MODELED AFTER HISTORIC PADDLEWHEELER: The American Queen's designers used the classic design features of the J.M. White, right, as a blueprint. Built in 1878 by the Howard Shipyards and Dock Co., the J.M. White, at 321 feet overall length, was a triumph in cotton boat architecture. The 418-foot-long American Queen's fluted smokestacks, decorated pilot house and double landing stages, mirror the design features of the floating palaces of the great steamboat era.

The American Queen's 60-ton paddle wheel was fitted in place at McDermott Shipyard in Amelia, La., The 30-foot long paddle wheel is driven by a vintage steam engine (circa 1930), the American Queen's main source of propulsion.

She glided elegantly past Cape Girardeau last week, a grand river lady with tall stacks and gingerbread woodwork on the outside; sparkling chandeliers and richly detailed period furniture on the inside; and through and through, river romance at its finest.

The American Queen, the largest overnight passenger vessel built in the United States in four decades, is the new gem in the corporate crown of the Queen Steamboat Co.

And, a gem she is.

Touring on the American Queen, say passengers who have been there, is like taking a step back in time. Reminiscent of the famed 1800s "J.M. White," which commanded the reputation of "Mistress of the Mississippi," the American Queen features a grand staircase, much like the wide, curved staircase that once welcomed passengers aboard the J.M. White.

And, that's just the beginning.

The gracious days of the 1800s are re-created throughout the American Queen. The Ladies' Parlor (according to long-standing steamboat tradition, tobacco-chewing and swearing here were banned) features a number of antiques, including an 1890s maple and walnut mantel, an 1895 Edison Home Phonograph and wide selection of reading materials for the "gentlewoman" of the day.

Across from the Ladies Parlor is the Gentlemen's Card Room, done in a deep, rich decor that sets off the bookcases filled with volumes which might have been found in an upper-class, turn-of-the-century home. A stuffed black bear guards the room's side windows, and an old-fashioned arcade machine promising, "French postcard" views of ladies for just a penny.

Beyond the Ladies' Parlor and Gentlemen's Card Room is the Mark Twain Gallery, where passengers can enjoy exhibits on regional birds and wildlife, steamboat history and river memorabilia. The bookcases here house much of the boat's 600-volume library of 19th century books.

Other popular gathering places aboard the queen are the J.M. White Dining Room and the Grand Saloon, conceived as a miniature opera house with tall proscenium stage and private box seats on the mezzanine.

"The American Queen is the ultimate in riverboats," said Sarah Boothe, a Mississippi Queen photographer who stopped, along with the Mississippi Queen in Cape Girardeau July 3.

"The Delta Queen is an inn," Boothe continued. "The Mississippi Queen is a Hilton and the American Queen is a floating New York Crown Plaza."

Area residents will have an opportunity to see the American Queen firsthand later this month when it makes a stop in Cape Girardeau. The newest Queen will be docked at Riverfront Park on July 24, from 9:30 to 1 p.m.

A few lucky people will board the $65 million, 436-passenger vessel for tours. The Cape Girardeau Public Library has been given approval by the Queen's parent company to offer tours as a special library fund-raiser. The tours, at $10 each, include the Queen, the River Heritage Museum and a box lunch at the library. Additional details are available by calling Betty Martin at the library, 334-5279.

Tours are limited, however. Only 30 people may participate.

The American Queen will make two other stops in Cape Girardeau this year, on Sept. 5 and Oct. 18. No on-board tours have been scheduled for those stops.

The three Queens scheduled a total of nine stops here for 1995. The Mississippi Queen will be in the city again today and on Aug. 27 and 30. The Delta Queen, which was also here July 3 as part of the annual "Great Steamboat Race," from New Orleans to St. Louis, will return for one more stop, on Sept. 16.

The American Queen recently made headlines during her pre-inaugural cruise up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh. The Queen, loaded with 285 invited passengers, mostly travel agents and writers, paused for a picture-taking session along the way and lost her dignity when she became mired in a sandbar

It took four days and five towboats to pull the Queen into a specially dredged channel that allowed her to continue up river.

Sandbars may be an unavoidable problem, but thanks to design engineers, low bridges don't skew the Queen's crown at all.

With the push of a button, the Queen's huge, 70-foot stacks, along with the pilothouse, can be lowered to allow the inland waterway's largest vessel to pass under low bridges.

According to Delta Queen Steamboat Co. officials, the American Queen's 222 staterooms and suites are 70 percent booked for this year.

During the steamboatin' heyday of the late 1800s and early 1900s, as many as 1,100 steamboats plied the nation's inland waterways. To savor the romance of the river and travel by steamboats these days, however, does not come without a price that would at least make the most gallant of Gentleman's Card Room poker players blink.

Cabin categories range from top of the line $9,420 a person, double occupancy, for a 16-night cruise to a more economical $3,980 for the same trip.

A three-night cruise on any of the Queens ranges from $490 to $1,840 a person, depending on cabin or suite category. Five-night cruises range from $740 to $3,620 and a 10-night cruise ranges from $1,500 to $5,890. These are per person fares that include all meals and many additional amenities.

On the up side, a full 75 percent of the staterooms on the American Queen offer river views. Even the most economical cabins on the American Queen have two single beds and private bath with shower.

The American Queen, which has been on the drawing boards for more than two years, was christened June 2 in New Orleans.

The $65 million, 3,706-ton, 436-passenger boat was built by McDermott Shipyard at Amelia, La.

Delta Queen Steamboat Co. officials say repeat passengers account for 28 percent of its annual business.

"Repeat passengers tell us they love the experience on the boat," said Lucette Brehm, public relations coordinators for the company. "And, they like the level of service provided."

The Mississippi River and the charm it presents to all visitors is some that can't be provided.

"The Mississippi River is such a focal point of American history," Brehm said. "The river and its tributaries contribute to the whole continent. It's irreplaceable."