Island Queen
1923-1947
The second Island Queen was built in parts beginning in 1923. Midland Barge Company of Midland, Pennsylvania built its steel hull, designed as a matched pair with the Cincinnati for the Louisville & Cincinnati Packet Company and John W. Hubbard. After taking delivery on the hull and naming it Louisville, the owner instead resold it to the Coney Island Company. Coney Island Company finished the boat in Cincinnati on April 18, 1925. The new Island Queen measured 285-feet long and could carry 4,000 people. The 1000-ton side wheeler was powered by oil-burning steam engines with six boilers. It was fully completed and christened in Cincinnati by the Coney Island Company on April 18, 1925.
While in Pittsburgh, on September 9, 1947, her chief engineer struck her fuel tank with a welding torch, causing a fire and a series of explosions that eventually reduced Island Queen to her steel structure, and killed 19 crew. No passengers were aboard at the time of the fire, but about 40 members of the crew were aboard. Force from the explosions could be felt throughout downtown Pittsburgh, shattering windows in nearby buildings. There were even reports of people being knocked down on streets close to the dock
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 26 July 1924, page 12
One mode of travel to reach the new course will be via Coney Island boats. The Coney Island Co is building a new boat at a cost of $400,000, which will be known as the Island Queen. This boat will be the finest thing ever seen. It will carry 5227 persons, the maximum number allowed by the government on river steamers.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 17 September 1924, page 5
Sparks from a torch ignited chairs in the hull of the new steamer Island Queen, which is being built on the levee at the foot of Broadway early Wednesday. About 39 of the chairs were destroyed. Steel construction of the new boat saved it from damage.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 3 April 1925, page 36
In a few days the strains of Cliff Burns dance orchestra and the melody of Homer Denny's calliope on the Island Queen will be reverberating from Kentucky hills to Ohio shore. Pending opening is May 23.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 16 April 1925, page 16
All vessels in the Ohio River harbor will assemble off the foot of Broadway Saturday, 2 pm and rend the air with siren blasts in honor of the christening and dedication of the new steamer Island Queen.
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Kentucky Post, Sunday, 19 April 1925, page 11
Ohio River water substiuted for champagne in the christening of the Island Queen which took place Saturday. More than 4000 spectators crowded the landing and the decks to witness the ceremony.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 15 May 1925, page 10
Newport Masons were kids again Friday afternoon when they joined in making that day one which the children from the various Campbell Co orphanages will remember for many a day. More than 300 children were taken on an excursion on the new Island Queen and entertained.
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Kentucky Post, Sunday, 2 May 1926, page 7
The annual moonlight excursion of the Newport Masonic Club will be on May 14. Girls and boys of Campbell County orphan asylums will be guests of the club at a boat ride in the afternoon. The moonlight excursion will be on the steamer Island Queen.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 13 August 1926, page 1
Charles Kyle, 15, of 126 Ward av. Bellevue and Charles Brown, 13, of 326 Ward av. Bellevue, Friday owed their live to the owner of a canoe, who paddled to the middle of the Ohio River Thursday night and rescued them as they were clinging to the side of their canoe, which had been wrecked by the steamer Island Queen.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 30 May 1927, page 5
George Miller, 16 of Covington, was drowned in the Ohio River near Sycamore st. when his canoe was overturned by swells of the steamer Island Queen. The body has not been recovered.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 16 June 1927, page 8
Joe Ross, first mate of the steamer Island Queen, has been promoted to the captaincy of the Queen's sister ship, the Island Maid, to succeed M D Campbell. Ross was on the job from the time the first rivet was placed in the Queen until he was transferred to the Maid. Ross has never missed a trip on the Queen since it entered the Coney Island service.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 4 April 1928, page 5
The Junior Department of the Ft Thomas Woman's Club is sponsoring a benefit boat ride on the Island Queen on Tuesday April 17.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 6 September 1929, page 5
Suit for $2990 for injuries alleged to have been suffered when she fell down a flight of stairs on the Island Queen on July 6, 1929, was filed in Campbell Circuit Court by Ethel Gray, Ft Thomas, against the Coney Island Company.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 13 March 1930, page 4
