The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-11-03
Steamer Hit Boulder at Pontoosuc
Landing and is Now Lying in
Four Feet Of Water
Covering Stern.
PASSENGERS WERE SAFE
Extent of Damage to lll-Fated Boat
Not Yet Determined-occurred
While Boat Was Max
ing Landing.

Brief mention was made in vester.
days Gate City of the accident which
happened to the packet Wenona at
Pontoosuc Landing. The following is
a more extended account, and is TAX
en- from the Burlington Gazette:
me steamer Wenona hit bould-
l-ef at the Pcntoosuc landing yesterday
AFTERNOON damaging the hull to sucn
an extent that it was necessary to
peach the craft. She is now lying in
Tour feet of water which covers the
stern. The forepart of the lower deck
is above the water line.
The striking of the boulder was so
light that it was not noticed by any
one on the craft. The filling of the
null as the water rushed in, was felt
by the pilot who Immediately ordered
the siphons to work The water rush
ed IN so fast it was not possible ID
work both siphon and engines at the
same time and the boat was beached
Although there were a number of
passengers aboard, all were in the
cabin and the landing was SO close
that but few knew that anything ou.
of the ordinary was happening until
the hull began to slowly sink into the
water 1t all occurred so easily that
no one became frightened and there
was no panic among the passengers.
The accident happened as Pilot
Enderly was making the landing at
Pontoosuc at 4:30 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. The landing is bad and in
low water is has been customary to
do away With landing at this point on
account of the great number of bould-
ers in the liver. The river near the
Illinois shore from Dallas City to FIT.
Madison is lined with dangerous
| granite blocks and all pilots avoid
: that bank during the low water when
: possible. All through this season OF
low water the Wenona has been pass.
: ing Pontoosuc up, but the rise during
: the last month was sufficient to lure
; the steamboat men to the landing
again. The river has been falling so
, fast during the past week that Capt.
Dodds had about decided to again cnt
out this landing, but the order had
not been issued. The stage is now
three inches ebove low water mark
with indications that the river will
drop below the mark again this sea
son before winter sets in.
Catfl Dodds telephoned to Capt.
kinnear at Burlington for help Capt.
Kinnear secured the Mary X. and
sand pump, engaged Eugene Ferris,
diver. and took along material for
building bulkheads, leaving shortly
after one o'clock today for Pontoo-
sue. When they arrive the work of
floating the Wenona will begin.
1t is impossible to determine the
extent of damage to the boat. Capt
Doods said the striking Of the bould-
er was SO easy that no shock or
bump was felt. This leads him to be-
lieve that it was only light tap A
| plank may be splintered or the calk.
ing may be dislodged sufficient to let
in good quantity of water but in it
self is an easy matter to remedy
when the boat is pulled out on the
way and the carpenters put to work.
1t is likely that the craft will be TAX
en- to the shipyards in the canal
! The OtIumwa Belle was called
4 from Ft. Madison yesterday after
noon when the Wenona sunk and she
relieved the embarrassed craft of
her passengers and freight. The wa
/ ter did not damage either freight or
/ baggage, She had an excellent trip
out of Burlington yesterday as the
boat was making but triweekly trips
this week, instead of daily trips as
during the summer months.
4 The Ottumwa Belle will run in the
( Wenonas trade for the present and
will arrive tomorrow morning at this
port on scheduled time How soon
1 the Wcnona will be repaired is mat
ter which can only be guessed at
Diver Ferris will build bulkhead
around the damaged part and the
sand pump and siphons of the boat
will relieve the craft of water in a
short time Probably by Saturday the
boat will be on the ways
Pilot Enderly. who was in charge
of the Wenona when she went down,
1 is perhaps the most skilfull pilot in
the business. He has been running on
this stretch of the river for the past
thirty years and knows every foot
CT it. The presence of the rocks at
the landing was known to him, but
the water is so low that probably had
he escaped the one rock which did
the damage he would have struck 9th
ers which are equally near the sur
face.
This is the second accident of this
| kind this season to White Collar line
boats. The Helen Blair was sunk in
July en- the north end of her run.
She was raised and repaired, but the
stage of the river did not improve
a,,f6 o;ap{1y IN mako III safe for her to