USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 29
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1 The number of stcamboats destroyed and damaged in 1860 was.
299 The number of canal-boats destroyed und damuged in 1860 was. 48 The number of coal and flat-boats destroyed and damaged in 1860 was. 208 The number of steamboats totally destroyed was .. 120 Due to the following causcs :
Sunk 11 Snagged and damaged. ...
44
Burned. 31 Damaged by storm ... 39
Explosion. 19 Breaking machinery 21
Collision 24 Collision with banks ... 8 Loss of life, 254.
? From the Republican of Dec. 12, 1864 :
" At seven o'clock Sunday morning the steamboat 'Maria,' loaded with government troops, horscs, mules, wagons, ctc., was blown up while lying ut the landing at Carondelet, and afterwards burned to the water's edge. About six o'clock Sut- urday evening the 'Maria,' ' Lillie Martin,' and ' Ella Faber,'
1112
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
Lewis," and the ferry-boat " Illinois, No. 2," were sunk in the ice at St. Louis, Nov. 19, 1864.
The Carondelet and Marine Railway Docks, together with the steamer " Jeanie Deans," were totally destroyed by fire on the 12th of May, 1866. The steamers " Ida Handy" (valued at seventy five thousand dol- lars), " Bostona," and " James Raymond" were burned on the 2d of June, 1866. The steamer " Magnolia," valued at one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, was burned on the 13th of June. By the fire of the 7th of April, 1866, the steamers "Fanny Ogden" with cargo, the " Frank Bates" and cargo, the " Nevada" and cargo, the " Alex. Majors" with cargo, and the " Effie Deans" with cargo, all together involving a loss of over five hundred thousand dollars, were de- stroyed. On the 26th of February, 1866, a disas- trous fire occurred, destroying the steamers " Le- viathan," " Luna," " Peytona," and " Dictator," with a loss estimated at three-quarters of a million of dol- lars.
On December 19th the steamer " Gray Eagle" was sunk at St. Louis. The ice-gorge of 1865-66 occa- sioned a loss of nearly a million of dollars to the owners of steamboats. The following was the esti-
having on board a considerable number of cavalry, principally belonging to the Third Iowa and Fourth Missouri Cavalry, left the Levee at St. Louis and dropped down to Carondelet, abont seven miles below, where they were lying when the disaster took place, the 'Maria' between the other two. She had on board Col. Benteen, commanding brigade, with his staff and escort, Col. B. S. Jones, Third Iowa Cavalry, a portion of his command and detached troops, amounting in all to about one hundred men, besides the erew of the boat, en route for Cairo. The explosion, by whatever means caused, threw the forward end of the boilers apart, landing them on the deek, without disturbing the after ends, and dashed the front of the furnaces and a quantity of coal forward, setting fire to bales of hay, twelve of which only were on deek, the remainder with the oats being in the hold. At the moment the explosion took place the floor of the eabin was bnrst up, and falling baek precipitated a number of soldiers down upon the boilers and burning wreek.
" When the ' Maria' left St. Louis she was in advance of the ' Ella Faber,' who had on board men recently belonging to the Fourth Missouri Cavalry. Eight of the men of this regiment left behind got on board the 'Maria.' Two only of those are known to have got off unhurt. What has become of the others is not known. Immediately after the accident occurred the 'Lillie Martin,' which had steamed up, fell down and took off the men on board and on the after-part of the boat, and also three ladies. In half an hour after the explosion the boat was a mass of flame, allowing time to save nothing but the load of human life aboard. The ' Maria' is a new hoat, built at Cin- einnati, the trip to St. Louis being her third sinee built. Her eost was thirty-five thonsand dollars. She is insured at Cin- einnati, but for what amount we did not learn. The officers of the ' Maria' are Capt. Alexander Montgomery; Wesley B. Dravo and William Dravo, elerks; Washington Couch and Frank Canger, engineers; Thomas Botts and Andrew Acker, mates ; Sol. Catterlin and David Blashfield, pilots."
mate of the total loss of steamboat-owners and under- writers from the formation of the ice-gorge at St. Louis in 1865 to its breaking on the 16th of De- cember of that year, together with the names of the vessels sunk :
Value.
