3 August 2012 Steamboat Arabia

We traveled into downtown Kansas City, MO.  To a Museum, that was absolutely amazing.
In the late 1856, later part of August, Steamboat Arabia left St Louis, MO.  We crew passanger's and a ship full of cargo.  She made good time up the Missouri River, reaching Kansas City in less than a week.  By now it was September 5th, and the trip thus far was uneventful.  However before the sun would set that day, the steamboat Arabia and her valuable cargo would quickly and silently vanish from sight. 
All Aboard!!!!

Cargo is loaded and ready to leave St Louis, MO

Beautiful Steamboat Arabia as it sails towards Kansas City, MO.

Sister Janee Spencer ready to board the ship.

Sister Pam Gibson as usual talking to the passenger's

Paddle wheel from the Steamboat Arabia

Steam powered

On Sept 5th 1856, the Steamboat Arabia hit a log snag at Quindaro Bend, 10 miles north of Kansas City and sank into 15 feet of water.  The passanger's and crew survived, but the "Great White Arabia" and her 200-ton frontier cargo were lost to the river.

In 1988, 132 years after her sinking, five steamboat enthusiasts from the Kansas City area successfully recovered the Arabia and her historic cargo.  With personal financing for the project, this group of modern-day explorer's succeeded.
Enjoy.

Corn field showing the chalk line of a possible boat

Current flow of the river, you can see the change

of the Missouri River notice the line's running through the

Kansas lettering.

The water level was very high, so they had to create 4

huge pumps that constantly pulled the water out of the

Site.

Ariel view of the recovered ship.

They went down 45 feet underground, one-half mile from the

river's edge.

The men working in the mud said that every day was like

Christmas, each day they discovered many more item's.

Two of the passanger's that went on the ship with us.

the older Father, is a Priest from Belgium, his church

is over 1500 years old.

He said that this ship was young its only 150 years old.

Steamboat Arabia's Hull

Many beads and button's

Fragrance and accessories

China and Beans

Beautiful collection of Wedgewood from England

Boot Puller, and Wrench

Hats, boots, lock's, power horn's, guns etc.

Beads, Bottles, and Button's galore

Jewelry

Marbles

Clothes pin, and Clasp's

Downtown Kansas City, MO 1869

Jeff standing next to large Saw blades

This was an 1856 canning jar.

All of these wonderful item's are brand new, frozen in time.

Now preserved a modern day Wal-mart to the pioneer's

Fruit and Pickles all still edible.

Carefully preserved in time.

Medicinal supplies were shipped as well.

Many bottles of potion's unknown

Lots of clothing

Interesting note all cotton desingrated once the air touched the cloth.

All cotton could not be preserved no matter what they tried.

But the silk and wool material survivied.

(Continued)