Steamboat War Eagle Tragedy

History

On May 14, 1870, the "War Eagle", a sidewheel packet boat, arrived at La Crosse.  She dropped off passengers at the city landing at State and Front streets, then proceeded north to the railroad depot on the Black River to take on freight and await the midnight train from Milwaukee.  When the train arrived, passengers and freight were transferred to the "War Eagle" for transport to St. Paul, MN.  Among the items loaded were wooden barrels filled with "Danforth's Non-Explosive Petroleum Fluid" - a kind of lamp oil.  While not explosive, it turned out to be quite flammable.

While loading the barrels onto the "War Eagle," it was reported to Capt. Thomas Cushing that one of the barrels was leaking.  The Captain ordered the boat's carpenter to fix it.  Soon, the barrel was ablaze as well as the ship's carpenter.  He jumped into the water to extinguish the fire from his clothes.  The barrel was rolled off the left side of the boat, a barge lay alongside, preventing the crew from rolling it into the water.  Fire and black smoke rapidly  spread to the wooden boat.  Only five people are believed to have lost their lives as a result.  However, many other buildings and trains were damaged, and freight lost as well as the steamboat "War Eagle."

Date

Page

Title of Article

Paper Size & Orientation
for Printing

16 May 1870 4 Steamer War Eagle burned landscape 11' x 17" ledger
16 May 1870 4 Steamer War Eagle burned . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"
17 May 1870 4 Items concerning the recent fire landscape 8½" x 14" legal
18 May 1870 1 Another body found portrait 8½" x 11" 
17 April 1990 A-12 Leaky barrels fueled blaze on War Eagle portrait 8½" x 11" 
11 May 1995 C-1 This history buff would be proud landscape 11' x 17" ledger
28 April 1998 B-1 War Eagle's story to come alive during celebration landscape 8½" x 14" legal 
28 April 1998 B-2 War Eagle's story to come alive during celebration . . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"