The sun., 1894-10-28
THE MIssIssIPPI's GR4TErARD.
Bead In which Steamboats, Costiag Nil
lions Have Been Wrecked.

Prom the 81 LOuL Globe Democrat.
The recent discovery OF a sunken raft by
Mayor walbrdge in the channel OF the river
above the Chain OF Rocks" said Street Commis-
sioner VI. J. Murphy yes terday, will bring 20
the minds OF many Of our old steamboat men
the disasters that befell the marine craft OF this
city in that portion OF the river now included in
the harbOr Of st. Louis. The charter har-
Dor OF the city includes that stretch OF the
the Missouri and the mouth of the Mera-
NEE That portion Of the harbor under
Commissioner lies between the Chain Of Rocks
and the Rives des Peres. From the upper mouth
street there are now lying under the silt and
sands the wrecks OF over sixty boats and barges.
equipped. and speediest that ever walked The
nayigable waterways of the country. They
were in reality marine palaces, such as this gem
"sawyer's Bend was the fatal locality where
nearly all these splendid craft foundered and
Gus channel. Among the boats tnat were lost
many now living will recall the following; York
Grace Darling, Allegheny. FEDERAL Arch % z,
Buln Suba, Baltimore, John b. Carson, Phila-
Ssssa sSaI cy wSts GEaad SnaSs S
SShaTkey; submarine 10 IS, saranas No. War War
Scott, Henry Adkins Columbia, Silver Bow X.
j; lockwood, Wild Duck, Nile. Victoria, Cham
Raven, Salyor. j, ". Garrett, HUDSON. Beaysr
John a J.. ,kelser, Pacific, Lulu Worth, COrneliA,
:. The above were sunk between the years
isoo and lsss In addition To these there were
twenty baTges lost north Of Bissell's Point
the SAWYER or cut lumber RATS that were lost
south OF Alton, but II has been estimated that
two of the above named boats, the Calhoun and
Alma. were raised. The bones OF all the Others
lie many feet beneath the sands, petrifying
under the action OF the waters The actual loss
10 marine property 10 the merchants OF 81. Louis
nSd S the sihning OF thtse 2oats was oyer $4,000
Gongresss ih its failure 70 provide adequate
meals Ior the removal OF the cause OF these dis
aslets, and the general policy OF making only
drlbbling appropriations for river and haTbor
improvements, that after 1850 few, II any OF
Many OF the owners in the loss of this pronsrtv
lost not only all they had, but also lost conrag.
because of the increasing dangers to the marine
commerce of the immediate harb0r OF 81. Louis
10 AID % the thetic story OF these disasters
imnny n Of them fatal TO life, IL might be stated
in passing that during the period named aboye
nfty-nye splendid steamers were destroyed by
hre ,, within the charter hsrbor OF the city. The
present water line, and form the retaining dixie
Tor the granite wharf Many OF the grand fathers
with varying emotions their bridal trips on
the James Howard, the Leviathan, The Bis,
inArck. the Grand Republic. the Carrie n
kOuntz, and others equally as grand IL SiiI
oe ', noted above that used The term the
advlsedly, because Of the fact thai % Sritbis lblihs
the past forty years that river. where Il emptiss
lnlc the Mississippi has changed It's location
Tour or nve times, and its present mouth IS ssy-
eral miles south OF the one that existed a fe,,
years ago. Opposite these various mouths and
ior ohs nllle southwark. many OF the disasters
named above occurred. The outpouTing of ths
missouri waters was swift, the eddies and cur
rent we're treAeherOus and the snAgs and other
oDstIuctlohs 80 numerous At that point that un-
fatal places. vac
The conditions that existed in Sas1er's
nehu Iorty years ago exist practically today
enu arc Stlll q serious menace 10 the marine
commerce OF the city. with the added DANCER
~ Va, mi nIOrtant municipal aud railroad inter
sSls lh4t nave grown with the requirements OF
the Gslsr supply and the transportation de-
mAnqs OF a great metropolis
f., u the waters In Sawyers Bend could be ROLLED
naCknAr9. as the waters OF the Red Sea once
, ssle Atu the sands cleared away and the skel-
etohS OF our former pAlAIiAl steamers phofo-
srsphed hat terrible object lessOn would H. /
: ttppthSsSed from spot that Is nov the most