p. 1071 - on Upper Mississippi River, believed to be '1902-1910' Davenport, Iowa. First as sternwheel 'J.S' J.S. 'first ' J.S. excursion boat built at Jeffersonville, Indiana. 1901 - size 175'x33'x5.5'. engines 18"x7' stroke, built for Captain John Streckfus Sr. Originally placed in Davenport - Clinton, Iowa daily trade, offering "moonlight excursions". In this trade she was found to be too large and heavy to run the rapids every day. She was withdrawn and operated exclusively as an excursion boat, and made great success as such. She was lost by burning, on June 25, 1910 at "bad ax bend," near Victory Wisconsin. It is said that the fire which caused her destruction was touched off by a passenger who was confined in the jail located in hold.
The Chalmette was built in 1881 at Jeffersonville, Indiana as the City of Vicksburg for the Anchor Line Packet Company of St. Louis, Missouri. She was wrecked by the cyclone in St. Louis on May 27, 1896 along with four other Anchor Line steamers. In the process of rebuilding by Captain W. H. Thorwegan as an excursion boat she was purchased by the Illinois Central Railroad interests and renamed the Chalmette, after a New Orleans suburb. She continued to operate as a packet boat on the lower Mississippi but sunk [sic] in 1904 at the head of Deadman's Bend, about 60 miles below Natchez., Betsy Ann in the background.
The Corwin H. Spencer was originally built as the Anchor Line steamer City of Monroe at Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1887. Badly damaged by the cyclone at St. Louis on May 27, 1896 she was rebuilt into the Hill City. She was 327 feet long, 44 feet beam, and 8.5 feet depth of hold. Purchased by Captain T. B. Sims at a U. S. Marshall sale in January 1898. In 1903 again sold, converted into an excursion boat and renamed the Corwin H. Spencer. She burned just above Jefferson Barracks, Missouri on October 12, 1906.