CAIRO, Ill. -- The sounds of a paddlewheeler's calliope and the yell of "Steamboat a' coming" still create a feeling of excitement in small villages and towns along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

"The only thing that creates more excitement is the yell of "two steamboats a' coming,'" said Bo Helt, executive secretary of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce.

That yell is expected here about noon July 2.

"We'll be looking for two of the steamboats that still cruise the waters of these two great rivers the Mississippi Queen and the Delta Queen," said Helt. "They will be stopping here for about a half day."

Cairo, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, will get the jump on the Fourth of July holiday this year with the arrivals of the two "Queens," which will be in the midst of the annual "Great Steamboat Race" that covers a distance of 1,039 river miles from New Orleans to St. Louis."

The two boats were scheduled to leave New Orleans today and are scheduled to dock in St. Louis on July 4. The race retraces the route of one of the most famous steamboat duels in history the 1870 race between the Robert E. Lee and the Natchez. The Lee covered the 1,039-mile distance in three days, 18 hours and 14 minutes, a paddlewheel steamboat record that still stands.

Along the 1992 route the boats are scheduled for a July 1 stop at Caruthersville and a July 2 stop at Cairo.

"This will give us the opportunity to conduct our annual "King of the Rivers Pentathlon," said Helt.

Cairo Mayor James Wilson will serve as celebrity judge for the annual games of skill and endurance. The pentathlon will be conducted at St. Mary's Park and feature the crews of the two boats.

"The winner of the games receives the Commodore's Cup," said Helt. "The public is invited to come out and watch the competition.

"We've added something new in the pentathlon events this year," said Helt. "We're including a bed race."

Other events include various relay races for porters, waiters and cabin boys.

"The boat is scheduled to arrive at noon, depending on water and weather conditions," said Helt. "We'll start transporting passengers to the park about 2:30 p.m., and the pentathlon is scheduled to get under way about 3:30 p.m. The boat is expected to leave our dock about 6:30 p.m."

This marks the eighth time for the annual pentathlon at Cairo. The Delta Queen crew has won the Commodore's Cup five times and the Mississippi Queen once. In 1990 the crews battled to a tie.

This year's celebration at Cairo is a one-day event.

"In past years we have incorporated the boat activities with a three-day Riverboat Days observance," said Helt. "Riverboat Days will now be held Oct. 2, 3, and 4. At that time we'll hold our quilt show, art show, queen pageant and several other events."

The Mississippi Queen is the newest of the two paddlewheelers, and is the largest Mississippi River steamboat ever built, surpassing the "Great Republic," a river legend of the 19th century.

The Mississippi Queen was commissioned July 25, 1976. She is 382 feet long and 68 feet wide, and is a colorful reminder of the paddlewheelers of old.

Although the Queen offers many comforts and conveniences of a modern-day cruise, she is a true steamboat, powered by an authentic steam engine. The huge paddlewheel is not just for show; it propels her along the rivers.

The Delta Queen is the smaller of the two boats, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970. The Delta Queen has been plying the waters of the Mississippi and Ohio since the late 1940s. It was launched in 1927 in California for use on the Sacramento River between Sacramento and San Francisco.

The Delta Queen has an interesting history. It was used on the Sacramento River until 1939. With the outbreak of World War II, the Queen was taken over by the Navy and used to ferry servicemen who called her the U.S.S. Delta Queen to and from ocean vessels in San Francisco Bay. At war's end, the Queen was put up for auction and was purchased by Tom Greene, president of Green Line Steamboats, which is now the Delta Queen Steamboat Co.

The Delta Queen was towed over 5,000 miles down the Pacific coast, through the Panama Canal, and up the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi River at New Orleans. It was then taken to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a $750,000 facelift and has been making cruises ever since.