Steamboat travel was dangerous business in the 1800s

Steamboats played a crucial role in the growth of Cape Girardeau in the 19th Century, but traveling by steamboat was a risky proposition indeed. Boiler explosions, collisions, fires, sandbars and submerged logs all conspired to sink vessels, often with shockingly large casualty lists.

The first steamboat to pass Cape was the Zebulon Pike in 1817. Although this ungainly vessel was underpowered -- it took 30 days to travel from Louisville to St. Louis -- it heralded a new era. By 1844, steamboat designs had improved to the point where the J.M. White was able to speed upriver from New Orleans to St. Louis in just under four days. Cape Girardeau, sitting in a strategic position between St. Louis and Cairo, was a natural stopping point for the rapidly growing fleet of steamers.

Steamboats had a short life expectancy, but were immensely profitable. Overloaded with freight and passengers, these vessels pushed their boilers to the limit, sometimes with explosive results. In the early days, the government was reluctant to regulate such a crucial industry, but disaster after disaster made it clear that something needed to be done.

Congress passed laws in 1838 and 1852 to require inspections of steamboats, but these laws proved inadequate in preventing disasters. In 1871, a more stringent law created the Steamboat Inspection Service to enforce safety.

Here are some of the more notable steamboat disasters that happened during the 1800s in the vicinity of Cape Girardeau:

Oct. 3, 1834: The Banner suffered a boiler explosion at Devil's Island north of Cape. Five people were killed and 13 wounded.

Nov. 19, 1847: The Talisman collided with the Tempest before sunrise just south of Cape, causing the Talisman to quickly sink. Rescue efforts were hampered, according to one source, by "conscienceless scoundrels" who arrived in small boats to plunder the valuables floating on the water. The known death toll was 51.

Feb. 4, 1848: The Sea Bird, a cargo ship carrying a large quantity of gunpowder, caught on fire while docked at the wharf below St. Vincent's College. The crew was able to sound the alarm, allowing the area to be safely evacuated before the inevitable ka-boom. The force of the explosion caused considerable damage to nearby buildings.

Oct. 27, 1869: A fire rapidly engulfed the Stonewall just south of Neely's Landing. The pilot attempted to turn the boat to shore, but it ran aground on a sandbar surrounded by deep water. The blaze forced the passengers and crew to jump into the turbulent water, where many drowned. Local residents rescued over 50 survivors, but even with their efforts, the death toll stood at more than 200.

Oct. 5, 1886: The boiler of the La Mascotte exploded north of Neely's Landing, killing 32 passengers and crew. A report by the Steamboat Inspection Service found that a flue had collapsed "from an overpressure of steam, greater than was allowed by the certificate of inspection, caused by overloaded safety-valves and faulty iron in flue."