Vintage Steamboat Tow Boat Charles Brown Coal Barge Tug Ohio River c. 1900s for Sale

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Vintage Steamboat Tow Boat Charles Brown Coal Barge Tug Ohio River c. 1900s For Sale

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Vintage Steamboat Tow Boat Charles Brown Coal Barge Tug Ohio River c. 1900s:
$46.21

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Estate sale find, vintage original photo of the Towboat Charles Brown, circa 1900-10\'s.
Built in 1872 at Pittsburgh, the Towboat Charles Brown was owned by the firm of W.H. Brown & Sons.
Constructed on a wooden hull measuring 200 feet in length by 33 feet in width, the sternwheeler was nicknamed the ”Long Charlie” by river people. Five boilers provided steam to engines having 22-inch cylinders with an 8-foot stroke.
As with the other towboats of the Brown Line, the boat carried a huge ornamental anchor between the stacks. The riverboat was noted for having one of the first steam steering gears to be utilized on an inland river steamboat.
The boat was rated at 544 gross and net tons, with a crew of 21 employed. A small pilotwheel, about 30 inches in diameter, was mounted in back of the large one, controlling a steam winch engine beneath the pilothouse.
The first master of the towboat was Capt. Luster Parker Chester, who, with his father in 1845, was a pioneer steamboatman aboard the Ploughman on the Youghiogheny River.
As with nearly all riverboats, the Charles Brown had its trials and tribulations. On January 23, 1898, the towboat encountered a severe storm near Vevay, Ind., on the Ohio River. Seven coal boats, one barge and a fuel flat were lost at a reported cost of $13,500.
The towboat Sam Brown collided with the Charles Brown on February 5, 1903, near Gallipolis, Ohio; one coal boat was sunk, with a loss of $1,200. The accident was attributed to a large accumulation of driftwood under the barges and a heavy fog.
Caught in heavy ice at Cincinnati, Ohio in January, 1918 and was crushed and sunk.
The last image is for reference only and is not included in the listing.
The item measures approximately 3.25\" X 5.5\", approximate shipping weight 2 ounces.
PLEASE SEE DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS - AS IS - DARK EXPOSURE - SILVERING - The item appears to be in overall Poor to Fair used condition, signs of wear, creases, fading, tears, chipping, sunning and age toning, soiling, stains, no writing, no odors, please see images.
(PH1-201)