1851 — Nov 27, Archer sinks after collision with Die Vernon, Upper MS, Enterprise Isl. ~Grafton IL-34-41

— 41 Merrick (produced by Curnow and Nicole. Old Times on the Upper Mississippi. 1909.
–34-41 Way. Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…, 1994-1999, p. 26.
— 39 Lloyd. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory. 1856, p. 292
— 34 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 234.
— 34 Int. Monthly Magazine (Jan-Apr 1852). “Historical Review of the Month,” p. 137.
— 34 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 682.
–28-30 Alton Telegraph, IL. “St. Louis Correspondence,” Dec 4, 1851, p. 1.

Narrative Information

International Monthly Magazine: “On the morning of November 27, about two o’clock, a frightful collision took place between the steamers Die Vernon and Archer, resulting in the loss of the latter vessel, with serious loss of life. The accident occurred at Enterprise Island, about five miles above the mouth of Illinois River. The whole number of lives lost by this catastrophe was thirty-four, of whom ten were deck hands or firemen engaged on the boat.” (International Monthly Magazine (Vol. V., January To April, 1852). “Historical Review of the Month,” p. 137.)

Newspaper

Dec 24: “St. Louis Correspondence, Friday, Nov. 28. Editors Alton Telegraph:

“Your city readers are no doubt apprised, ere this, of the terrible accident to the steamer Archer, at Enterprise Island, five miles above the mouth of the Illinois, at 2 o’clock on the morning of the 27th. Since the accident, the Die Vernon has reached this port, and I have learned some of the particulars. The Archer was cut through to the water’s edge, and sunk in less than twenty minutes, to the cabin floor. Report says, and it is well authenticated, that from 28 to 30 lives were lost on board of her. Ten women and children of two families who were on deck are missing. The Archer had no cabin, and consequently no cabin passengers. Her officers are all safe. The Die Vernon sustained no injury. Of those lost on the Archer, a family of the name of Sunyers, from Western Pennsylvania, were peculiarly unfortunate. The father, mother, and six out of seven children, were drowned. The Pilots of both boats are out in the evening papers of this date, endeavoring to explain away the causes of the disaster. Many think it, and not without reason, the result of sheer negligence.” (Alton Telegraph, IL. “St. Louis Correspondence,” Dec 4, 1851, p. 1.)

Sources

Alton Telegraph, IL. “St. Louis Correspondence” [Sinking of Archer] Dec 4, 1851, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=154963491

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

International Monthly Magazine (Vol. V., January To April, 1852). “Historical Review of the Month.” NY: Stringer & Townsend, p. 137. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=_uMXAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Lloyd, James T. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. Cincinnati, Ohio: James T. Lloyd & Co., 1856. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JlYqAAAAYAAJ

Merrick, George Byron. Old Times on the Upper Mississippi: The Recollections of a Steamboat Pilot from 1854 to 1863. Cleveland, OH: Arthur H. Clark Company, 1909. Produced for Project Gutenberg EBook by Chris Curnow, Pasteur Nicole and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Accessed 8-7-2020 at: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/47262/47262-h/47262-h.htm

Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages.

Way, Frederick Jr. (Author and Compiler), Joseph W. Rutter (contributor). Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System Since the Advent of Photography in Mid-Continent America (Revised Edition). Athens OH: Ohio University Press, 1994-1999.