Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-03
THE NEW ''QUEEA CITY"
Will Be the HandSomeSt and Best
Equipped Boat on the Ohio.
The New Year Opens Up With a
coating Stage-The Packets Re-
Stunning Kanawha and Vir-
GINA To-Day Other River Notes.

The new packet Queen City, which is
being built at Cincinnati for the Pittsburg
and Cincinnati trade will be ready for
the spring trade. and when she is launched
she will be the handsomest and finest
equipped steamboats, afioat on the Ohio.
The Virginia is a model of steamboat ar
chitecture and building. but the splendor
and Improvements of the Queen City
will. it is said, surpass even this beautiful
packet. She will be wider, across the
beam, than the Virginia but of the same
length. 1t is TO be equipped with the ia
nous hollow-forged. nickel steel shaft,
and will be the only boat so equipped on
western waters. The contract has been
awarded 10 thee Bethlehem iron and steel
works. of Pennsylvania, the only COM
pany making these shafts in America. The
new shaft will be 81 feet inches in
length: diameter II inches, with a 7-foot
hole. 1t will be constructed of oil-tem-
pered nickel steel similar TO those used in
the United States navy. II is claimed that
the hollow shaft, while giving saving of
5000 pounds. is equal TO three times the
breaking strength of the ordinary shaft.
one or two towboats have been equipped
with hollow shafts. but only with 2la-inch
bore. These were imported from Krupps
and were bored. The now famous hollow
shaft constructed by the Bethlehem steel
works gives a 7I2-inch hole. which is made
by hydraulic pressure. There are only
two firms in the world capable of con-
structing these shafts one of which is in
England and the other the Bethlehem
steel works of Pennsylvania. The cost is
considerably more than the ordinary shaft.
but the saving in weight and the great
addition of breaking strength mere than
offsets the extra cost. Captain Ellison has
made the subject of hollow shafts a study,
and he has determined that the new
packet should have one. This is only one
Of the many good features of the new
Queen City
The new year opened up with brighter
prospects for the river trade than existed
during the past week.
The river is on the upward trend and
all the packets. which have been tied up
at various points along the river. will all
be in motion in a few days. The river
last night was feet inches and rising.
The Jewel got away on time yesterday
afternoon for Darlington. The Lexington
also made her first trip for week TO New
Matamoras yesterday The Ben Hur.
which has been tiel up at Pittsburg. will
be down Monday night. The Virginia,
which has been lying at East Liverpool.
is expected down this morning at eight
o'clock She was compelled to forward
her Pittsburg freight by rail. The Hud
son will be up for Pittsburg Tuesday
morning. The Leroy will be up for her
Parkersburg trip also Tuesday morning.
The Kanawha will be up this morning
for Pittsburg az a. m.
The Charles Brown. with tow of emp
ties pass up yesterday at p. m.
William Barring. one of the clerks of
the Virginia, stopper in the city yesterday
on his way to meet his boat at Steuben-
vile. He has been spending the holidays
at his home down the river.
Pittsburg. January 2.-River 7 feet
and rising at the dam. Clear and
warm.