New Admiral
$60,000
Old Sioux City
10,000
Empire City ... 20,000
Calypso (about)
30,000
Highlander 20,000
Geneva
27,000
Metropolitan (about).
18,000
Four wharf-boats (about).
15,000
Seven barges (about).
25,000
On the second breaking up, Friday,
the 12th January, 1866 :
Belle of Memphis. 85,000
John Trendly (ferry-boat)
50,000
Prairie Rose ...
15,000
Julia
16,000
Warsaw
35,000
Underwriter, No. 8.
20,000
Omaha.
12,000
Saturday, the 13th of January, the
Nebraska.
20,000
City of Pekin
37,000
Hattie May.
30,000
Diadem ..
22,000
Viola Belle
30,000
Reserve
30,000
Rosalie
45,000
Five roek-boats (abont).
18,000
Memphis wharf-boat.
5,000
Alton wharf-boat.
2,500
Total. $697,500
In the above table no amount whatever is set down for damage done the boats that escaped being sunk. The computations made on this subject by steamboat- men and steamboat-builders aggregated one hundred and forty thousand dollars, while some went as high as one hundred and sixty thousand and one hundred and seventy thousand dollars.
The following is a list of steamboat disasters at or near St. Louis from 1867 to 1881, inclusive :
1867. Jan. 20, " Mexico," burned at St. Louis; total loss. Jan. 26, "R. C. Wood," sunk opposite Carondelet.
Jan. 26, " E. H. Fairchild," sunk opposite Carondelet.
Feb. 6, " Tom Stevens," sunk near St. Louis.
Feb. 13, "White Cloud," sunk at St. Louis; total loss.
June 13, "Governor Sharkey," sunk at St. Louis; total Ioss.
Sept. 10, "G. W. Graham," burned at St. Louis ; total loss.
Sept. 10, " Yellowstone," burned at St. Louis; total loss.
Sept. 27, " Illinois," exploded at St. Louis ; repaired.
1868. Feb. 4, " Anna White," sunk by iee in St. Lonis harbor; total loss. Value $12,000; partly insured.
Feb. 4, "Clara Dolsen," New Orleans packet, burned in St. Louis; total loss. Insured for $25,000.
Feb. 22, " Kate Putnam," sunk near St. Louis; raised and repaired. Insured for $20,000.
Feb. 29, " Paragon," sunk in Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau; total loss. Insured for $35,000.
March 2, "M. S. Mepham," burned at St. Louis Levee. Value $35,000 ; insured for $40,000. Total loss.
March 2, "Fannie Seott," burned at St. Louis Levee. Damage $5000.
1113
NAVIGATION ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
March 2, "Kate Kinney," partially burned at St. Louis Levee. Damage $5000; insured.
April 18, "George D. Palmer" (stern-wheeler), partially burned at St. Louis Levee. Damage $5000; insured at Cin- cinnati.
Dec. 18, "George McPorter," sunk in St. Louis harbor ; total loss.
1869. March 29, "Carrie V. Kountz," "Gerard B. Allen," " Ben Johnson," "Henry Adkins," "Jennie Lewis," and
"Fannic Scott" burned at St. Louis; loss nearly $500,000.
Oct. 28, steamer "Stonewall" burned, and a large number of lives lost.
1870. Jan. 19, steamer " Lady Gay," one day out from St. Louis, struck a snag near Grand Tower and was sunk. She was built in 1865, and was valued at $50,000. She was one of the boats of the St. Louis and New Orleans Packet Company, and belonged to Capt. I. H. Joncs, Theodore Laveille, and others. She was insured for $24,000 on boat and $30,800 on cargo and stock.
Jan. 28, collision between the tow-boat "Fisher" and ferry- boat "East St. Louis," opposite Olive Street ; damage slight.
1871. Jan. 13, tow-boat "Tiber" thrown out of the river at the foot of Biddle Strcet, St. Louis, by floating ice, and totally destroyed.
The canal propeller "Sligo" beached and destroyed by the floating ice at the foot of Cherry Strcet, St. Louis.
Jan. 28, the steamer " W. R. Arthur," bound from New Or- leans to St. Louis, exploded her boilers on the Mississippi River when about twenty iniles above Memphis. The boat was to- tally destroyed. By this accident about sixty lives were lost.
