The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-02-14

X. Bell, made her first appearance at
our landing last Monday evening,
having large amount of freight for
Colfax. We were busy at the time
and had to forego the pleasure of
making q special inspection of the
boat, but on her return from Grand
Ecore Wednesday morning made it
q point to take q look at Captain
Dicks elegant craft. Capt. Geo.
Hamilton presides in the Office as of
old. All her departments are got up
with view to beauty, comfort and
safety. A pipe. with eight or ten
hose connections, runs from the pow
erful steam pump in the engine room
around the entire guards, and gives
security from fire, as also does the
zinc-lined room in which the lamps
are kept. A bathroom, supplied
with hot and cold water, adjoins the
barber shop, and another is sitGated
in the rear of the boat for the use of
the ladies. All the state rooms from
the cross entrance back are large
and roomy, and furnished with a.
washstand, French dresser, double
bedstead, Pullman sleeper and trun-
die bed, giving ample accommodation
to families Of five or six persons.
Every bed has two mattresses, one
hair and the other patent box springs,
making the most comfortable beds in
use. In addition to the bridal cham
bers, in the ladies' cabin there are
two suits of rooms connected to-
gether with doors. Time and space
forbids us to enter into minute
description of all the elegance and
comfort of the Bell, but we append
below partial description Of her as
given in some of our exchanges:
The hull, cabin and painting Of
this beautiful steamer was the work
of the famous Towards, of Jefferson
vile. They have fully sustained
their well-earned reputation in build
ing the Bell The hull is D model OF
grace and durability. having been
built for No. / cotton boat. 1t il
225 feet long, forty feet beam and
seven and half feet depth Of hold
The cabin is full length, upon which
is a texas nearly as large as the cabin
and upon that the pilot-house. which
puts the finishing touch to her gen
eral outside beautiful appearance
The entire boat is painted inside and
out in pure zinc-gloss white. The
sariegated rays Of light stealing
through the stained-glass skyiights
and doors add richness to the inner
or main cabin beautiful to behold
The rooms are very large and com
Portable, the bridal chambers ART
beauties. the nursery large and com
Portable, and all the convenience
that could add to the comfort o
passengers are to be found in ant
about the cabin of this fine steamer
The Office and bar in the forward
cabin are elegantly fitted up, and th'
floors in the forward saloon, barber
shop, pantry, halls and gangways ar
inlaid with oak and walnut, diamond
shaped, and is splendid job of work
The "texas" is but the name of anothe
cabin of lesser size, but almost equal
| IL as handsome. The colored pas
sengers have the same comforts ant
conveniences that they have in th
main cabin below, and the officers
department is entirely seperate fror
any other portion of the upper cabir
Both cabins are surrounded b
fancy ratings and handsome stair
ways leading to roomy promenade
upon the outside. The designing {
the entire upper works Of the Be
was done with an eye to comfor
safety, beauty and convenience, an
the Towards eclirsed themselves j
this, their masterpieces of steambos
architecture.
There is also in the hull, in th
! extreme bow of the boat, powde
magazine, made of thick boiler plat
large enough to hold 100 kegs I
! powder. 1t is put there for the pu
: pose of carrying powder and as
safeguard. and is kept under loo
and key. She is the only boat th'
carries powder magazine, and Il
idea was originated by Capt. Sinnot
Taken all in all. We can safely 81
the Jesse X. Bell is the finest bo
, that ever hoated in Bed river water
and we'll worthy the liberal patro