Steamboat J.S. Fire

History

On June 25, 1910, the excursion Steamboat "J. S." burned and sank near Victory, Vernon County, with close to 1000 people on board.  The trip left from Lansing, Iowa, and was bound for La Crosse, Wis., 30 miles up the Mississippi River.  At 6 p.m. the "J. S." left La Crosse to make her return trip. 

 

Fire was detected and the pilot steered the boat toward shore as the passengers panicked.  Within two minutes of the ringing of the fire bell, Pilot George Nichols pulled the "J. S." alongside Bad Axe Island where crew members pulled out the gangplank for passengers to exit.  In the end, two people were killed, including a man held in the boat's hold for being disruptive and intoxicated.  The boat burned and sank about 300 feet from shore.


Date

Page

Title of Article

Paper Size & Orientation
for Printing
1910 postcard Diving for remains of Steamer J.S. that burned and sank near Victory, Wis., 1910 (frontside) portrait 8½" x 11"
ca. 1910 postcard David Tipton raising the boilers of the sunken J.S. (frontside) portrait 8½" x 11"
pre-1910 postcard Magnificent excusion Str. J.S. which burned on the evening of June 25-1910 . . .(frontside) portrait 8½" x 11" 
April 1991 postcard On this spot . . .(frontside) portrait 8½" x 11" 
ca 1910 postcard The wreck of the Str. J.S. burned June 25-1910 . . . (frontside) portrait 8½" x 11"
27 June 1910 1 J.S. wreck story is sensational landscape 11" x 17" ledger
27 June 1910 1 J.S. wreck story is sensational . . . continued landscape 8½" x 11"
27 June 1910 5 J.S. wreck story is sensational . . continued landscape 11" x 17" ledger
27 June 1910 8 J.S. wreck story is sensational . . continued landscape 8" x 14" legal
27 June 1910 8 J.S. wreck story is sensational . . continued landscape 11" x 17" ledger
16 April 1930 1 Captain G.S. Nichols, hero of J.S. burning, passes at home in city portrait 8½" x 11"
29 July 1934   Excursion Boat J.S. burned in 1910 south of La Crosse landscape 8" x 14" legal
29 July 1934   Excursion Boat J.S. burned in 1910 south of La Crosse . . . continued landscape 8½" x 11"
13 Aug. 1967   Ill-fated boat (picture ca. 1910) portrait 8½" x 11"
26 May 1985 1 1910 steamboat sinking recalled landscape 8½" x 11"
26 May 1985 1 1910 steamboat sinking recalled . . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"
25 June 1985 16 75th anniversary of J.S. fire and sinking on Mississippi River landscape 11" x 17" ledger
25 June 1985 16 75th anniversary of J.S. fire and sinking on Mississippi River . . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"
25 June 1985 16 75th anniversary of J.S. fire and sinking on Mississippi River . . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"