Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-02

Noah and his boat load OF animals. but
we have 4 letter from An old friend,
Captain Charles Patten OF TT. Madison,
that may be " interest to some read
ers. He Is the man who navigated
the Des Moines In the SOS and who
could now bring q steamboat to Of
tumwa, were 1t not for the bridges, as
they are the only 0bstructions to
navigation. He says that he was a
cabin boy on steamer, Badger State,
when she hit the rocks. and sank on
the Ottumwa, Iowa, rapids.
Capt. Patterns Article.
The following article was sent to
MIR. Thomas BY his old friend which
Is proof, Mr.. Thomas believes, OF the
navigation OF the Des Mcines before
the time OF the present generation:
wrote up the sinking OF the Bad
ger state several yeArs ago, but, lost
my copy at Mobile, Ala, with several
other articles when the steamer Sun
went down ut Mobile, In the month OF
December, 1906. However, will re-
write some OF 1t from memory, that
is, about the officers OF the
Badger State when the boat sank ON
the Ottumwa rapids In the, year 1853.
They were: d. w. Hawkins. master;
Dock Crapster. clerk; Charles Stewart
and his brother, Ed Stewart, pilots;
George Payton, chief engineer; Carroll
Cougar, second engineer; H. Nj. Pat
ten, carpenter and Waterman; Peter
Hart. bar keeper; G.. H. Patten, one
of the cabin boys. All Of these men
who were part Of the crew Of the
Badger State have passed beyond with
the exception OF Ed Stewart, who 10
travelling salesman for the TT. Madison
Pillow Co., and the writer .-. r.
Boats OF the Des Moines.
There are several men living that
steamboated up the Des Moines river
ris, TT. Madison; William Goodin,
Pennington; George Welschmeyer.
Keokuk; G. H. Patten, Fl. Madison.
and there may be others. The follow
ing is part Of the list Of boats that
navigated the Des Moines river in
past years, which I have copied from
Capt J. F. Daugherty's list that he
wrote up some years ago: Va.
The Agatha, Capt. Lafferty. taking
up government supplies and soldiers
from Fort Sanford in May, 1S43. Caleb
Cape, Capt. Joseph Price; Kentucky
Capt. J. G. Ainsworth; J. B. Gorden,
Capt. w. H. Ferris; Globe, Capt. F. c..
Mcclure; Colonel Morgan, Capt. Peter
Meyers; Luella, Capt. Morrison; Des
Moines Belle, Capt Tisdale, built at
Des Moines, 1858, made one trip TO
Fort Dodge. Charlie Rodgers made
trip to Fort Dodge. The Skipper,
Capt Russell; Des Moines Valley,
Valley, Capt Manirve; Jenny Lind,
Capt. Ainsworth: Alice, Capt w. H.
Ferris; Badger State, Capt. Hatkins;
Time and Tide, Capt. Morrison; Clara
Eine, Capt. Patten; Add Hine. Capt.
Gault; Flora Temple, Capt. w. II. Fer
ris; Nevada, Capt. w. Fl. Ferris; 8. B.
Science, Capt. S. 3. Clark; Alex. Rod
gers. Capt. Wilson; Light, Capt. Rich.
ard Cave; Maid Of Iowa, Capt. Phelps;
Revenue Cutter, Capt. w. II. Ferris;
G. H. Wilson, up as far as Croton. cap
tain unknown; N. L. Milburn, Capt. N.
l.. Milburn, built at Iowaville: Provi.
dence, captain unknown; New George
town, captain unknown; Jennie Deans,
Capt. Sheble, went up as far as Gro
ton; Des Moines City, Capt. Robert
Farris. a
Boating Was Prosperous.
The steamer, Clara Hine, Capt. II.
M. Patten, was built at Brownsville,
Pa. and landed at Keokuk July l.
1856, was built for towing purposes, to
tow barges and lighters over the Des
Moines rapids. But in the spring OF
1857, after making trip up the Iowa
river as far as Wapello, bringing out
of the river with the barge in tow, q
large consignment Of bulk pork END
fierce lard which was shipped at Keo.
kuk on st. Louis packets. Then her
owner, Capt. Add Hine, entered the
boat in the Des Moines river trade, be-
coming popular from the starr. The
Clara Hine made more clear money
ESQ it was claimed) than any boat that
had previously been in the trade.
Earned enough money the first season
for the owner, Capt. Hine, to go to !
Keokuk in the spring of 1853, when it
entered the Des MONIES river trade
with Capt. Robert Farris as master
and part owner. Robert Martin was
the clerk, Henry Gerboth, chief en-.
gineer. now lives in Montrose, retired
from the river several years ago with
a competence. William James was
the second engineer, Mike Kirkpatrick
mate.
Tie crew of the Clara Hine was in
1857: H. M. Patten. captain: Robert
Farris, pilot; Jim Anderson, pilot;
Robert Martin, clerk; Mike Kirkpat-
rick, mate; M. M. Smith, chief en-
gileer; Henry GerDoth, second en-.
gineer; Larllins Thomas, carpenter: C.
H. Patten, stewart; William Goodin Of
Pennington, first cook.
In after years when became an en-
g;neer, answered hello" in the en-
CINE room for Capt. Robt. Farris, and
l think he was the most skillful pilo-
l ever answered bell for
II Chas. H. Patten.
This is Star A Star, good seconds
of red cedar shingles; shiplap 10 inch,
1880 thousand feet, satisfactory for
S. L. McGavis, Lbr., Co.,
foot Of Jefferson strict.