Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-05
BIG BOAT LAUNCHED.
The Monster Steel Tow Boat
''Peter Sprague" Launched
at Dubuque Today.
Said to be the Largest Boat OF
Its Kind in the
World.
1t is 3l8 Feet Long. Twelve Feet
Deep and Sixty-four
Foot Beam.

| Special to Times Republican.
/ Dubuque. Dec. with the inspiring
| strains of the military band and the
| cheers frem the threats of thousands OF
| spectators the monster steel tow boat
| Peter Sprague,'' the largest of it's kind
in the world, which was constructed by
the Iowa Iron Works this summer slid
down the ways and into the waters of
the Mississippi this afternoon, in the ice
harbor, where it will remain until COM
pleted in the spring and then steam
work in the service of the Monongahela
Towing Company, for which she was
built
Miss Florence Peaslee, the 12-year-old
daughter of Edward c. Peaslee. broke
the bottle of wine over the bow which
christened the boat AS the immense
hull struck the surface OF the water and
big wave formed and rolled slowly
across the harbor, foiiowed by several
smaller ones.
The event was a notable one, not only
for the Iowa Iron Works Company, but
also for the PEOPLE of Dubuque, as it
means the opening of new era in the
ship building interests of the west. This
boat is the first one turned out under
the new management OF the company
and the officers feel highly elated, espe-
clally as they have had many words of
praise from eastern critics. The ship
yards at present have two other hulls
under the process Of construction and
the company has several contracts in
view for next year.
This immense amount of steel in con-
structing the largest boat Of its kind
in the world. 1t was built especially
for the Monongahela Towing Company,
which will use it in transporting coal
from its fields in Pennsylvania to the
mouth OF the Mississippi river The to-
tai cost Of construction is in the neigh
borhood Of 100000, which means equip
ped ready for business. At present only
the hull is finished; the machinery, in
terror equipment. etc, will not be COM
pleted until next sprIlg when the boat,
with steam in its own boilers, will pro-
coed down the river to begin work.
The Peter Sprague is 31S feet in
length, twelve feet In depth and a Ga
foot beam over all; her draft is five
feet when loaded. The entire hull,
framework, ETC., Is OF steel, and wood is
only used where necessary. Over TWEEN |
ty-five tons Of riyets were used in weld
ing the sheets of steel together. The
stern wheel by which she will be pro-
PEELED is 40x40 feet and IS moved by
shafts, each weighing 100000 pounds.
The steel before being put into the boat
was all tested and showed that it was
able to Withstand pressure OF $4,000
pounds to the inch. When exerted to |
Its utmost the Peter Sprague will have
Into consideration that the Quincy, the
Diamond 10 packet has only 500
horse power 1t can readily be seen how
strong this boat is and then the Quincy
is the most powerful vessel on tine up
per river at present.
The cabin will be superbly furnished
and equipped for large crew.
The question that now appears to ev-
cry one is, how much work car this
BOAT do?" The answer is enough to as
ound any one not connected with this
Kind of freight business; the Peter
,prague when under full head of :
steam con tow or rather push ITO barges
II coal. each loaded with 500 tons. thus
making total cargo of $1,000 tons;
more than 1000 freight cars can carry.
These figures alone will give one an
dea of the immense capacity Of the
,oat. !.