SPRAGUE
Mississippi-stern-wheeler. Built in 1901 in Dubuque / Iowa at the Iowa Iron Works shipyard.
The ship sailed the Mississippi for decades.
• Scale: 1:104
• Hull length: 103 cm / 107,2 m
• Width: 20,3 cm / 27 m • Height: 21,5 cm / 29,5 m
• Drive: Steam engine with coal firing 6 steam boilers 2’079 HP !
• built: 1994 – 1996 by H.Raschle, according to the plans of Alan L. Bates, Louisville
• Workload: ca. 500 hours
• Display case: yes
• Construction materials: different types of wood and brass / aluminum. Decorations and windows / doors etched in brass
• Price: 7’500 sFR
for a larger view of the pictures, please click on the picture.
Story:
This Mississippi boat was the longest and strongest stern wheel steamer ever built.
He holds some performance world records today.
The „Sprague“ was put into service in 1901 on the Mississippi.
It soon received the nickname „Big Momma“ because of its size and abnormally bulky load.
After their passage, sand banks of the river were often impassable for other ships for hours.
The coal requirement was several tons per hour, so a large number of men had to shovel to keep the six steam boilers under pressure. The coal reserves were encountered in several „coal barges“ in front of the bow.
On March 5, 1948, the „Sprague“ in Memphis / Tenn. taken out of circulation.
She was then in Vicksburg / Miss. as a museum and tourist attraction.
In 1974, the boat burned under mysterious, unexplained circumstances.
Original:
