The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-07-20
NEW PACKET BOAT
DOWN TENNESSEE
May be Named in Honor of
This City if Pressed
Companion for Big steamer Chatta-
nooga With Modern Passenger
Equipment.
OFFICIAL ON HIS WAY HERE.

THE Paducah," as the name or
the finest steamboat making this city
on the four rivers. would sound
sweet to the local river fraternity
rs well as the whole population. The
Chattanooga Packet company has
signed a contract with the Howard
Shipbuilding company at Jefferson
vile, Ind, to build steamer for
the Paducah- Chattanooga trade
The name for this new boat has not
been selected but It is authoratively
limited that "Paducah' will be its
name
1t has been five years since steam
boat named for this city was seen
here. In 1902 the old "Paducah"
broke in two near Guntown and no
other steamboat built since then has
been named for the city. There are
no towboats bearing the city's
name, and so far as known, the only
water craft named for the city is the
gunboat "Paducah" in the navy.
E. G. Rigg, traffic manager of the
Chattanooga Packet company, will
arrive Sunday from that city on the
steamer Chattanooga, to confer with
Captain G f. Phillips, the agent here
over the local situation. Mr. Rigg
probably can state definitely what the
name of the steamboat under con-
struction will be- There will be COM
petition for the honor and Paducah
will have to look alive to her interests
to insure that the new boat will be
named for her
VIII Remain in Trade.
In a letter received recently from
Mr.. Rigg. Captain Phillips was in
formed that under no circumstances
would the Chattanooga Packet com
pany withdraw from the Tennessee.
river trade Mr.. Rigg said that if
the river got too low for the Chatta-
nooga to get to Chattanooga, it would
go as far as Riverton Ala. and
there rehandle her freight over the
Southern railroad to Chattanooga In
this way the line can be operated all
the year round.
IL Is to get a mate for the Chatta-
nooga that the new steamboat is be-
ing built The Joe Wheeler was with
drawn from the Chattanooga trade
because it was too small to be profit
able. The new boat will be 40 feet
wide. and 25 feet longer than the
Chattanooga. The cost of the steam
er is not given out. but the state
ment was made that no expense would
be spared to make II the finest packet
of its size on the rivers from which
Paducah draws traffic. Improvements
in steamboat building have been
rapid and all these will be embodied
in the "Paducah." No less than
three. and probably more months
will be required to finish the boat.
In such details as the staterooms,
great Improvements will be made
instead of the conventional steam
boat berths, iron beds built on the
latest style viii be installed. They
will be like the old berths In that one
berth will be above the other. Con-
veniences unknown to the regular
state room will be added for the com
fort of the passengers and the plans
call for Innovations all over the
boat.
Only a few months ago the John
A. Patton was built at Jacksonville
for this line, but it, like the Joe
Wheeler. is too small for the trade
If the Chattanooga is forced from
low water to run only to Riverton,
weekly tripS~ill be made. whereas to
90 to Chattanooga, two weeks are re-
quired. This is the first season of
the new line and they see their way
clear to prepare permanently for a
good business. Their activity is ev
idenced everywhere on the rivers
and it is stated that the revival of
passenger business alone will give a
great impulse to river traffic.