Wreck of the Pittsburg
 

Davenport Democrat and Leader

February 1, 1931

More About “Diamond Jo” Reynolds and His Line of
Upper Mississippi Packets


On May 27, 1896, the “Pittsburgh” lying at the wharfloat close to the shore abutment of the St. Louis east bridge had her entire cabin texas and pilot house torn off by the terrible cyclone that sank nine steamers and badly damaged 15 more. Capt. A. H. Lovett of this city was one of the few persons on her when this happened. He was not injured and helped Capt James Boland tie up the wreck when it went ashore on the Illinois side.
The hull was towed to the Diamond Jo yard at Dubuque and an excellent new cabin, a long texas, pilot house and all other features of a first class boat were built on the repaired hull, and she came out as the Dubuque in 1897.

Sinks in Shallow Water

In 1901 on a down trip full of passengers and freight she tore a great hole in her bottom and sank in shallow water 6 miles below Keithsburg. A submerged stump in the channel was the cause of this disaster as of most other sinking’s on the upper Mississippi, snags usually make bold breaks or give plain indications of their location but submerged stumps or logs do not. They are located by hitting them as in the Dubuque case.

Capt. Killeen did a proud job in raising her with a hole ten feet wide and 140 feet long in her bottom, but he got her up and back to the ways, where she was hauled out and thoroly (sic) repaired. In 1908 the Dubuque was