Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-29
RAISING RUINS OF
The EFFIE ALTON
Government Employees Locate
Hull of Graft That Burned
Here in 1856.
BELOW CRESCENT BRIDGE
Discovery Recalls Destructive Fire
That Began When Flames Broke
Out on Boat on Rapids.

Half a mile below the Ores cent
bridge the government dredge Apache
is engaged in clearing an obstruction
out of the channel which confirms the
tradition that has come down among
the rivermen for over half a century
that it is the wreck of the Effie Alton.
1t will be remembered that the year
1856 had two big incidents for this
! locality. One was the running of the
/ first train of cars over the bridge which
left the island at the point where it's
moss abutment is still visible
and landed in Davenport at about the
present head of Fourth street. The
second event was the burning of the
first span of the bridge east of the
draw. when the steamer Efie Alton,
which had got afire on the rapids,
drifted down against the bridge.
Break I'm River Surface Seen
! Among the rivermen the tradition has
! been handed down that after the At
ton got loose from the burning bridge
/ ii drifted down the river to a point Just
above the head of McManus island,
and there sunk in deep water. There
has always been perceptible break
on the surface of the river there that
has been pointed out as made by the
submerged hull of the Effie Alton. The
water has never been so low. however.
that the hull came in sight, and no one
has searched the rivers bottom there
TO find out.
This week the government dredge
was located at that point to take ad-
vantage of the low stage of water and
clear out the obstruction, whatever it
proved to be-
Dismnntlcd Hull Found.
Rivermen noted the move with inter
est, and those at a distance will be
still more interested to know that the
Apache found the solid hull of a dis
mantled boat. with the upper works all
Charred and burned off. showing that
beyond any doubt it is the wreck of
the Effie Alton that lies at that point.
The hull proves sound and tight below
what was its old water line. but above
the water line everything was burned
away before it sank.
story of the Disaster.
The following account of the Elffie
Alton disaster appeared in the Rock
Island Morning Argus of May :. 1856:
One of the most frightfuI disasters
We ever Witnessed was yesterday
morning at the Mississippi railroad
bridge. The steamboat Effie Alton
Captain J. S. Hurd, bound for ST Paul.
left this Ci,y at o'clock yesterday
morning, entered the draw through the
bridge, and as we are informed by b.
p. Homes. the clerk. had gone fully
200 feet above the entrance when the
wind and current striking her head,
she began TO swing around towards
the island. II was impossible to turn
it on account of the rapidity OF the
current, and it swung around against
the timbers of the bridge. tearing all
of her forward works above TO atoms. .
shipping her chimneys and smashing
everything about The cabin as far back /
as the rG Ssage through the boat. II
lodged against the pier and when it
was found the boat was still. every
person above and below went 10 work
to save themselves and baggage. which +
was done, and not one person was lost
or the least injured. The number of
was 175. The boat took
fire twice. which was eytinguished .
both times, but finally took fire again .
and was Immediately wrapped in /
sheet Of flames. The boat lying .
snug to the pier and under the span .
east of the draw. the timbers were /
soon burned so thu entire span fell
with a tremendous crash upon the
boat. and IT,, burning wreck floated ,
down the stream. grounding upon a
bar near Credit island, where it burned .
to the waters edge.
Passengers Rescued.
Soon after the fire broke out the
steamboat ]. B. Carson ran up to the
wreck. made fast TO the stern OF the
Effie Alton and saved a large number
If the passengers and their baggage,
he balance having clambered to the
bridge and gone ashore to the island.
The boats cargo consisted mostly OF
groceries, machinery and live stock,
ind is supposed TO have been worth
;l2, 600 to S15, 900. partly insured The
,cat cost $4,000 and was insured for /
S15. 600 The scene was one OF intense
excitement. The shores in both Rock
Island and Davenport were densely
hronged with spectators, and many
hundreds more had gone over to the
sland When the span of the bridge
ell. the steamboats, lying at both cities
md those on the river sounded their
oudest whistle-some suppose in Joy
OF tl,o ohctructiOO IN NAVIGATION had 4