James T. Staples

Hartford, John
Norman, N. P.

picture

James T. Staples (Steamboat)
Packets
River steamers
Steamboats

The James T. Staples was built at Mobile, Alabama in 1908 by Captain Norman Staples; her net and gross tonnage was 365. Her high pressure machinery was rated as 800 horse power. The wooden hull was 200 by 40 by 5.1 feet and she carried a crew of 41. She was a handsome steamboat which ran on te Mobile and Tombigbee Rivers. On January 9, 1913 she exploded her boilers and was partially wrecked near the town where Captain Staples was born. He had but recently died a few days before this accident. She was just leaving Poe's Landing above Bladen Springs, Alabama and killed a number of persons including Captain C. T. Bartee, master; W. C. McKee, second clerk; J. J. Kopf, chief engineer. Most of her upper works were blown off but the wreck was raised, taken to Mobile, rebuilt and renamed the Peerless. In 1918 she was in charge of Captain L. J. Keene. After operating some years as the Peerless the boat was purchased by the Burke Line of Mobile and renamed the Helen Burke. She operated as an Alabama River packet running from Moblie to Montgomery for sometime then laid up at 12-Mile Marsh where she rotted down, 12 miles above Mobile. She finally was moved to Mobile and sank about 1920 when the shrimp pulled the oakum out of her seams.

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Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library