Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-06-17
HAVE BEEN LET'
FOR THE BUILDING OF THE N
PROVED MONTGOMERY-B0oTu
RIVER STEAMER.
WILL BE BUILT FOR SPEED
VIII DULY Carry Passengers ana
EXPRESS FreiSht-A Description of
the Boat When Finished-0ne MIL
lion Bushels of Coal Started Sou1,
From Pittsburg-Passcd Here Yes
terday Evening-River News.


The improved river steamer. of
which there has been SO much talk OF
late, will be built. The contracts have
all been awarded and work will be
started on the hull next Tuesday.
The boat is to be a new departure in
river craft and should the least SAN
guine hopes of her designers be real
lied, she will furnish material for
bringing about a revelation in travel
on the inland waters.
The boat is built expressly for speed.
She will carry nothing but passengers
and express freight. Her designers,
Mr.. Montgomery, of B~ellaire, and Capt.
Asa Booth, of this city, conceived the
idea OF obtaining a high rate of speed
with the aid of the Montgomery rotary
engine with the old style wheel. They
have also designed and patented a new
wheel which they claim offers one
third less resistance than and is just
as strong as the old style.
B. l. Flesher, of M%iddleport, o., has
the contract for building the boat COM
plete. The Middleport Boiler works
have the contract for the battery of
boilers and other steam fitting. There
will be two 3S-inch boilers, - ffues
each. The machinery will have every
guarantee of safety owing to the fact
that she will only do a passenger bust
ness. The Ohio Valley Machine Com
pany has completed the engine, Mr..
Montgomery's engine, which has been
put to every practical test has proved
satisfactory.
The wheel is a system of buckets on
an endless chain. 1t is arranged so
that it neither pushes the water down
nor lifts it up. In this way the re-
sistance is greatly diminished, in fact
almost reduced to a minimum. She
will be different in hull, cabin, ma
chinery and wheels from any other
boat ever built.
Although she will be a double deck
er, the boat will appear as a single
decker. Her hull is a different model
from any other. 1t was designed by
Capt. Booth. Architects who have
made a life long study of the work,
say it is the most perfect one they
have ever seen. Speed is the one OBJ
ject aimed for in the boat. and her
designers are competent they can, at
least, do II miles on a Z foot stage,
considering all stops and delays. There
will be a swinging stage on each end
of the boat in order to make quick
landings. The stage holsters are also
patented. The raising and lowering is
effected by the use OF compressed air,
which does the work more effectually,
and much quicker than the ordinary
steam niger. By use of the new stage
the boat will land and get away at
least three minutes quicker on the av-
erage than other packets, which will
also save a great deal of time.
The boat will be 120 feet long, 20 feet
s inches in the beam, 4 feet in the
hold. Her designers claim that owing
to her high structure and light ma
chinery, she can be taken out on IS
inches.
The boat will be run on the Euro
pean plan throughout. Aft of the en-
CINE will be the kitchen, pantry, dining
o and several state rooms. No reg
ular meals will be served in the din
ing room, but the European system
will be in vogue.
On the second deck within the prom