The wharfmaster reported $24 collected as wharfage for May. A
resolution was passed to compel all long line boats to pay wharfage.
The Hatcher, Little Queen and other local packets were excepted.

The street commissioner mentioned several places where the culverts
across the streets ought to be made larger. One is near Adam Long's
on Sugar Run street and one on Lincoln Hill. At that point
Capt. Malone began kicking about the Enterprise Landing and he did
credit to a Texas broncho. He finally got the street committee to go
to look at the place and to order it repaired. He said they had to
have flying machines to get people on and off boats there.


THE NEW QUEEN CITY

The new Queen City, companion for the Virginia, was launched at
Cincinnati Saturday.  It is conceded to be the finest of her class
ever built and floated in the Western rivers. In the old days
of steamboating no finer stern-wheel vessel was ever built and entered
into service than the Queen City.

The boat is 236 feet long, 44 foot beam, 51 feet wide over all, with a
seven-foot depth of hold. Her estimated capacity is 1,460 tons. Her
machinery consists of four boilers and an auxiliary boiler, and her
engines have an indicated horse power of 2,000. This is the highest
power on any boat of the class in the Western waters. There are on
the boat in all 14 steam engines for all purposes, such as making
electric light, pumping and the like. The boat will be lighted throughout
with electricity, there being 400 incandescent lights on her and 100
in the main saloon. The cabins will all be furnished with electric
lights, and the cabins will be finished in as fine style as possible.
The woodwork on the interior of the main saloon is all of mahogany
finish, trimmed with brass mountings, and presents a fine appearance.
The ceilings are of the decorative steel sort which has lately come into
such favor for uses of this kind. The bottom panels of the cabin floors
are trimmed with gold-plated mountings of attractive appearance.

FINE CABIN INTERIOR

The cabins themselves are fitted up in taste, each one being furnished
with a nickel-plated water tank, beveled edge plate glass mirror and
similar luxurious fittings. There are cabin accommodations on the boat
for 160, and the capacity for passenger purposes is 250. For excursion
purposes she is allowed 1,600 persons.

The main saloon is decorated in a tasteful and ornamental style. The
panels of the forward gangway doors are decorated each one with a scene
typical of one of the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The paintings are of high order and were executed by David Swing. At
the forward end of the main saloon is the most noticeable of all the
attempts of the work of the decorator in the instance of the setting off
of the name of the boat. The name, "Queen City," appears arising from
the waters of the beautiful river, the letters wreathed and twined with
profusion of roses, fully calling to mind Longfellow's famous and oft
quoted passage descriptive of the city:

The Queen of the West,
In her garlands dressed,
On the banks of the Beautiful River.

At either end of the fanciful name of the city and the name of the boat
spelled by the letters rising from the water and covered with garlands
of roses, are seen the banks. on the left is a representation of the
Suspension bridge and the city beyond, showing the Chamber of Commerce
towering above the other buildings and the tall spire of the First Presbyterian
church standing out against the rugged sides of Mt. Adams. Beneath the
bridge can be seen the Virginia, the companion boat to the Queen City.
On the opposite side of the illuminated name is shown the Central bridge
in a view looking up the river and the new upper bridge, rebuilt by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The Kentucky shore is visible and boats
with their tows come and go on the surface of the river.

ARTISTIC PICTURES

The two views are, in themselves attractive pictures and the illumination
of the boat's name surrounded by such artistic work is the idea of
Captain J. F. Ellison and well worked out by the artist, David Swing.

The prevailing color in the exterior decoration of the boat is red.
On the other boat, the Virginia, the color is blue.

A noticeable feature about the boat is a marble tablet forward, upon
which is engraved the names of the builders and outfitters. The tablet
is a departure from the accepted features of boat-building and one that
is full of interest. As the boat was entirely built in Cincinnati and
mostly furnished and equipped by Cincinnati firms, it is appropriate that
the names of her makers and furnishers should be placed together on a
tablet thus. The tablet included names as follows: Cincinnati Marine Railway
Company, hull, cabins, &c; McIlvain & Spiegel, boilers; L. Schreiber Sons Co.,
James Reese & Sons, John H. DeCamp, E. E. Locke, James Horne & Co. ,
Edw. C. Wendt, Ohio Scroll and Lumber Company, John Van Range Co.,
Triumph Electric Company, Homan & Co., Kogh & Braunstein, Consolidated
Boat Store Company, Crawler & Johnston, Eureka Block and Tackle Company,
Cincinnati Manufacturing Company, Wm. Glenny Co.

The formal presentation to the new boat by the Chamber of Commerce of
a piano and stand of colors on Thursday will be an event of no little
interest. A fund has been raised by the members and the piano and colors
purchased. The members of the Chamber will march to the boat after Change
hours, headed by the Chamber of Commerce Band. The Mayor and President
of the Chamber will make the presentation, and the afternoon or part of
it will be spent in a trip up and down the river at the invitation of
the owners of the boat.

Column 6

MARINE

Assistant United States Engineer R. R. Jones is making preparations to
resume the survey of the Ohio River from Pittsburg to Marietta. This
survey was begun last year, and completed as far as East Liverpool.
As soon as the stage of the river will permit, the survey will be
resumed. The survey is being made with the view of obtaining all
information possible for use in improving the river by locks and dams.
It will hardly be completed this season. Marietta is supposed to be
the southern terminus of the locks and dams of the river.

The Smoky City laid up at Middleport last Wednesday and paid off her
crew.

John Parks, aged 19 years, second engineer of the Ida Smith, died at
the Marine Hospital at Gallipolis, Friday evening. He was taken to
Ravenswood for burial.

NEW WHEELING PACKET

The brand, spanking new steamer W. J. CUMMINGS, belonging to
Capt. Mack Gamble, just completed at Marietta, and having a 500-ton
capacity, made her maiden trip Saturday. She left Wheeling for Cincinnati,
and will run regularly between Cincinnati and Wheeling as an independent
weekly packet.

DEMOCRAT CORRESPONDENTS CONVENTION

The regular annual convention of the correspondents of the Democrat took
place last Saturday, June 5th. The correspondents from all over the
county gathered at the Court House in the morning, and after the Boxwell
diploma presentations they went to the wharf and boarded the steamer
Mary L. Hatcher for the purpose of an excursion up the river. The Pomeroy
band was aboard and kept up the spirits of the writers by plenty of stirring,
solemn and ear-destroying music, decorations were galore, and all in all
no more suitable setting could be established for a day of pleasure.

At Syracuse the boat landed and the crowd moved to the college campus,
where dinner was served.  Among the two hundred people present there
appeared to be nearly as many well filled baskets and in a remarkably
short time a feast was before the people capable of causing any journalist's
eyes to sparkle and fit to satisfy his appetite.

After dinner came the business and literary events; the election of
officers for the ensuing year constituting the business. All the officers
of last year were re-elected. The program, while perhaps just a little
short, was very beneficial and interesting. Essays entitled "Mother,
Home and Heaven" and "Literature" were among the other good things.
And Prof. Coates was there, too! It is well understood what he added
to the fun of the occasion by his humorous selections.

Again the crowd boarded the boat and she steamed on up the river as
far as Racine, and returned to the wharf here somewhat after three o'clock.

Correspondents, friends, band boys - in fact everybody was loud in his
gratitude for his courteous treatment at the hands of Mr. Peoples.
This being an annual affair, anticipation is great for the repetition
of the enjoyment next year, although likely in another manner.

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Jan. 6, 1897  |  Feb. 24, 1897  |  March 24, 1897  |   April, 28, 1897
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