lost by reason of an accident most peculiar

[Jimmy W]

GAYOSO: Boat 2210 Way’s Packet Directory page 177. Stern Wheel, Packet, wood hull, built at Axton yard Brownsville Pa., 1883, 127 x 28. Owned by the Lee Line Memphis. Sold to Capt. Elmore Bewley in January 1895 for the Evansville – Green River trade. Name changed in November 1897 to PARK CITY. (PICTURED) PARK CITY: Boat 4392 Way’s Packet Directory page 362. The PARK CITY went to the Kentucky River in her latter days and was lost by reason of an accident most peculiar. She was rounded to, to make Lafe Mahonery’s Landing bear Mussel Shoals in Owen County. She had aboard a large shipment of whiskey contained in both barrels and cases. One of the barrels tiered high on the main deck lost its balance as the boat rolled, crashed through the deck into the hold, went on through the bottom planking and sank her. This happened on Dec. 6, 1909 within a few miles of where the SONOMA turned over and sank.

[David G]

If you're trying to warn some of us... you should mention us by name. Pless, you see that? <G>

[LeeG]

That’s a pretty weak hull

[hawkeye54]

You have to carefully watch those errant whiskey barrels - they'll get you every time ! ! !

[David G]

That’s a pretty weak hull

A hull can be pretty 'punky' and remain intact... if not subjected to unusual challenges.

[Rich Jones]

Either the deck and hull were made of balsa wood or they were totally rotten.

[hawkeye54]

"One of the barrels . . . lost its balance . . . " I have never read a report where an inanimate object is personified quite like that .

[SaltyD from BC]

If a 500 pound barrel 'tiered high on the main deck' fell and happened to hit a lone plank on edge deep in the hold, punky or not that's a lot to ask of said plank.

[The Ranger]

A 26 year old riverboat of that era was steaming on borrowed time. A full 53 gallon barrel of whiskey weighs about 530 pounds in a fairly compact container.

[The Q]

I'll bet there was a rush to recover the contents and not just by the owners...

[LeeG]

If a 500 pound barrel 'tiered high on the main deck' fell and happened to hit a lone plank on edge deep in the hold, punky or not that's a lot to ask of said plank.

I was just thinking that after I said it but at the same time the deck must have broken the fall some. Either way a few barrels must have survived.

[Andrew2]

I'll bet there was a rush to recover the contents and not just by the owners...

Whiskey Galore.

[Hugh MacD]

Sounds like the moral to that story is to always drink the top barrel dry

[The Q]

Whisky Galore, isle of Eriskay, which is connected by causeway to South Uist, an island I went to school on..