RIVERBOATS EXPECTED TO BRING 4,000 TRAVELERS TO CAPE GIRARDEAU IN '97

More than 4,000 river travelers are expected to visit downtown Cape Girardeau this year as a result of Delta Queen Steamboat Co. Inc. riverboats making 15 stops here.

The Delta Queen, a national historic landmark and the oldest of three boats in the company's fleet, will make four stops, the Mississippi Queen will dock here six times and the newest boat in the fleet, the 412-foot-long American Queen, will stop here five times.

Each of the boats brings an average 300 passengers per trip, said Mary Miller, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Townspeople are invited to participate in welcoming the boats to town, said Miller.

Making the first stop will be the American Queen, which will arrive on the Mississippi River downtown April 25 at 7 a.m. for a three-hour visit. The American Queen accommodates 420 passengers.

The Mississippi Queen, also with a capacity of about 400, will make its first docking May 10 at 8 a.m. for a five-hour stay. The Delta Queen, with a passenger capacity of 200, will be here May 11 at 8 a.m.

The Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen will dock here July 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the annual New Orleans-to-St. Louis riverboat race.

The Delta Queen, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970 and designated a national historic landmark in 1989, is the only authentic, fully-restored overnight steamboat in the world.

The 285-foot-long Delta Queen was built in 1926 and launched in 1927 at a cost of $875,000.

The Mississippi Queen was commissioned July 25, 1976. The twin-stacked vessel is 382 feet long

The American Queen, one of the largest on the inland waterways, was launched in 1995 at an approximate cost of $60 million.

1997 DOCKING SCHEDULE

The 1996 schedule:

April 25 -- American Queen, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

April 29 -- American Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May 10 -- Mississippi Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May 11 -- Delta Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

May 14 -- Delta Queen, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

July 2 -- Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen, 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., en route to St. Louis in the New Orleans-to-St. Louis Steamboat Race.

July 6 -- American Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 9 -- Delta Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 10 -- Mississippi Queen, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

July 19 -- American Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 31 -- Mississippi Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sept. 3 -- American Queen, noon to 5 p.m.

Nov. 6 -- Mississippi Queen, 8 a.m. to noon.

Dec. 25 -- Mississippi Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.