomely furnished, by
Mendel 4 Co., with Brussels carpet and
velvet cushioned furniture. There are
thlrty-six state rooms, giving ample ac.
combinations for seventy-twO passengers.
The dining hall is different from that
Of any other boat that runs above Gin cin.
natl, 1t being placed on the lower deck.
back OF the engines, thus freeing the cabin
from the odors Of cooking viands and
vegetables: Samuel Litton, the restau.
ranter, informed US that this was a new
venture, and he believed that it would paw
better in serving meals from a bill Of fare.
a Ia restaurant, than in the old way, as il
would COM much cheaper and could be
done more satisfactory to all. =.
With this new packet tile COMPANY
that built her having added fresh l%aureis
to their already widely known reputation
our people are given a chance to travel
with dispatch upon the river. The aver.
age rate of speed made by the Diurnal ON
her trial trip was ten and a half miles per
hour, with three feet four inches OF water
at the marks In this city. Including stops
she can make nine miles per hour with.
cut any extra exertion.
E RECEPTION
At every town from Wheeling to Newport.
Ohio, was warm. The river banks were
crowded with persons who wore anxious
to see theaew boat. At several Of the
towns We learned that many OF the p
tators had came in from their homes,
which are from ten to fifteen miles back
in the country, to see the railroad on
water. Most certainly this was an en-.
couragtng send of for the Diurnal.
Yesterday morning she departed from
st. Marys at 1880 O'Clock and had man
little brushes with the Welcome, Captain
Davis new boat, and in no instance was
the Welcome able to pass US and maintain
the lead. There was a general expression
among the crowds that thronged the boat
at every. point where she landed that she
was by far the handsomest on the river.
and as fares and freight charges had been
placed very low abe would most certainly
take the lead, as she is much faster than
any Of her competitors. We wish our
irihnla their shnra Of nmhlin nnLrnnnnn