Feb. 28, the St. Louis and Keokuk packet "Rob Roy" met with a serious accident when leaving St. Louis. The starboard head of the steam-drum blew out with great force. Two state- rooms and the mess-room were demolished. West Robinson, a deck-hand, was killed.
March 8, great storm at St. Louis. The St. Louis and New Orleans packet " Mollie Able," a fine side-wheel stcamer, lying at the East St. Louis wharf, was caught by the tornado and almost totally destroycd. Several other boats were injured.
1876. Fcb. 12, the steamer " Rescue" caught fire at the wharf in St. Louis and burned to the water's edge ; afterwards rebuilt ..
Feb. 16, steamer "John M. Chambers" partly burned at wharf; rebuilt.
April 8, steamcr " Rob Roy" struck St. Louis bridge; slightly damaged. On the 25th, the propeller " Whale" struck the bridge, and was damaged to the extent of about $2000.
Dec. 13, the ice-gorge at St. Louis gave way, carrying with it, destroying and partially destroying, the following boats and barges :
Steamers.
Value.
Loss.
Centennial.
$65,000
$5000
Jennie Baldwin
2,000
2000
Bayard
3,500
3500
Rock Island
4,000
4000
Davenport.
4,000
4000
Alexander Mitchell
30,000
5000
War Eagle.
75,000
5000
Andy Johnson.
30,000
3000
There was no insurance on any of the above steamers.
Steamer "Fannie Keener" was also sunk; was valued at $5000, fully insured.
Steamer "South Shore," valued at $2500.
Steamer "Southern Belle," valucd at $1500, and four barges, valued at $4500.
1877. Sept. 19, while the steamer "Grand Republic" was lying in port at St. Louis she caught fire and burned to the water's edge. She cost $300,000, and was insured for $50,200. Six weeks previous to this disaster her owners spent $25,000 in
repairing her. The iron-hulled steamer "Carondelet," which was lying alongside of the "Grand Republic," met the same fate. She was valued at $20,000 and insured for $17,500. The sparks from a passing stcamer were the supposed cause of the fire.
1878. March 8, steamer "Colossal" burned to the water's edge while lying at the bank at St. Louis; loss $12,000.
March 9, the tug-boat "Baton Rouge" damaged by fire at St. Louis.
June 8, steamer " Exchange" burned to the water's edge at St. Louis; loss $9000.
1879. June 11, the tug "Charles F. Nagle" struck a snag op- posite South St. Louis and sank. She was raised.
1880. March 27, steamer "Daisy" sunk at South St. Louis; valued at $3000.
Sept. 26, steamer "Fannie Tatum" sunk helow St. Louis; valued at $15,000 ; cargo, $35,000. She was raised.
1881. March 13, steamer "James Howard" destroyed by fire at . St. Louis wharf, together with a cargo of sugar, ctc., valued at $65,000; boat valued at $75,000.
April 9, steamer "Victory" collided with St. Louis bridge and sunk; afterwards raised.
April 11, the tug "Daisy" exploded her boilers and sunk. Two lives lost.
Steamboat-Building .- The building and repairing of steamboats at St. Louis is an industry which originated at a comparatively early period. In De- cember, 1830, mention was made of the fact that the Legislature had passed an act to incorporate the St. Louis Marine Railway Company, which was organized in March, 1831, with Peter Lindell, president ; John Mullanphy, D. D. Page, Thomas Biddle, and J. Clemens, Jr., directors ; John O'Fallon, treasurer ; and James Clemens, Jr., secretary. In 1833 there was in existence at the upper end of the city a marine railway under the superintendence of Thomas J. Payne, which it had been announced in July would be ready for work in the same year.1
In 1841 public sentiment began to be directed towards the importance of securing the construction at St. Louis of the steamboats that carried on her commerce, and the newspapers of that year repeatedly called attention to efforts being made in that direction.2
1 " Marine Railway at St. Louis .- The proprietors have the pleasure of informing the public that their ways have been fairly tested, and are now ready to receive for repair steamboats and other craft at the very low price of one hundred dollars for all boats not exceeding one hundred tons, to lie on the ways two days for repair without any additional charge, except the cost of repair. Boats exceeding one hundred tons will be charged one dollar per ton, with the privilege of lying on the ways for repair from two to four days, according to tonnage. Boats that shall remain on the ways longer than is herein privileged to pay for every day exceeding the privileged number twenty per cent. on the sum charged for drawing out.
