Mississippi Queen (center), with the Delta Queen along her starboard side, moored at the Tall Stacks Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio in October 2003. The Majestic appears on the right.
History
NameMississippi Queen
OwnerMajestic America Line
OperatorMajestic America Line
Port of registryNew Orleans
Yard number2999
Laid down1973
Completed1975
In service1976
Out of service2008
Identification
FateScrapped in 2011
General characteristics
Class and typeSteamboat
Length116 meters (382 ft)

The Mississippi Queen was the second-largest paddle wheel driven river steamboat ever built, second only to the larger American Queen. The ship was the largest such steamboat when she was built in 1976 by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company at Jeffboat in Indiana and was a seven-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat. She was later owned by the Majestic America Line. The Mississippi Queen had 206 state rooms for a capacity of 412 guests and a crew of 157. It was 116 meters (382 ft) long, 21 meters (68 ft) wide,[1] and displaced 3,709 metric tonnes (3,364 tons).[2]

The Mississippi Queen was a genuine stern paddlewheeler with a wheel that measured 6.7 meters (22 ft) in diameter by 11 meters (36 ft) wide and weighed 77 metric tonnes (70 tons). The steamboat also featured a 44 whistle steam calliope, which was the largest on the Mississippi River system.

The Mississippi Queen was laid up in New Orleans at Perry Street Wharf after being gutted, initially for renovation. Instead, however, the steamboat was sold for scrap in May 2009. She was towed for the last time to Morgan City, Louisiana in March 2011 to be cut down.

A steamboat called the Mississippi Queen was used in the 1982 episode "Cap'n Spanky's Showboat" in the animated television series The Little Rascals.

The song 'Evangeline' written by Robbie Robertson & performed by The Band and Emmylou Harris references the boat - "Evangeline, Evangeline, curses the soul of the Mississippi Queen"

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Official page". Archived from the original on 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  2. ↑ "The Mississippi Queen". reviews. cruisemates.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
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