Five N N Girls Club are arranging for a moonlight boat ride on the Island Queen April 3. The young women are Mildred Dean, Ft Thomas; Helen Gross, Newport; Dot Weinbrecht, Newport; Jane Kesler, Newport and Flora L Munker, Newport.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 2 May 1931, page 4
Newport Masonic Club will give their twelfth annual moonlight May 21 on the steamer Island Queen.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 24, 1931, page 2
C M T C cadets from Ft Thomas occupied Coney Island Friday at 10:30 am. The cadets marched from their camp to Brent Ky. after breakfast and boarded the steamer Island Queen at 8:30 am. The whole day's outing was a gift of George M Schott, president of the Coney Island Amusement Co.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 28 March 1933, page 6
Mrs. Taylor Myers, president, announces the Highlands High School PTA will sponsor a moonlight boat ride on the steamer Island Queen on April 21.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 17 May 1934, page 3
Miss Katherine Warren, supervisor of the Commercial Department of Newport High School, is in charge of the Newport High School boat rides. Two cruises on the Island Queen one in the afternoon and the other in the evening of Thursday, May 17.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 7 April 1936, page 3
Howard Bahlman, Ft Thomas, is in charge of arrangements for a moonlight cruise to be given aboard the Island Queen April 11 by the Bluejay Boys Club of Ft Thomas. Proceeds will go to the club's camp at Ross Ky.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 15 April 1937, page 3
The seniors of the Dayton High School will hold the annual moonlight on Friday night, April 23 on the steamer Island Queen. Zella Crail, general chairman; Evelyn Thomson, tickets and Catherine Madden, publicity.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 4 April 1938, page 2
A moonlight dance on the steamer Island Queen will be given by the Ladies Auxiliary No 4, United Spanish War Veterans, Newport, on April 9 at 8 pm.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 10 April 1939, page 2
The Newport High School moonlight boat ride will be held Friday night on the steamer Island Queen.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 22 May 1940, page 1
Three Newport youths narrowly escaped drowning last Tuesday when their homemade john boat capsized in the rollers of the steamer Island Queen in the Ohio River. Frank Haas, Newport, Ben Faller, Ft Thomas, Earl Bechtle, Newport. Police failed to learn the name of the fourth.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 13 August 1942, page 3
The steamer Island Queen will make all trips on Newport Day, the annual celebration at Coney Island, from the foot of Central Avenue. The fare will be reduced to 15 cents for those boarding at Newport.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 21 August 1942, page 2
The summer outing season will be nearing its end when Newport Day is celebrated at Coney Island on Aug 27. On that day, residents of Newport will board the Island Queen for the 10 mile ride to the upriver resort.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 25 March 1944, page 3
The Northern Kentucky Navy Wives Club of Newport will sponsor a dance excursion aboard the steamer Island Queen on April 8.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 4 May 1945, page 9
The Bellevue Canteen will sponsor a moonlight boat ride Friday night on the steamer Island Queen.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 10 April 1946, page 3
Veterans in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio will attend a boat ride on the steamer Island Queen May 2.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 16 April 1947, page 4
The Junior Department of the Newport Woman's Club will sponsor a moonlight on the steamer Island Queen Thursday night.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 7 July 1947, page 1
The Newport flood wall has made it necessary to abandon the annual Newport Day outing because the Island Queen cannot land at Newport.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 10 September 1947, page 1
Seven Kentuckians, including men from Dayton, Covington, Newport and Ft Mitchell, either were killed, injured or are mission as a result of the million dollar explosion which destroyed the Island Queen, Tuesday at Pittsburg Pa. Among the missing are Fred Tolle, Dayton; William Stapleton, Newport. All of the casualties were reported to be members of the crew or other engaged in entertaining aboard the boat.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 3 October 1947, page 6
Fred Tolle, 46, funeral will be conducted from the Betz Funeral Home, Newport at 2 pm Friday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery. Tolle lived at 1 Burma Road, Dayton and was a member of the Simon Kenton Post, VFW and a WWI veteran. He leaves a widow, Bertha; four sons, Robert, Eugene, Winnolin and Donald; a daughter Marilyn Rae Tolle, all of Dayton.