River Steamboat Wrecks

[joshjavwhite]

I have a few questions for anybody out there with info about steamboat wrecks in rivers and finding their lost treasure:

1) I have read several accounts of wrecks from the 1800's of them being "30 miles above a town or below" Does above and below simply refer to north and south? Or up-river and down-river?

2) How far up and down the river banks are artifacts likely to have traveled?

3) Are there any good resources to find such wrecks other than Lloyds Steamboat Directory?

4) Any good resources to locate ship wrecks prior to the advent of steamboats?

Thanks for any help!! I live along one of the major waterways in the USA and feel like theres some good stuff out there and any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

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[Southern_Digger]

Research online regarding the Steamboat Bertrand. This is a good example of a found river wreck. Note: The Bertrand was not found in a river, rather buried in a farm field because the river had changed course since its sinking. This is something else to consider. For similar reasons, I spent many years searching a now-closed inlet where government documents revealed a schooner and a steamboat had sunk in the Inlet. Another example is Jupiter Inlet where in the early 1840's, the first, and then only settler, lost his schooner in Jupiter Inlet when he overloaded it with sable tree logs. He harvested these to meet obligation of a contract to rebuild the Key West Wharf.
That wreck is under the current beach parking lot. I'm certain I seen a bit of the upper portion exposed after hurricane David tunneled some of the beach away. All that was left were rusting and disintegrated pieces of iron hardware--most likely from the upper portion of the vessel. Once that Inlet plugged with the wreck and sanded in, a new Inlet was dug in the present location a few years later by a company of Florida Volunteers led by the brother of Governor Hart. BTW--the first settler, although said to be a recluse, was said to purchase the schooner after finding a chest of spanish coins in the area of where the lighthouse is now situated. My sources for the schooner sinking, the first settler verification and the contract to supply sable logs for the Key West Wharf; and the reopening of a new Inlet I found in government documents in National Archives. Other coastal wrecks occuring in the late 1830-early 1840's, between Indian Key and Ft. Pierce, I found references to, when I researched the logbooks of the Flirt, the Wave, and such--all belonging to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Revenue Cutter service. The story of the chest being found came from an 1890's book written by a long-time, honorable settler of the Indian River settlement. I must impress upon you, if you are serious about pursuing such river wrecks, and you can get permits to do so, then I highly recommend you start your research at NARS in College Park, Maryland. Notably, as a side note, before the establishment of the U.S. Military Reservation at Jupiter in the 1850's--which forced settlers out of the area--Jupiter was considered by settlers as the southern extremity of the Indian River settlement due to its connection by inland water. The first steamboat to travel the inland water route was known as the "Katy." It was owned by settler, William Russell. He was contracted by the government to deliver supplies down the inland route for the construction of the Jupiter lighthouse--Jupiter Inlet was closed at that time. To this day I have been unable to determine if it was the Katy which was lost in that Inlet at Fort Pierce.

 

[maipenrai]

Above is up-river, I dont think north and south are used much, when talking about a river.

 

[Mackaydon]

Josh,
Welcome to Treasure Net !!

Some time ago (back in the day) when I was looking for a particular target, I picked up an interesting 50-page 'book' entitled "Paddle Wheel Steamers and their Giant Engines"--by Bob Whittier (ISBN-911401-00-8). The information enclosed, about the history of steamships and their workings, was most informative. It doesn't speak of wrecks, but it does give you information to assist with the ID should you discover a wreck.
Don.......

 

[Salvor6]

The steamboat Arabia comes to mind. It sank on the Missouri river in 1856 after hitting a stump on the bottom. It was also found on land after the river changed course.

Steamboat Arabia Museum

 

[kuger]

The steamboat Arabia comes to mind. It sank on the Missouri river in 1856 after hitting a stump on the bottom. It was also found on land after the river changed course.

Steamboat Arabia Museum

Great Museum and book,Treasure in a Cornfield

 

[mad4wrecks]

Southern Digger, I would love to discuss Jupiter history and shipwrecks with you. Everything I read on William Russell has to do with St Augustine light. Email me at [email protected] or if you are local, lets meet and talk. You are a wealth of knowledge of this area and I am just learning.

Tom

 

[Southern_Digger]

Southern Digger, I would love to discuss Jupiter history and shipwrecks with you. Everything I read on William Russell has to do with St Augustine light. Email me at [email protected] or if you are local, lets meet and talk. You are a wealth of knowledge of this area and I am just learning.

Tom

Tom, I met you at the cookout in November. Much of what I wrote has been published in the following book, with annotations revealing the sources. That book is how an archeologist learned about, pursued, and locate a colonial English surveyors camp located at, and near, the Jupiter lighthouse. I published that information long after I was refused permission to search for it--by the same society I represented. It was no fault of there's to refuse me. Back then, the lighthouse was actually under State of Florida aucspicities. Later, it was handed over to the county, without my knowledge and it was under the latter jurisdiction that the survey was eventually granted to another. My book is briefly out-of-print because I sold out all but a few copies. Copyright and published in 1992, it once was sold by the museum in Jupiter.

 

[A.J. Griffin 00]

"Up" means up-river, and vise versa.

Sincerely, A.J. Griffin 00