Uncle Sam

Hartford, John

picture

Uncle Sam (Steamboat)
River steamers
Steamboat disasters
Steamboats

Kansas City (Mo.)
Missouri River

1910-1919

The Uncle Sam was originally constructed as the Jacob Richtman at Sterling Island, Missouri in 1898. Her dimensions were:- 160 x 32 x 5 feet; 469 tons. She had two boilers and her engines were 14 inches with a 6-foot stroke. She was a sternwheel packet. On April 17, 1903 while the Jacob Richtman was descending the Mississippi River with two loaded barges and a log raft in town she struck a span coming through a bridge. On account of a strong stern wind and the current she had become unmanageable; the damage was slight. In 1903 she was bought by Captain T. Adams and ran in the excursion business out of Quincy, Illinois. While lying in her winter quarters fire was discovered on November 17, 1904, and she was reported as buring to the water's edge, a total loss. She was evidently rebuilt as she was later owned by the Missouri River Navigation Company and ran out of Kansas City, Missouri. On May 18, 1901, while backing away from the landing at Kansas City, Missouri, she collided with a sand dredge owned by the Builder's Sand Company of that city. At the time, this dredge was navigated by a lime cable from shore to a steam windless on the dredge boat. The force of the collision caused the Uncle Sam to sink almost immediately after she was run ashore. At the time 95 passengers and a full complement of crew were aboard. She was a total loss, estimated at $20,000.

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