RAINS RAISE RIVER; RIVER QUEENS STILL SET FOR STOP IN CAPE

Heavy rains that continue to occur in the Upper Mississippi River watershed north of St. Louis have forced the National Weather Service to revise its flood crest on the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau for a third time this week.

The higher flood crest at Cape Girardeau is not expected to deter the arrival of the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen steamboats at Cape Girardeau Saturday.

The two boats are stopping at Cape Girardeau during the 15th re-enactment of the 1,134-mile, 1870 Great Steamboat Race between the Natchez and the Robert E. Lee from New Orleans to St. Louis.

The weather service now expects a crest of 38.5 feet to pass Cape Girardeau on July 9. That's 2.2 feet above the 36.3-foot crest forecast on Wednesday for Monday, and only 2.1 feet below the 40.6-foot flood crest that occurred here April 20.

The 40.6-foot crest is the highest of the six flood crests that have occurred at Cape Girardeau since March 11. Forecasters warned that the latest 38.5-foot crest prediction may be revised upward again if heavy rains continue along the Upper Mississippi the rest of the week. Rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches were forecast Wednesday night and this morning over parts of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

The steamboats left New Orleans June 24 on an 11-night cruise upriver. They're expected to arrive at the Cape Girardeau waterfront around 11 a.m. Saturday and leave at 3 p.m. While the steamboats are being serviced and take on fresh water, the passengers will be transported by bus and antique cars to the River Heritage Museum and Southeast Missouri State University Museum.

The Themis Street floodgate was closed earlier this week, but the Broadway floodgate will be open when the boats dock. The Broadway gate is not closed until the river reaches 37.8 feet, and that won't occur until sometime next week.

The river here was forecast to reach 35.6 feet today, 35.7 feet on Saturday, and 35.9 feet on Sunday.

Because of high water in the St. Louis area, this year's Great Steamboat Race will end at Ste. Genevieve because the boats cannot pass safely under the I-255 Jefferson Barracks bridge, said a spokesman for the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. in New Orleans.

After leaving Cape Girardeau the boats will begin the final leg of the race at 8 a.m. Sunday at Mile 116, near Kaskaskia State Park. The first boat to reach Ste. Genevieve is the winner and will wear the coveted Golden Antlers the symbol of racing supremacy for the coming year.

The boats are expected to dock at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Marina DeGabouri near Ste. Genevieve.