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CHAPERONE, STERN WHEEL
STEAM PACKET 1884
The steam packet Chaperon was built for trade traffic at Chambersburg,
Ohio in 1884. At that time river shipping was inexpensive. A bushel of
coal was carried from Pittsburgh to New Orleans for the price of a first
class postage stamp. But, the Ohio River was shallow during the summer
and often choked by ice in the winter. This made steamboat travel
seasonal and delays frequent.
In 1906, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Green River Lock and
Dam 6, just downstream from Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave. Chaperon was the
first boat of its kind to pass through the new locks. In addition to
hauling cargo, she ran sightseeing excursions between Bowling Green and
Mammoth Cave during the summer months. Sold just before WWI, Chaperon
sailed the Tallahatchie River until fire destroyed her in 1922.
The model you’ll build from Model Shipways’ kit will be a historically
accurate and perfectly scaled replica almost three feet long. An amazing
number of laser-cut basswood and limewood parts make up the hull,
superstructure, paddlewheel, gangplank and railings. A photo-etched
brass sheet provides incredible ornamental detail. Other brass parts
include bell, eyebolts, cleats and nails. Ready-to-use Britannia metal
lifeboat, lanterns, capstan and whistle, hardwood blocks and three
diameters of rigging line add life-like authenticity. Six sheets of
plans and clear assembly instructions pave the way to a magnificent
model.
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