In 1856, the Steamboat
Arabia left the banks of Kansas City on a routine supply trip up the Missouri
River. Onboard were two hundred tons of precious cargo en route to 16 different
towns along the frontier.
Steamboats were common
in those days, as they were the best method of traveling up and down America's
river systems. These boats were a big business at the time and were absolutely
essential for trade and commerce.
Unfortunately for the
Steamboat Arabia, a fallen walnut tree was waiting just below the surface of
the water, hidden from sight thanks to the glare on the water from the setting
sun. The impact instantly tore the hull and the boat sank in minutes.
Thankfully, everyone on board was able to swim to safety, except for one poor
mule who was tied to the deck and forgotten in the chaos.
The soft river bottom
quickly engulfed the boat in mud and silt and in just a few days, it was swept
away entirely due to the force of the river. Over time, the river shifted
course and for the next 132 years, the Arabia was lost to the world until it
was discovered in the 1980s, 45 feet deep underneath a Kansas farm.
Legend of the sunken
ship had been passed on through the generations in the area and inspired local
Bob Hawley to find it in 1987. He and his sons used old maps and sophisticated
equipment to eventually find the boat half a mile away from the present-day
river. The farmers who owned the land agreed to let them dig it up - as long as
they were done in time for the spring planting season.
All manner of heavy
equipment was brought in, including a 100-ton crane. 20,000 gallons of water
had to be removed into 65-foot-deep wells.
After two weeks of
excavation, the first parts of the boat appeared - the remains of the left
paddlewheel and this small black rubber shoe that was lying on the deck.
With no air to cause
spoilage, thousands of items were recovered completely intact. Jars of
preserved foods were still totally edible. One brave excavator even tested it
out by eating a pickle from one of the jars and found it to still be fresh.
These jars of preserved fruits are just some of the relics recovered from the Arabia.
Today, the artifacts are
all housed in a museum in Kansas City called the Steamboat Arabia Museum. One
of their displays is the fully preserved skeleton of that poor mule.
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