- Steamboats Sunk -
The barges which broke loose from the Suspension bridge struck some of the boats lying at the Wharf, sinking the steamers V. F. Wilson and Oil Valley, and damaging the Coal Valley considerably. The steamer V. F. Wilson, was valued at $ 15,000.00. She was insured for $ 10,000.00 having $ 5,000.00 each in the Eureka and Citizens Insurance Companies. The Wilson was built in 1860, and was owned by Capt. William Dunshee and Captain N. Pollard, both residents of McKeesport. She sank in about two minutes after being struck. A seen of the wildest excitement took place, some of the crew being compelled to leave the boats in their night clothes.
The deck of the Wilson now lies between the towboats leopard and Hercules.

The Oil Valley was owned by D. A. and J. S. McDonald, of this city, and was valued at $ 16,000.00. She was insured for $ 10,000.00 : $ 2,500.00 each in the Pittsburgh and Peoples Companies of this city, and in the Peabody and another company name unknown, of Wheeling. She was two years old last summer, and was heavily coaled for her trip South.
The steamer " Coal City " which lay near the " Oil Valley " had her starboard guard mashes by the collision of the "Oil Valley". The guard is mashes about amidships, and one half the wheel on that side is torn off. It is
thought the damage will soon be repaired.

- From Up The River -
Telegrams from up the river reported the river rising at a rate of six inches an hour until about five o'clock when at Lock No. 4, it had been reduced to
two inches per hour and at that time there was nineteen and three fourths feet of water at this point. About eleven o'clock a large fleet of coal boats hove in sight of the city adrift with no one aboard. Some thirty packages were in the fleet. It seemed certain that the fleet floating abreast of the channel would sweep the landing and cause immense destruction to the crafts moored there; but fortunately the fears were dispelled when it became evident that the fleet could not pass the railroad bridge without striking one or moor of the piers. The people lined the bridges and shores in great numbers, and when the crash came it caused a shudder among them to see the property so melt away in the angry waters. The entire fleet sunk, with the exception of one loaded coal boat, which floated past and slightly rubbed one of the piers of the Smithfield street bridge, and passed into the Ohio river in a sinking condition.
At Augustine's Landing, near Six Mile Ferry, five coal boats tore loose
and came down the river. One belonging to Henry H. Collins, sunk at the mouth of Ferry street, and one belonging John H. McCloskey, was sunk at the railroad bridge. At Stone Brother's Coal Works, opposite McKeesport,
a new barge broke loose and floated away.
At about noon the dock of Messrs. Horner & Sons, at McClung's Landing, broke loose and floated away, with a coal bottom attached.
The dock came over the dam and swept broadside against the piers of the upper Birmingham bridge. O'Neil's coal fleet was moored to this pier, and was in eminent danger from the dock. The formidable object, however, broke in two and the separated halves floated down one on each side of the pier, barely missing the fleet. One coal boat, belonging to the Grand Lake Coal Company, moored near the Point, was struck by a flat and sunk.

At Elizabeth this morning a number of coal boats and barges, and a large quantity of lumber and log rafts, principally belonging to Capt. Joe Walton, were swept away. It being estimated that the loss will reach $20,000.00.

- At Brownstown -
About twelve o'clock, a mass of lumber, empty coal boats, boat bottoms, etc. were swept away from the landing of Phillips & Mittenzwel, at Brownstown, and was carried rapidly down by the current. The floating mass struck two flats of coal belonging to, McKnigkt, Duncan & CO., of the Birmingham Iron Works, moored on the same side of the river, sinking both of them. Passing over the dam, a loaded coal boat belonging to Wm. Clark was struck and sunk; the mass passed by the piers of the Birmingham bridge and the railroad bridge, but part of it struck the Smithfield street bridge and was sunk. The remaining portion passed under the bridge, and carried with it two empty barges and one empty flat boat belonging to Walton & Co. These in turn were carried down with the current, and struck the head of a tow coal of barges in tow of the Lion, and sinking two barges and one flat, and breaking the cam and damaging the wheel of the steamer. A barge in tow of the Niagara, belonging to Walton & Co., was also injured by the same mass of wrecked matter.
- The Losses -
It is impossible at present to estimate closely the total loss by the flood. The item of coal alone will amount to perhaps sixty thousand dollars, and it is thought that the total loss on the Monongahela will not fall short of three hundred thousand dollars.

- At Midnight -
Last night at twelve o'clock the river stood 19 feet 10 inches, and was about on a stand. It is thought that the climax is reached, or that it will not rise above 20 feet. No further losses could be ascertained, and no more are anticipated.



Link here for more info.



Click here for information on the Venago and it's early days before it was bought by Victor Wilson of Vicksburg MS



More Research
April 30, 2001

Hello Steamboat History Lovers,
I received this from a fellow at the National archives a few days ago . It had a little interesting information regarding the whereabouts of the registrations of masters Captains and boats . This answers a question I have been asking for a long time ! " What happened to the reports of inspection and registration of masters , Pilots ! "
Sincerely Richard Pollard


Dear Mr. Pollard:

This is in response to your December 22nd email requesting information on the V.F. Wilson and Daniel Pollard. I sincerely regret any inconvenience my delay in responding may have caused.

Our holdings do not include licenses for pilots or masters until the 1870s, and even then, we do not have the license issued because only one was created; and it went to the individual. Generally, they are listed in the back of the Steamboat Inspection Service's Annual Reports (for various years) as men licensed by category, i.e., master, mate, engineer, etc.

We located a reference to the V.F. Wilson in the volume, The Army's Navy Series: Dictionary of Transports and Combatant Vessels Steam and Sail Employed by the Union Army, 1861-1865, Compiled by Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson. It reads:

V.F. Wilson: Supply, tow vessel for mortar boats; tonnage unknown. "Expedition to Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Feb.-March 1862. Chartered by Order of Quartermaster and assigned to Western Gunboat Flotilla on Expedition on Island No. 10, April 1862".

The only mention of your ancestor I was able to locate is in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies (27 volumes). It says that "Capt. Pollard of the V.F. Wilson moved in to Island #10." You can access this series at your local or university library.

I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,
Rick Peuser
Assistant Chief
Old Military and Civil Records
National Archives
Washington, DC 20408

next