Quick Thinking Saves the Ship

Captain JAMES RICHTMAN

Despite her improvements, the Oronoco was old, unwieldy and prone to breaking down. The typical lifespan of a working steamboat was something like five years; the Oronoco was more than two decades old. On Oct. 15, 1915, she struck a log that knocked a large hole in her side. Recently hired pilot James Richtman leaped into the water and plugged the hole with a scrap of canvas, slowing the leak until the pumps got going. His quick thinking saved the boat from sinking.

The Oronoco limped into St. Louis under Capt. Cassidy. Dr. Will pondered the well-worn hull and his maintenance expenses. He decided the end was near. He telegraphed Ed Howard, the husband of one of his patients, in Jeffersonville, Ind. Mr. Howard was heir to one of the greatest steamboat-building firms in American history. He came to St. Louis to see what could be done.

Ed Howard and Dr. Will knew that, even with a major investment, the Oronoco's best days were well behind her. At minimum, she needed a new wood hull and the engines reset; Dr. Will also wanted to add 17 feet to carry another automobile. For $22,225, Mr. Howard said, he could move the engine, cabins and other machinery into a new shell. Or, for about $30,000, Dr. Will could get a brand-new boat. Given the Oronoco's estimated value of $5,000, Dr. Will (who would disband the boat's partnership with its sale) decided on a new boat.

Three weeks later, 72-year-old Capt. Cassidy retired to Winona, Minn., and Jim Richtman was promoted to captain. He had to keep the Oronoco running for another season while the new boat was built. The Oronoco was sold in July 1917 for $10,000 to Capt. S.C. Edgar. She gamely steamed on for nearly two decades before catching fire from a faulty signal lantern and burning at Louisville in December 1935 as the Ben Franklin.

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