Becky Thatcher Update

Just had a call from the Coast Guard office in Pittsburgh, from the investigating officer for the sinking of the BECKY THATCHER (formerly the Str. MISSISSIPPI) in February, 2010. The superstructure, which collapsed and slid off the hull, is completely gone. It had been rumored that the hull, built by the Howard Shipyard in 1926, was to be raised and used as a barge, but now the owner wants it cut up and sold as scrap. A diver has been down to survey the 220' hull and says it is badly hogged. The sternwheel is still attached, but is in bad shape. I told the officer that we already have the shaft from the DELTA QUEEN in the museum yard and would not be interested in another. The MISSISSIPPI had a pretty capstan, which is still on the forecastle and would be nice to save. The Point Pleasant River Museum has the brass cap from it with the boat's name and date of construction stamped on it. If anybody is interested, they are planning to begin salvage the first week of May, depending upon river conditions. The other "remains" of the boat, including doors, windows, railings, etc., are at a local landfill. The lazy bench from the pilothouse is probably amid the dumped rubble, as it had been moved down to the main deck at the time of the sinking. It was one of the few original "artifacts" remaining on the boat.

Images: "Capstan Capers" - photos before it was discovered that the capstan cap is BRASS and had been painted over NUMEROUS times!
(1) KN on Becky's forecastle at St. Louis - September, 1973
(2) On deck at Marietta - September, 1987
(3) Capstan close up