Island Queen on the Ohio River   Save
Ohio Guide Collection
Description: Reverse reads: Island Queen on the Ohio River 1938; Steamboats-Island Queen. Front reads: Photo by Myron Benson. The original Island Queen, built in 1896, caught fire in 1922 and was rebuilt by 1925. The five-decked steamer (4,000 capacity) ferried along the Ohio River, its most notable destination was Coney Island Park. Measuring 285ft long and 45ft 6in wide with stern-wheels 30ft in diameter, the impressive vessel was powered by 1,000 horse power oil-burning steam engines. On September 9, 1947 the Island Queen exploded killing 19 crew members and wounding 18 more. It was later determined that the boat's Chief Engineer had sparked a welding torch too close to the oil tanks. Photo taken in 1938 as part of the Works Progress Administration. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F09_002_001
Subjects: Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project--Works Progress Administration--Steamboat
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)