1846 — Oct 12, Steamer Colonel Harney strands, breaks up, mouth of Rio Grande, TX– 15

— 15 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 163.
— 15 Chronicle and Sentinel, Augusta, GA. “Loss of the Col. Harney — Fifteen…” 10-27-1846, p. 2.
— 15 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. 1952, 226
— 15 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…MS River System. 1994, 104.

Narrative Information

Oct 27: “On Tuesday morning, the 12th inst., on the steamer Col. Harney, with a full cargo of Government stores, bound for the mouth of the Rio Grande, got up steam and went over the bar. It was exceedingly rough, and the tide setting in caused her to make greater than ordinary exertions, and she broke her steam pipe. The steamer Monmouth, being in the act of crossing the bar just after the Harney, and seeing her perilous condition, immediately took her in tow and started for the mouth of the Rio Grande.

“After arriving at the mouth of the river, and making two ineffectual attempts to het her in, the breakers being very high and the wind blowing out, she was left at anchor outside of the bar. A short time after anchoring, it was found that she was going to pieces, every sea breaking over her. Every exertion was made from the shore to render assistance to those on board, the steamers Mentoria and Virginian attempting to go alongside, but it was so rough that it was impossible, and the Virginian was near being wrecked; she rolled off her chimneys, broke her hog chains, braces, &c., and was greatly injured in every respect. – The Harney went to pieces, the cargo, &c., being strewed along the shore for about five miles. – There were twenty-eight persons on board, thirteen of whom were saved. Cats. Shannon and Rooney, the mate, pilot and two engineers were saved – the names of the balance were not known. Of the fifteen drowned or lost, none were known. The pilot boat saved three persons, and the rest came ashore on pieces of the wreck. – N. O. Pic. [New Orleans Picayune].” (Chronicle and Sentinel, Augusta, GA. “Loss of the Col. Harney – Fifteen Lives Lost.” 10-27-1846, p. 2.)

Sources

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

Chronicle and Sentinel, Augusta, GA. “Loss of the Col. Harney – Fifteen Lives Lost.” 10-27-1846, p. 2. Accessed 8-19-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/augusta-daily-chronicle-and-sentinel-oct-27-1846-p-2/

Lytle, William M., compiler, from Official Merchant Marine Documents of the United States and Other Sources; Holdcamper, Forrest H. (Editor, and Introduction by). Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. “The Lytle List.” Mystic, CT: Steamship Historical Society of America (Publication No. 6), 1952. Accessed 8-16-2020 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018039084&view=1up&seq=9&size=125&q1=ceres

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). Athens OH: Ohio University Press, 1999.