NEW $35 MILLION CASINO BOAT TURNS HEADS AS IT PASSES CAPE

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cape Girardeau residents who were near the Mississippi River early Tuesday afternoon got a glimpse of the modern, sleek-looking motor vessel, Empress, as it passed the city.

The $35 million floating gambling casino was en route from Jacksonville, Fla., to its new home in Joliet, Ill., where it will be operated on the Des Plaines River by Empress River Casino Corp. of Joliet.

On Wednesday the Empress was docked in St. Louis, at the foot of the Gateway Arch.

The Empress' first mate, Greg Combs, said in an interview from St. Louis Wednesday, that the diesel-powered Empress was built in Jacksonville by Atlantic Marine Shipbuilders. It is 220 feet long, 67 feet wide and stands 42 feet high from the waterline to the top of the pilot house. By comparison, the steamboat, Mississippi Queen, is 345 feet long and 67 feet wide. The Empress is licensed by the Coast Guard to carry up to 1,200 passengers on day and evening cruises.

Combs said the Empress just completed its sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico near Jacksonville, and is being delivered to its owners in Joliet. It is scheduled to arrive in Joliet Saturday, he said.

When it goes into service later this summer, the Empress will have a crew of about 15 who will operate the boat plus another 150 casino employees.

Inside the casino, passengers will be able to play 607 slot machines, 28 blackjack tables, five dice tables, three roulette wheels and one Wheel of Fortune. In addition to gambling, the Empress is also equipped with elegant dining facilities.

Combs said the Empress will make six cruises each day.