Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-07-10
BURNING Of The
STEAMER RIVER QUEEN.
Old Excursion Steamer Destroyed
at her Wharf in Washington
mo Insurance.

About twelve O'Clock last Saturday
night the old excursion steamer River
Queen, Capt. George E. Baggett, Of
Alexandria, for SO many years q
familiar object on the Potomac river,
was discovered to be on fire 1T her
berth in Washington. An alarm was
sounded and the fire department, to-
ge.l,er with the Fireiighter. soon ap,
peared on the scene, but notwithstand-
| ing all the exertions put forth to
check the flames, the steamer was
burned to the waters edge. She is a
! total loss, rs the owners carried no in
snrance on the steamer. She was
valued at $4,000 and was owned by
the Independent Steamboat and Barge
Company. Flames were originated
in the fire room. During past years
the River Qneen had been used in
transporting coIored excurslonists oil
Alexandria and Washington to and
from Washington Park, formerly Not
Icy Hall, on the opposite side Of the
river.
The RIVER Queen was built ut Key
port, n. j., in 1864, in which year sh"
was placed ON the Potomac. She was
$50 feet long, % feet in breadth.
with depth Of 9 feet in the bold.
and OF 400 horsepower. The
steamer during the latter part OF the
civil wa was used by President Lin
coin who occasionally went on trips on
the river. In 1864 the pr, sldent and
member, OF his cabinet made trip To
CITY Point on the River Queen, where
thcv met Alexander H. Stephens and
other representatives II The late Confed-
.racy. The conference had bean held
for the purpose OF considering measure.
for bringing The civil war u close.
The conference proved 4 failure, as
Prcsii lent Dayis's Instructions were to
the effect that the commissioners rep
resenting the Southern Conlcderacy
should listen to 40 tcrms III which tn"
Southern Confederacy vas not recog-
nized as al independent power.
Thousands Ct negroes intent on
spending yesterday at Washington
Park, went to the Seventh street wharf
Yesterday to board tie River Queen.
| They had not heard Of the fate Of the
! steamer.
Stockholders Of the independent
Steamboat and Barge Company, oper-
ntors Of the boat, met today 10 deter
mine whether or not another boat will
be leased for tie Washington Park
service.
Several Potomac river steamboats,
have been destroyed 10y fire IN hy-gone
years. The steamer Wa~asrt was
burned off Ch1tterton (noy Somerset
Reach) August S. 1873. In the early
part Of tie year 1879 the steamer Lady
OF the Lake, of the N.,:folk Inc, was
destroyed by fire at NorfuIk. 81" was
rebuff. during the following six months
but was again burned. llic $ G nj time
at her wharf in Washington. the cx-
lrsion steamer Armenia VAS DESTROY d
b., fire in al, xandria in 1886. The ferry
steamers City nf Alexandria aud Col.
umbia suffered the SAME fate, a dill
al4o the W. W. Curcoran, uf tn. Mount
Vernon. route. \ c"lo:td man lost his
! life by the hurnin. Of HE last named
steamer. Tie Inflated i amcrS men
toned above, except the Wa.a<rt, were
burned at their wfarreS. About one
hucdfed persons peri,hed iy the disaster
to the Wawaset, which WAS in the
channel Of the river when she took
tire. The steamer EStplle Randall was
! burned about year ago near Norfolk,
after she had ! cen purchased by a
! Norfolk company.