" THOMAS J. PAYNE,
" Superintendent Marine Railway Company." -Republican, July 22, 1833.
2 " A great deal has been said hy the newspapers of this city in favor of building boats at this place. The spirit has been
1114
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
In 1842 two boat-yards for the construction of vessels were in existence, and in January, 1843, the marine railway of Messrs. Murray & Sons, below Thomas' mill, erected for the purpose of drawing out and re- pairing boats, was ready for work. The structure consisted of eight ways reaching into the bed of the river below low-water mark. There was a eradle upon each two ways which let down into the river, and upon which the boat was placed, and from these, two chains led to a beam which was propelled by a wheel and screws, and each screw was turned by a horse, thus combining the power of the lever and the screw.
The Reporter of Jan. 29, 1846, contained the fol- lowing statement of stcamboats built at St. Louis, of boats built elsewhere for St. Louis, and of boats pur- chased and brought into the St. Louis trade in 1845, furnished by L. A. Hedges, surveyor of that port :
BOATS BUILT AT ST. LOUIS.
Names.
Tonnage.
Cost.
Governor Briggs.
91
$9.000
Laclede.
239
20,000
Missouri
887
45,000
Iowa ..
249
22,000
Dial ..
140
7,000
Helen.
61
8,000
Prairie Bird
213
17,000
Little Dove ..
77
5,500
Ocean Wave
205
17.000
Convoy ..
750
39,000
2912
$189,500
moved, the ground has been broken, and we trust that here- after we shall have no cause to complain, and that our boat- owners will consult not only their own individual interests, but the interests of the community also, and give to their neighbors and customers employment in return for their custom. It is not more gratifying to us than it will doubtless be to many others of our citizens to learn that Capt. Case has opened a boat-yard in the upper part of the city, near the site of the old brewery. The situation is pronounced by experienced boat- builders to be one of the best in the West. The water in front of it is deep, and no difficulty will be experienced at any season of the year in launching boats. Upon examination it is ascertained that the timber is superior to any used in the West in building boats.
" A contract has been made by Messrs. Hoffman, Alleyne & Klein for the hull of a new boat, and for the machinery of the 'Little Red,' of three hundred and fifty tons, for the New Orleans trade. The kcel has been laid, and the frame is nearly ready to be put up. The foundry-work will be by Messrs. Kingsland & Lightener, and the cabin and upper works by Mr. Lumm. The whole is under the supervision of Capt. J. C. Shepard.
" A contract has been made for the rebuilding of a boat to be called the ' Phoenix,' and for the machinery of the 'Missouri.' The contract for the hull has been inade with the Dry-Dock Company, the cabin and superstructure by Messrs. Whitehill & Weston, the foundry-work by Messrs. Kingsland & Lightner and her clothing and other articles of outfit by Mr. John J. Anderson, the whole under the superintendence of Capt. John F. Hunt."-Republican, Nov. 11, 1841.
BUILT ELSEWHERE FOR ST. LOUIS OWNERS.
Names.
Tonnage.
Cost.
Boreas, No. 2, Pittsburgh.
222
$20,500
Nebraska, Pittsburgh ....
149
15,500
War Eagle, Cincinnati ..
156
14,000
Time, Louisville ..
109
6,500
Windsor, Louisville.
196
16,000
Wiota, Elizabethtown
219
17,000
Odd Fellow, Smithland.
98
7,500
Pride of the West, Cincinnati ..
371
20,000
1520
$117,000
PURCHASED FOR THE ST. LOUIS TRADE.
Names.
Tonnage.
Cost.
Falcon, of Beaver ..
144
$6,000
Fortune, of Louisville ..
10L
6,000
Balloon, of New Albany
154
6,000
Radnor, of Jeffersonville.
163
6,000
Cecilia, of Pittsburgh.
112
3,000
North Bend, of Pittsburgh
120
4,000
Archer, of Pittsburgh
148
9,000
Amulet, of Wheeling.
56
2,500
Tioga, of Wheeling.
