steamer ALTON

The Roosevelt parade

Here are 3 pix from that October 1907 parade from Keokuk to Memphis.
Pix 1 shows the MISSISSIPPI 1st and an unknown boat as they leave the Keokuk lock area. President Roosevelt is waving, standing to the starboard side of the roof bell and jackstaff. Note some of those beautiful homes above the lock have already been built.
Pix 2 shows the MISSISSIPPI passing through the Keokuk bridge swing span. While the M.3rd is Keith's favorite, I like this one - the pilothouse is so outstanding in size compared to the rest of the boat. Way 3975: She was built in 1882 in St. Louis 174 x 32 x 6. She was used for inspection work by the U.S. Mississippi River Commission. She partially burned at Paducah in 1893 and was rebuilt, only to get into the 1896 tornado in St. Louis. But she suffered little damage. She was transferred to the US Engineers in 1919 and renamed PIOMINGO.
Pix 3 shows the MISSISSIPPI and ALTON at Cairo. Note the gold ball between the spreader bars on the ALTON, an Eagle Packet Co. tradition.

The other boat in Judy's pic #1 is the U.S. Lighthouse Service Steamer LILY

The Str. ALTON has always been a favorite of mine and I especially like her unusual pilothouse. Built at Howard's, she was the pride of the Eagle Packet Company, long in command of Commodore Henry Leyhe, uncle of Capt. W.H. "Buck" Leyhe of Str. GOLDEN EAGLE fame. Herewith are several photos of her, including one taken at the time of the allision with the Alton, Illinois bridge on July 12, 1909.

(1) Under construction at Howard Shipyard, Jeffersonville, IN, 1906.
(2) Underway - a beautiful "steamboaty" scene!
(3) Allsion with Alton, Illlinois bridge, July 12, 1909.

MORE views of the beautful Str. ALTON, lost in the 1918 ice at the Duck's Nest, Paducah, along with the Eagle Packet Company steamers GREY EAGLE and PEORIA.

Photos:
(1) Cabin of the Str. ALTON - under construction at Howard's.
(2) Str. ALTON at a landing.
(3) Shadow box containing gold "Key to the City" presented to Commodore Henry Leyhe by mayor of Alton, Illinois when Str. ALTON made her first trip to the namesake city. Exhibited in Midship Museum aboard the Str. BECKY THATCHER, St. Louis. The photos in the frame beneath are scenes of and aboard the Eagle Packet Company steamer BALD EAGLE. Photo by Miss Ruth Ferris, museum curator.

The Str. MISSISSIPPI (#1) certainly did have a BIG pilothouse, probably the best place for the Mississippi River Commission members to gather and "observe" the river. It has been said that her iron hull survived in the fleet of Warner & Tamble at Memphis, as late as the early 1960's.

Photos:
(1) President Teddy Roosevelt waving hat from aboard Str. MISSISSIPPI #1 at Keokuk - 1907.
(2) Capt. L. M. Sanders, pilot, Str. MISSISSIPPI #1 - 1907

More LILY pics please

Thanks Cap'n Bill for pointing out the US Lighthouse Tender LILY in Judy's photo. The LILY is obviously special to me as my now one year old Daughter Lily(as of July9) is partially named for the second incarnation of the USLT LILY. I have a few photos and post cards of the second LILY but would love more if anyone has any in their collections.

Thanks in advance!

Aaron

LILY

As requested, here's another photo of the LILY, taken at Keokuk Iowa.

Thanks Judy!

That's a beautiful shot of the boat. I really like the reflections.

Thanks again!

Aaron

Aaron: As per your request and in honor of your little one, herewith are several more views of the Str. LILY.

(1) LILY at St. Louis, circa 1908. In the background are the BELLE OF CALHOUN (left) and the J.B. RICHARDSON. Ruth Ferris Collection.
(2) LILY painting done in 1957 by St. Louis artist Don Langeneckert (1927-1984). Missouri Historical Society Collection.
(3) LILY at Cox Ripple Light, Ohio River, Mile 72.8 in 1886. Bert Fenn Collection.

And here's an image of the LILY, circa 1878 -- prior to the 1884 fire and her subsequent resurrection at Madison, Indiana.

Thanks so much Keith! Now I've got plenty of LILY pics. Should have known better to come straight to the source, with the source being .org and Judy and Keith.

Thanks again!

Aaron

Thanks Aaron. And thanks to Franz and .org for providing us a place to share our materials. What good is having stuff if you can't share it and help spread the 'gospel' of the river and steamboating? And with .org, the sharing is instantaneous, no waiting for a research request from a library, or for the next issue of a magazine or for a book to be published with the requested info... and unlike some of our colleagues who don't share pix for fear of lawsuits or someone 'clicking' the pix for their files, we are glad to put these images out there for anyone interested. Keep those requests coming for "Trip the Trio: .org, K and J!" There have been very few questions raised that SOMEONE of our .org fellowship hasn't been able to answer or lead us to the resources needed. What a wonderfully knowledgeable and diverse membership we have - both licensed and unlicensed, crew and fans, on and on...

*RE: ALTON/MISSISSIPPI/ROSEVELT*
I agree with Judy and AJ on the fine history/photos .org is able to provide for all of the 'steamboaters.'

E=Mailed Keith previously and discussed that famous trip made by Teddy Roosevelt. The Roosevelt archives and Presidential papers/ephemera contain more shots of that event as does the Library of Congress. Many of the Roosevelt men [Teddy & Franklin] were nautical minded men from their offices and later Secretary of the Navy. The Roosevelt family, among other interests and investments, were involved in East coast steamboating on rivers, bays and Lake Champlain.

