The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-07-06
QUEEN OF THE ST. JOHNS.
4 New Boat Launched to Run on the
st. JOhn's River.

ST. - Ontl' = ISlSSf.
We learn from the Cincinnati. Com
merciaI-Gazette, the Queen of the st.
Johns, a new boat built for service on
the st. Johns river between Enterprise
and Jacksonville, was successfully
launched in that city on June 28th. That
paper SAYS Of her:
Cheers from five hundreds threats on
the shore announced the successful and
graceful launch, which Were responded
to by other cheers from three dozen
thrOats on board the boat. Among those
on board were Mr.. Frank Merton, one of
her owners, and a half dozen or more la
dies, one of whom, Miss Ida B. Thomp-
son, sister Of w. B. Thompson, ESQ, of
this city. another of the owners, formally
christened her as she glided into the wa
ter, not by the breaking across her bow
of a bottle Of wine, as is usual, but APP
propriately baptized her with water from
the St Johns river, Fla, which she is
intended to navigate, and which was
brought here for the purpose, pronounce
ing distinctly and tremendously the fol-
lowing words:
"'Queen of the st. Johns! May she
glide right royalty through the waters of
the southern stream, aud may prosperity
bless her reign as she yields her scepter
over the waters of the land of promise, ;
acknowledged, not only in name, but in
fame, Queen of the 81. Johns
"With her colors flying and wheel re-
volving she sped unchecked more than
half way across the river, and while lazily
floating down stream with the current,
was made fast to the Alex Montgomery
and tOwed to the foot of Ludlow street,
where she will receive her boilers and
machinery.
Tie Queen of the st. Johns is the
largest propeller ever built on a western
river, with the finest model, both bow
and stern, and her hull is said by experts
to be the best that has been built here in
thirty years. The length of her hull is 1S5
feet, and her length over all is 1876 feet.
She has 80 feet breadth of beam, to which
guards feet wide must be added, max
ing her breadth over all 40 feet. The
depth of her hold is 7 feet. Her propell-
er wheel, which was made at Butfrlo, is s
feet in diameter, with 12d feet pitch. To
drive this wheel, Robert Jones & Co. will
place on her main deck two boilers. Is
feet long and 50 inches in diameter, with
fivh 8-inch fiues, which will supply steam
to a pair of engines that will be located
in the hold, each with 15!-inch cylinders
and 16-nch stroke, which her owners be-
Iieve will force her through the water at
the rate of 20 miles per hour.
by the ship inspectors measurement
her capacity is 371.35 tons. Her timbers
are nearly three times as large as those of
the Chesapeake. and asno two are of the
same shape, her hull is all model. 1t is
said that every stick passed under the
closest scrutiny of Capt. Robert Carnes.
who rejected enough to build an excel
lent boat of smaller dimensions. Her
main kelson is by IS inches. knuckles 6
by u inches, floor timbers ( by II inches.
There are IN her hull 6,588 bolts and 53,-
$40 spikes.
She is destined to prove a popular
boat with visitors to the orange cline for
whose accommodation she will have 60
state rooms. She will run from Jack
sonville up the St. Johns river 1913 miles
to Enterprise"