171
4,000
Tributary, of Pittsburgh
149
8,000
Lchigh, of Pittsburgh
188
4,500
Cumberland Valley, of Smith-
land
168
2,000
1674
$61,000
Total addition to St. Louis tonnage.
6106
Total cost ..
$367,500
This statement is interesting, as showing the in- crease of boat-building in St. Louis, as well as ena- bling us to compare the cost between boats built in St. Louis and those built elsewhere at this time.1
The Marine Railway and Floating Dock Company in 1850 had at Carondelet a dock three hundred and fifty feet in length and ninety-four feet in breadth, with seven feet depth of hold. The hold was divided into four water-tight compartments from bow to stern, which were sub-divided by bulkhead thwartships, cut- ting the whole into twenty-six air- and water-tight chambers. The Mound City Marine Ways Company was established in 1858 by Capt. William L. Hamble- ton, and its affairs were subsequently conducted under the name of Hambleton Brothers. The business proved very successful, a hundred new boats having been built by the firm and more than a thousand repaired.
The building of iron hulls for steamboats has of late years become an important industry at St. Louis. Though several iron-plated war-vessels were con-
1 It was noted in the Republican of Nov. 1, 1848, that "con- tracts have been entered into with Messrs. Brotherton & Gordon for the lumber to be used in the building of a ship in this city. It is to be commenced immediately by Capt. Evans and Mr. French, who design to make it a permanent business. The ves- scl is to be of three hundred tons burden, and will be com- pletely fitted and rigged here. It is to be completed by the 1st of April, will then be loaded and proceed seaward. It is be- lieved that sca-vessels can be built here on better terms than at New York or on the Ohio. The timber used in their construc- tion is of a better quality than that obtained on the Ohio, and greatly clreaper than that which is used in New York."
1115
NAVIGATION ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
strueted at St. Louis during the eivil war, it was not until about the year 1874 that the building of iron hulls took definite and positive form as a leading industry. To Theodore Allen, more than to any other individual, is due the eredit of establishing this great business. In 1874, Mr. Allen issued a prospeetus pointing out the advantages of iron hulls over wooden, and proposed the ereetion of the " St. Louis Iron Ship Works," which were afterwards inaugurated under the name of the " Western Iron Boat Building Company," composed of Messrs. Chouteau, Harrison, and Vallée, well-known iron manufacturers. Of this company Mr. Allen became superintendent. The yards of the company at Carondelet extend for two thousand one hundred feet along the river-front, and back to the railroad, employing about two hundred men. A pamphlet published by Charles P. Chou- teau in 1878 gives a map and very complete statisties of the produets of the West, covering the statistics of tonnage and business on Western waters, the tow- ing and barge business, the defeets of wooden and the advantages of iron hulls.
St. Louis and St. Paul Packet Company .- This corporation had its origin in the Keokuk Northern Line Paeket Company, which was formed by the eon- solidation of the St. Louis and Keokuk Packet Com- pany and the Northern Line Paeket Company. The St. Louis and Keokuk Line was formed Jan. 1, 1842, the principal members of the company being Capt. John S. MeCune and J. E. Yeatman. In October, 1842, the keel of the first boat, the " Di Vernon," was laid at St. Louis, and the vessel was completed at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars and started on her first trip to Keokuk before the elose of navigation. On the opening of the spring trade in 1843 she eom- meneed running regularly, and with two other (tran- sient) steamers formed a daily line, which continued throughout the season. During the following winter the company built the "Laclede," one of the best steamboats of her day, and at the same time purchased the " Boreas." With these vessels the daily line was resumed in the spring of 1844, the company in the mean time having secured the eontraet for carrying the mails. During this season an opposition line with three steamers-the " Swallow," " Anthony Wayne," and " Edwin Bates"-was organized, and in the following spring both lines eommeneed running and continued until about midsummer, when the new line suc- eumbed, and the " Bates," a fast and handsome boat, was purchased by the old company. In the spring of 1846 the "Luey Bertram," and in the fall of 1847 the "Kate Kearney," both new and hand- some vessels, were added to the line. Another
" Di Vernon" was built at St. Louis in 1850 at a cost of forty-nine thousand dollars, a sum which was thought at the time to be very large for the eonstrue- tion of a steamboat. In the spring of the same year another opposition line, with the steamers " Monon- gahela," " New England," and " Mary Stephens," was established. The two lines were kept up during nearly the entire spring and summer. One boat of each line left port daily, side by side, at the top of its speed, burning the most expensive fuel, paying the highest wages, and earrying freight and passen- gers at a priee so low that the entire receipts of both would not defray one boat's wood bill. The contest was long and severe, and lasted until late in the sum- mer. When the two lines had sunk about fifty tlou- sand dollars, the opposition boats were withdrawn and sold at auetion, and the "New England" was pur- chased by the old company.
