The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-03-04
THE VALLEY QUEEN
Struck Bar near Hardscrabble Land
ing and Burned to the Waters
Edge.

A special to the P1Cayune udteu lSho-
burg, Miss, March I, says: The steamer
Valley Queen was burned to the waters
edge at 80 this morning at or near
Hardscrabble Landing, La, some miles
below St. Joseph, La, and is reported to
be total loss, but without injury to
any one on board.
The Valley Queen left here early yes
terday morning with about 40 bales OF
cotton, added about 200 more beWteen
here and Bondurant, all of which is re-
ported lost. s.--.s
The particulars received have been
very meager, and no details as to the
origin of the fire has been obtained so
far. ...
It appears that late last night the boat
had struck a bar below Bondurant,
where she remained, unable to float off
of her own power. Captain L. Drummer,
in command of the boat, telegraphed his
agent here to send a tug and barge in
order to tighten up his boat. At day
night the agent received second mes
sage, containing information OF the
boats total loss, and countermanding the
former order.
The Valley Queen was fine freight
er, with capacity of about 1000 bales
of cotton, and was formerly run in the
Red and Ouachita rivers. She was own
ed by B. c. Rea, VIM. A. Duke, l..
Drummer and other New Orleans parties,
and for the past three years has been
ruin regularly in the New Orleans,
Vicksburg and upper Bends trade. She
has been unfortunate, having in the past
eighteen months been aground, broken
her shaft, been on FIRE twice, but, not
withstanding, mas popular and well pat
ronized
Captain T. c. Sweeney, river inspee-
tor of the board of underwriters, left by
rail last night for the scene of disaster
to ascertain if any of the cargo of the
burned boat had escaped destruction and
see if some Of her machinery could not
be recovered.
The Valley Queen was built for the
Red River Line IN 1880 at Jeffersonvil1e,
Ind, according to plans submitted BY
the late Captain George w. Rea, a
prominent steamboatn1an Of his day,
who superintended her construction
from the keel lip. She was 1o2 feet long
and SO feet beam, with So feet depth Of
hold, and had carrying capacity of
1900 bales of cotton. She had two boil
ers "A inches in diameter and rs feet
long, with six hues in each, and her
engines, which were formerly in the old
Upper Coast packet Belle, had rs inches
diameter of cylinders and q feet stroke.
She had full length cabin and Texas,
plain III finish, but furnished with every
thing necessary for. the comfort Of pas
sengers and crew.
On her maiden trip the Valley Queen
WSiils#ilo Ii jCiiGI SOIiFllle 10 Ol. Louis,
loading there direct for Shreveport,
coming to her home port after the de-
livery Of her cargo. She then entered
the New Orleans and Red river trade
as regular packet and continued there
for ten years, proving one of the most
successful boats in the trade. In May,
1860, she was sold to the New Orleans
and Western Railroad Company and
was operated for two seasons by the C.
Chalnette Packet Company, a part of
that concedn, in the Port Chalmette and
Bends trade. She then became the prop
Ierty of Captain Ben G. Rea, wha has
since run her as Bends packet from
this city. In the busy winter months he
operated her in conjunction with the
steamer Chalmette She had only recent
" resumed her place in the trade, after
being laid up for a couple Of months
undergoing repairs. and it was Captain
Rec intention to have her continue
through the summer months as regu-
lar weekly packet.