Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-26

on the upper river. the St. Paul. Quin-
cy and Morning Star. Three boats.
Sidney. W. W. and Hin. are operated
exclusively in the excursion business.
| The St Paul. Quincy. Morning Star.
] Dubuque. Helen Blair. Black Hawk and
Keokuk are packet boats. built for
/ freight and passenger service only.
According TO the marine book. giving
/ a list OF merchant vessels OF the Unit
ed States, with measurements and de-
scription, published by the bureau Of
navigation. department OF commerce
/ and labor. at Washington, d. C., the
| St Paul Is the largest boat OF the IL,
the Black Hawk is the smallest. the
Sidney is the Oldest. and the G.. w.
| Hill and Black Hawk are the newest.
Steel Frame Boats.
The ST. Paul Is a fine craft. one of
the finest in the river packet trade in
the west. The hull is PIG feet long.
65 feet wide and 6.4 feet deep. and the
engines are s25 horse power The
boat was built IN 1909. The Quincy is
the next in size. having a hull slightly
shorter and narrower, but deeper, and
is equipped with much more powerful
engines and should be faster. The boat
is 264 feet long. ~ feet wide. 6 feet
deep. and was rebuilt in 1895. having
been originally named Gem City. The
third largest boat is the Dubuque. for
merly known as the Pittsburgh, rebuilt
in 1905. II Is 256 feet long. 81 feet
wide, 6-2 feet deep and has engines of
sos horse power. The fourth largest
boat Is the Morning Star. having an
exceptionally narrow hull, $50 feet
long and only 80 feet wide, with the
hull feet deep. II carries engines of
746 horse power
Black Hawk Smallest Boat.
Fifth in size was the steamer Ma
jestic. which was the largest excur-
sion boat on the Mississippi. 1t was
formerly the Keystone State. built at
Harmar. Ohio. in 1890. and since re-
built and renamed. having a hull built
three years ago and upper works built
last winter at Peoria. The Majestic
and Hill are said to be the only boats
on the Mississippi river having steel
frames built in the hulls up through
the upper work. to the texas decks. |
The hull of the Majestic is 225 feet
long. 81 feet wide and feet deem.
with engines of $40 horsepower. |
Sixth in size is the Sidney, built ir /
1880. at Wheeling. W. Va, and i'm
proved last winter The hurricane |
deck is supported by steel eye-beams |
on heavy wooden posts which extend
down outside of the cabin. on the sec
ond deck TO the deck below, this /
change having been made last win n
ter that the posts in the dance hall
might be removed. The ends of the Il
are covered by an extern
sion, or the hurricane deck floor. The
Sidney is 221.3 feet long, 3515 feet
wide and 51a feet deep. and her en-.
gines are 1896 horsepower.
Seventh in size is the C. w. Hill,
originally built at Jacksonville, Ind,
In 1909. by the late G. W. Hill. who.
however, died before the boat was
finished. II is $50 feet long. Sc feet
wide, feet deep, and the engines are
II 0VJ horsepower. Eighth in size is
he Helen Blair. formerly the Urania. <
-ebuilt in 1893. II is $50 feet long.
. feet wide. So feet deep and has
80 horsepower engines. Ninth in size (
8 the Keokuk. built at Wabasha, nj
linn, in 1907. 1t is 13S feet long. 80
eet wide, 4 feet deep. and has 500
horsepower engines. Tenth in size
; the W. w, named for Captain Wal
er Wisherd. built in 1882. II was 3
the City OF Winona. The r
ull is 1877 feet long. 29.1 feet wide S
nd 4.6 feet deep, and has 30 horse
over engines. T,e smallest boat is :
ne Black Hawk, which succeeded the r
liver Craannnr IN he Z r
-ade. II measures 135 feet in L
myth. 275z feet in beam and is Az
,et deep, having engines of 300
orsepower. The boat was built in
'Os at Wabasha. MINI.
Four Steamboat Lines.
The St. Paul. Quincy. Dubuque. Sid
~ and W. w. are owned and oper-
ed by the Streckfus Steamboat com
my. of st. Louis; the Helen Blair.
eokuk and Black Hawk belong TO
e Carnival City Packet company or
avenport; the Morning Star is the VIC
operty OF the Northern Steamboat He
mpany of Davenport, and the Ma pr
site and G. ". Hill are owned by tir
e Wisherd Steamboat line of Quincy. Sc,
ptain Walter Blair is the operating lar
icial OF both the Carnival City and
d the Northern companies and the IN
II packets are often referred to as hi,
air boats. IT.