The " Jeanie Deans" was built in the summer of 1852,1 and the "New Luey" in the fall of the same year. The "New Lucy" was burned at her wharf at St. Louis about six weeks after being finished. Dur- ing the summer of 1853 the " Westerner" was built, and subsequently another " Kate Kearney." There . were also added to the line from time to time the " Sam Gaty," "Keokuk," and " Quincy," built at St. Louis, and the " Ben Campbell," " Prairie State," " J. MeKee," " Glaucus," " Regulator," " Jenny Lind," "Conewago," "York State," " Winehester," " Thomas Swann," and others obtained by purehase.
1 The commander of the "Jeanie Deans " was Capt. J. W. Malin. Capt. Malin was born in October, 1818, at Vevay, Switzerland Co., Ind. In 1832 he commenced his career as & river pilot in the flat-boat business, between Madison and Cin- cinnati, and a few years later began running a packet between Cincinnati and St. Louis, commanding at different times in that trade the "John Drennan," the " Mary Stevens," the " Royal Arch," the " Hamburgh," and the "Statesman." He next en- gaged in the Minnesota trade, and was afterwards connected for ten years with the Keokuk Packet Line, commanding at first the "Jeanie Deans," with which he remained until the building of the "Warsaw," which he commanded until that vessel became unfit for further use. In 1868 he engaged with Capt. Scudder in the commission business in St. Louis, the firm being Malin & Scudder, but subsequently returned to his old occupation and commanded vessels in the Star and Anchor Lines. Capt. Malin had purchased in 1868 an interest, with Capt. Brolaski, in the Laclede Hotel, and in 1870, having bought his partner's share, he associated his son, Walter A. Malin, with him and assumed the management of the hotel. In 1871 the erection of an extensive addition to the hotel was commenced by Dr. Bircher, and completed in August, 1873, at which time Malin & Son took possession and united the two under the name of the Laclede-Bircher Hotel. The latter portion of the title, however, was seldom used, and the hotel was popularly known simply as the Laclede. Capt. Malin died at the Hot Springs, Ark., in September, 1874.
1116
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
In 1857 the company established the Quincy line, making one freight and passenger line between St. Louis and Quincy, and one mail and passenger line between St. Louis and Keokuk. They were arranged as follows :
Quincy Packets .- " Keokuk," Bradley, master ; " Sam Gaty," Richardson, master ; " Quincy," Ford, master.
Keokuk Mail Packets .- " Jeanie Deans," Malin, master ; " Di Vernon," Sheble, master ; " Thos. Swann," Johnson, master.
About 1871 the line was consolidated with the North- ern Line Packet Company. In the winter of 1857- 58 a number of the captains of steamboats plying be- tween St. Louis and St. Paul determined to form a new line and make regular trips, leaving on stated days in the weck. On the opening of navigation in the following spring this line consisted of the steam- ers " Canada," Capt. James Ward ; " W. L. Ewing," Capt. W. Grecn ; " Denmark," Capt. R. C. Gray ; " Metropolitan," Capt. Thomas B. Rhodes; " Minne- sota Belle," Capt. Thomas B. Hill; and " Pembina," Capt. Thomas H. Griffith. Messrs. Warden & Shaler .were appointed agents, and the line was known as the Northern Line. In 1859 the "Chippewa," Capt. W. H. Crapeta ; " Dew Drop," Capt. N. W. Parker ; " Lucie May," Capt. J. B. Rhodes ; " Aunt Letty," Capt. C. G. Morrison ; " Northerner," Capt. P. A. Alford, and the " Laclede" were added.
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