Photograph of the steamboat DELTA QUEEN near a railroad bridge north of Hannibal, Mo. "15 barge tow ran into this bridge knocking down center span. April 1981. Turn table swing section on left side of picture in open position. No loss of life or boat. Accident caused by swing section tender not opening section after train passed over. Fast currant and slow opening left no place to go for the tow.”
The City Of Providence ws an Anchor Line boat built in 1880 . For the St. Louis and Natchez trade. She ws a side wheeler with a texas deck and was later made an excursion boat. Shown here from South St. Louis bluffs above the Iron Mountain railroad tracks as an excursion boat operated by Columbia Excursion Company, she finally sunk in a wreck at St. Louis January 20, 1910. A part of the City
The James Lee (2nd) was built at Jeffersonville, Indiana, in 1898. Her dimensions were 204 x 36 x 5 feet. She ran in the Memphis and Friar's Point trade; Captain John H, Darragh, commanding. She was eventually converted into an excursion boat at Memphis and renamed the DeSoto about 1917. She sunk at Memphis after the 1918 ice gorge wrecked her along with the Georgia Lee.
This series was taken Sept 16 - 1946. The Eagle Packet wanted a picture as near like the one they considered their favorite to use for postal cards. So Bill & I visited the boat then went north of the Eads Bridge & took this series.