Not 'river steamboating,' but Franklin Roosevelt's mother, Sara Delano-Roosevelt, had keen eyes and reported to son Franklin seeing gun mounts and deck swivels on the infamous liner LUSITANIA on a voyage prior to her being torpedoed May, 1915. This later linked to the controversy over the ship being armed or carrying contraband materials for possible war use. That was a long time ago.

Well, what do I know?

Shores of windy North Lake Michigan,
R. Dale Flick

Personal Roosevelt / Riverboat Connection

Brig. General James Roosevelt (FDR and Eleanor’s oldest boy) and I met when he was a special guest aboard the P. A. DENNY on the Kanawha River when he ventured forth into to the pilothouse for a closer look-see at how the sternwheeler operated from atop the boat. I took the this rare opportunity to ask my heroic guest (winner of the Navy Cross and Silver Star) if he was aware that an illustrious Roosevelt ancestor commanded the NEW ORLEANS, the first steamboat on the Western Rivers in 1811, and he gave me a most curious reply that I later found to be the truth:

"Nicholas Roosevelt was more closely-related to my mother than he was my father."

So I am rather pleased that I did get to meet a direct descendant of a member of the original crew of the First Steamboat on the Western Rivers, and if the ancestor, in question, just happened to be the genesis steamboat's Captain, so much the better.

Do you have any details on the contruction and configuration of the 1811 New Orleans?

From what I have found the New Orleans was designed for Nicolas Roosevelt by Robert Fulton. It was built in Pittsburgh, PA.

A replica was buit that shows a completely different design than what Gary Lucy shows in his painting of the New Orleans. His boat is almost an exact copy of the 1807 Fulton boat commomly referred to as the "clermont".

Which New orleans is correct? I'm not trying to detract from Mr. Lacy's work but rather am curious as to the true design of the Clermont and the New Orleans.

THANKS,

Oddly, since the New Orleans was such a novelty, there do not seem to exist good non-ambiguous descriptions of her. Even her propusion is not clear: while the preponderance of opinion is that she was a sidewheeler, like the North River of Clermont, some descriptions make her a stern wheel boat. It's strange also that no one seems to have sketched or drawn her on her arrival in NO, or perhaps they did and the sketchs have not survived. I also would love to know more about her.

*RE: NEW ORLEANS OF 1811.*
Steamboating colleagues:
I'm neither an artist or model builder, but agree with Hank above on the lack of information, sketches etc. RE: appearance of the NEW ORLEANS of 1811. No photography then and what was written based on visual examination of the boat.

There is an old account mentioning the first arrival of the NEW ORELANS in Cincinnati complete with colorful accounts of dogs barking, people running to the water edge to catch a glimpse. Her first appearance was visual and passed by word of mouth as she carried no steam whistle. The NO was compelled to moor well out in the river due to water depth and fear of locals rowing out, clambering aboard with disastrous results to the boat.

Well, what do I know?

Shores of northern Lake Michigan,
R. Dale Flick

Dale et al,

The same details are available of the North River/Clermont...that is there is not much to be found. In my research for the model our group is building there is more info on the engine itself in the Birmingham, England Library than ther is on the boat's structure.

Most of the design is from accounts, written descriptions and artwork similar to Gary Lacy's. Lots of reading between the lines.

We are now puttin the 1/12th scale hull together from the best shots that we know. We feel that it will be as accurate as any other North River "assembly".

Pete

The New Orleans of 1911 resembles the New Orleans of 1811 about as much as either of them resembles a space vehicle. Even in 1911 it was against the law to operate a boat or its machinery like the first New Orleans. The important thing was the celebration, not historical accuracy.
Among the things that were different are:
the pilothouse. The 1811 version had none.
The boiler. A boiler built like the 1811 one was illegal in 1911.
The engine. The 1811 version had a steeple engine with a crosshead tower that protruded through the roof.
The cabin. The 1811 had a very small "caboose," as it was called, not a full=length cabin like the 1911 versioin.
The whistle. The earliest whistle came on the rivers in the 1840's; ergo, the original boat had none.
Steam pressure gauge. Required in 1911 - non-existent in 1811.
Nobody in 1911 or today knows the color scheme.
And many other features were not accurate.

In 1911 there was little available information for either Fulton's 1807 or his 1811 boat for the Mississippi River. Today much has been found and recorded on paper and on the web. Look up Robert Fulton and Nicholas Roosevelt on Google for more.

Thanks

The 1911 replica of the New orleans and the 1909 replica of the "Clermont" both had to meet the Coast Guard's safety codes of the day. Consequently, in the case of the 1909 boat it was built from bits and pieces of information that was found on the original 1807 Fulton steamboat, perhaps some of from the 1808 boat and upgraded to 1909 codes. From what I have found the naval architects had a great deal of difficulty in determining the exact design of the Clermont. Please read this account:

Building the Clermont for the 1909 Hudson Fulton Celebration .

I have done extensive Internet searches on both the 1807 Clermont and 1811 New Orleans. There is no conclusive information that either replica was grossly different than what the originals might have been.

I am of the opinion that in history there is a lot of reading between the lines in putting ink to paper no matter what the subject is. Much is based on recollection and influenced by personal biases. We can't change history only the accounts as they are written.

In closing I would like to say that I really enjoy and appreciate all comments as I am relatively new (4 years) to steamboats in comparison to most of you.

Regards,

Pete