Topic starter
02/02/2010 12:31 pm
The sternwheel towboat MARY WOODS No. 2 sank during the night of January 31st. Here is a news article: Mary Woods No. 2 sinks, two men in custody - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-
I've never had the pleasure of seeing this boat in person, but judging from photos they kept her well maintained. The park supervisor, Mark Ballard, always orders a sternwheel towboat calendar from us.
Whether the boat is salvagable, or can be affordably salvaged, is still unknown at this time. She sank in 20' of water on her starboard side. Attached is a photo of the boat from my files.
Topic starter
02/02/2010 5:56 pm
Here are some photos of the boat in its present condition.
02/02/2010 6:17 pm
Thanks, Steve, for alerting us to yet another tragedy involving an old sternwheeler. I've never seen the MARY WOODS No. 2, but I've corresponded with the people at the park several times and I think Alan Bates went down there as a consultant after she was struck by a tornado and they decided that was a good time to "restore" the boat to what she really had been - a working towboat - and not a packet boat, laden with lots of gingerbread and ornamentation.
Wow! When they said in the article that the boat was "UPSIDE DOWN", they meant it! I wish them all the best, but the situation surely doesn't look promising. But, she's been sunk before and nearly destroyed by wind --and they rescued her from oblivion. Time will tell!
Topic starter
02/02/2010 6:44 pm
Yes, the Mary Woods No. 2 was built in 1926 as a steam towboat, and was converted to Diesel in 1949. She was donated to the Arkansas State Parks in 1967. Here are 2 engineroom photos. Note the massive triple-rollerchains that drive the paddlewheel!
03/02/2010 10:14 am
Yes, I was involved in restoring the Mary Woods No. 2. Good fortune sent a tornado to destroy the imitation Schlock that had been mis-applied to a good-looking little towboat by someone. My part was to advise the restorers about her probable appearance at the time she was retired. The restorers got rid of the house-porch turned columns and the plywood and masonite jigsaw work and a lot of other trash. Much evidence of her steam days remained, such as engineroom bell hangers, cylinder timbers, the fireman's jail-like "stateroom" and other items. I still have the prospectus for this work.