Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-21
THE RAFT STEAMERS.
What is Being Done to Some Of
Them During the Tie-up.
Changes That Are Being Made in
Hulls and N achlpery-What IL Costs
TO Remodel aud Make New One OLD
Boat.

During the winter tie up q number OF
important changes are being made in
hulls and machinery OF some of the ia.
miliar raft steamers on the upper Missis>
sippi. The feet Of raft boats which pillow
the waters of the upper Mississippi re>
quire an aggregate annual expenditure OF
$50 600. The boat yards here and at St.
Louis. LeClsire, Dubuque. Lacrosse,
Wabasha and saltwater. have presented
scenes OF great activity among boat build.
ers for the past two months. In CONVEX.
sation recently with one of the most
prominent river men on the Mississippi,
Democrat Gasette reporter was gwen a
full account of the improvements that
have been made and will be made on the
raft steamers in the various boat yards
along the river.
TheLiszie Gardner Is being heightened
ten feet and will have almost an entire
new hull. The City OF Winona will have
new deck frame, deck and cylinder tim
beers. Laird & Norton Co.'S new boat is
nearly completed at Wabasha She 10 to
have new boilers and engines Is inches by
feet. They are putting engines OF the
same size on their other boat, the Glen
mont
Mcdonald Bros. Of lacrosse. have
built splendid boat 147 feet long, 81
feet beam of fine model. to run their heavy
lumber rAfts to St. Louis She has the
engines OF the Blue Lodge, II inches by
feet. They have wrecked the faithful
old Dexter after q continuous service Of
VI years They are putting a new bow
on the Bella Mac, making her 12 feet
longer. The Natrons is receiving general
repairs and will run between Beef Slough
and Lacrosse The Zida's machinery
goes on q new hull like the Carries but
larger. She will be used for harbor
work.
Capt. Turner Is putting new engines In
the Pauline. cylinders | 9 inches 6 feet.
The old ones were sold to 90 on the Jsn
ME Hays.
c. Lamb s. Sons, OF Clinton, put new
cylinder timoers in the Lafayette Lamb,
and are giving her the engines taken of
the Clyde last winter-10 inch by 8 feet.
The Iowa will come out with new boilers
She resembles Ike Partington's socks that
had been footed twice and legged once.
The Iowa was running over the rapids
here In "a, saw many years of ferry
service rs q side wheeler aud was con.
verted into q stern wheeled raft boat
In TO. Since then she has had new
csbin-her old engines exchanged for
larger ones. her hull rebuilt and now with
new boilers. she 10 nearly new after an
active career OF twenty five years
Counting originsl cost and subsequent
changes, she mdst represent an expsudi.
sure OF at least 100000.
New boilers are included In the Inn
provemeDts to the Gardie Eastman at LIE
Claire. Van Z4ndt & Edwards bought
the old one to use IN their yards The
&c lipse at the same place will have her
engines hored out and hull caulked.
The EvsDsville's hull gets q general
overhauling, and the Silver Wave, J. W.
Mills and Ram DO light general repairs
kahlke Bros. of Rock Island, have re-
built the Abner Gle good as new and
done lots OF work on the Stillw ater, Mo
line and Golden Gate. Owing to the
legal complications which entshgls the
Brother Jonathan, no work is being done
on her. She will be sold by Z. s. mar.
shall In March
The Q. J. Csfrey was extensively re-
paired last fall. then launched and with
the Denkmapn is laid up In Weyerbsu,
ser d Denkmsnn's harbnr
]. Q. Daniels, OF Keokuk is having the
Lumberman fitted up to burn oil instead
OF coal in its furnace.
The eighty boats engaged IN the raft
ing business give employ ment at good
wages to 500 men who operate them
during the running season.