[SEL] Fwd: A 150-Year-Old Steamboat (Ifound the pic and artifacts interesting)

[jbcast at charter.net]

There was a similar undertaking north of here near Fort Adams,
Mississippi. I met Jerry Moore while riding passengers in my boat at
the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival. He told me he was digging up a
steam boat that had sunk in 1837. We were invited to go to the site, a
privilege as it was gated and closely guarded. The dig had been going
on for about 5 years, only when the river was low enough to allow it.
Because of the river changes the boat was now under a field 1 1/2
miles from the river. The dig was a bowl about 700' wide, 150' deep.
There were 30 diesel pumps pumping an estimated 1.000,000 gallons of
water a day out of the hole. Sheet pilings were driven around the
overturned boat to allow them to dig the last 20' around it. Even with
the pumps running only about two feet of the hull was above the water
line. I got to stand on the hull, the oak planks were as if they were
cut recently. They cut a hole in the hull, the planks were 3 X 12 oak,
ribs were 6x6 about 4 inches apart. A week later Jerry sent me a
picture of the inside of the hull, a strut to support the rudder had a
square nut, the threads were still in good shape. He was under a lot
of pressure from his investors, divorced his wife, didn't see much of
his children, died on a bulldozer about a month later. I believe the
project was abandoned. 

	The following submitted by site benefactor
 Jerry Canavit [1] 

	I don't know how much could be left of the BEN SHERROD [2] to
excavate. The fire must have consumed quite a bit - and the following
explosions must have distributed boat and cargo over a pretty wide
area. If you learn anything more about this project, let me know. 

	BEN SHERROD accident recap from Jerry: 

	On May 8, 1837, while racing the steamer PRAIRIE [3], the BEN SHERROD
[4] caught fire about 14 miles above Ft. Adams, MS. The deck and
engine room crew were snockered on whiskey and the boilers became
overheated and set fire to about 60 cords of resin-dripping wood. The
forward section quickly became an inferno.

 The fire burned through the wheel ropes as the SHERROD [5] continued
upstream with no method of steering her to the bank. Hordes of people
took to the water to escape the flames - people fought for floating
objects - women and children were thrown aside by scoundrels trying to
save their own skin. Ironically, the PRAIRIE [6] didn't bother to stop
and assist - she continued on to Natchez only to report that the
SHERROD [7] was on fire. The steamer ALTON [8], while racing to aid
the stricken steamer, blundered through the water and succeeded in
running down many of the survivors in the water. The fire continued to
spread, next setting off (like a cannon) the barrel of whiskey that
inebriated crew had been enjoying. Next, the boilers went off in a
devastating roar. The final death-blow came when 40 barrels of gun
powder exploded in a report that was heard for miles. The SHERROD [9]
accident was one of the finest examples of humanity at it worse -
panic, greed and self-preservation. 72 people were reported to have
died.

	-----------------------------------------
 

Links:
------
[1] mailto:JCanavit at aol.com
[2] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/b-1-6.html#BSHAR
[3] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/p-2.html#PRAIR
[4] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/b-1-6.html#BSHAR
[5] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/b-1-6.html#BSHAR
[6] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/p-2.html#PRAIR
[7] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/b-1-6.html#BSHAR
[8] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/a.html#ALTON
[9] http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/b-1-6.html#BSHAR