Wacouta (Towboat, 1922-1950)

Date

• April 5, 1940

Publisher

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: U.S. Engineer Office

Summary

• BOAT DESCRIPTION: Sternwheel
• BOAT TYPE: Towboat
• BUILT: 1922 at Neville Island, Pennsylvania by Dravo
• FINAL DISPOSITION: Wrecked in a storm on March 27, 1950 opposite Helena, Arkansas
• OWNERS: 1922: Arrow Transportation Company; Unknown date: Joyce-Watkins Tie Company; 1929: Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company; 1943: George N. Childs; 1944: Captain R.C. "Chick" Lucas; ca. 1945: George N. Childs; 1947: Captain A.C. Johnson
• OFFICERS & CREW: 1922: Captain A.J. Jacobs, Lew Bradford (pilot), T. Rees Tarn (engineer); 1927: Captain John Peak (master), Harvey Brown and Elmer C. Owrey (pilots), Harry Rhodes (chief engineer), Paul Egan (2nd engineer); 1929: Captain E.K. Campbell (master); 1944: Ben Winters (captain)
• RIVERS: Tennessee River; Ohio River; Allegheny River; Mississippi River
• OTHER INFORMATION: Ways - T2598; The Wacouta was designed by T. Rees Tarn who also served on her as engineer on her maiden trip to her home port. On that trip she left Pittsburgh with Commodore W.T. Watkins and his son, Wally Watkins, playing host to Fred Underwood of the Erie Railroad, Irving Cox of Cox & Stephens and others. While with the Arrow Transportation Company she towed pig iron down the Tennessee River. Under ownership of Joyce-Watkins Tie Company, she was chartered to the Philadelphia & Cleveland Coal Company in 1927. They used her to tow from the Ohio River to Memphis, St. Louis and elsewhere. She was traded to the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company for the Creighton in May, 1929 and came to the Allegheny River. On November 28, 1933 she was brought down the Allegheny from Cadogan to Clinton, Pennsylvania for the funeral of Captain Thomas J. Hudson. The Wachota was moored abreast of the church and the crew attended services. In 1937 the Wacouta was tied up when the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company at Creighton plant closed. They brought her out again in April, 1939. When Pittsburgh Plate Glass sold the Wacouta in 1943, they terminated a long career of towboating on the Allegheny River which began in 1905. She operated about a year under Captain R.C. "Chick" Lucas towing to Kobuta, Pennsylvania where a synthetic rubber plant had been constructed during WWII. George N. Childs had owned her in 1943 and repurchased her in 1946 and on January 19, 1947 she sank at Helena Arkansas. She was then sold to Captain A.C. Johnson who promptly raised her. She turned over and sank in deep water on March 27, 1950 during a storm
• PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Photo taken at mile 20.8 on the Allegheny River at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the U.S. Engineer Office. State: Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company - right bank looking upstream