steamboat Fred Hartweg

Stern-wheeler Fred Hartweg at I believe Cairo, Illinois

Fred Hartweg

1410

Sank: Richardsons Ldg near Fort Pillow Mississippi River


From the Paducah Evening Sun

Saturday October 5th, 1907

Roosevelt Orders License of Hartwegs Suspended for Ninety Days for Behavior

Claimed Hartweg Crowded President's Boat and Angered Every other Pilot in the Fleet


Evansville, Ind Oct. 5. -- United States Inspector of Hulls Williams for
the local port received a telegram signed by President Roosevelt
directing that the license for the steamer Fred Hartweg, carrying the
Pittsburg delegation in the present river trip be immediately
suspended. The telegram follows:


"Memphis, Tenn, on board U.S.S Mississippi. Surveying Inspector of Vessels, Evansville, Ind.


I direct that the license of the master, or whoever is responsible for
the Fred Hartweg during the present voyage, be suspended at once for
ninety days. I wish this done by telegraph wherever the boat is, if
such proceeding is possible. Col. Sears can give you the details of the
misconduct which has been of a serious nature and which might at any
time have caused an accident to this boat as well as to the other boats"

Theodore Roosevelt


(Steamer Hartweg's home port is Cairo and it is inspected at Evansville.)


Memphis, Oct 5 -- The run down the river was devoid of interest, for the
most part, the only enlivening incident being a brief race between the
Alton and the Fred hartweg, a fast Ohio boat, with a delegation from
Pittsburg on board, which joined the presidential fleet at Cairo, which
was a drawn battle. The ragamuffin behavior of the Fred Hartweg, which
repeatedly crowded the boat of the president, angered nearly every other
boat's master on the river. The president seemed to enjoy the
situations created by pilot rivalry. The Hartweg had a party of
Pittsburg people on board, and late in the afternoon, just as we
approached this place the pilots of the Lily and the Alton pocketed the
Hartweg and gave her their smoke.


---


Hartweg Struck boat.


Memphis, Oct 6 -- Report reached Memphis last night that an accident
occurred south of Cairo Thursday which came very near causing a wreck of
the steamer Mississippi and the loss of the life of the president and
all on board.


The St. Louis fleet and other fleets in the river parade met at Cairo
after the reception in that city and proceded down without formation,
although it was understood the Alton and the McKenzie had the right of
way behind the president's boat, the Mississippi. The Hartweg,
containing the Pittsburg delegation, sought to nose the Alton out of its
position and while the Alton was seeking to hold the position the
Hartweg passed and while running at a rapid rate of speed crashed into
the steamer Mississippi. But for the cool-headed pilot on the
Mississippi the wreck might have been very disastrous. The pilot saw
the impending danger and quickly veered the Mississippi aside, thereby
averting a serious collision, rendering the blow of the Hartweg a
glancing one.


When the Hartweg struck the Mississippi the passengers were thrown down
upon the decks and in the rooms, and the president, who was in his
dressing room, when he ascertained the trouble, rushed upon the deck in
anger. He immediately framed up a telegram which was sent to the
inspector of the Ohio river district at Evansville, Ind., asking that
the pilot on the Hartweg be suspended for ninety days if such a thing
could be done, and directing him to communicate immediately with Col.
Clinton B. Sears of the United States Army for instructions in regard to
the matter.


An effort was made to suppress the news, but the newspaper men on board the boats in the flotilla gave out the details


-----


Hartweg Suspended


Evansville, Ind. Oct. 5 -- Captain Williams, lighthouse inspector fo
the Evansville-Cairo district, directed the Memphis inspectors to
suspend the captain of the Fred Hartweg. This action followed the
telegram of President Roosevelt requesting that the suspension be made.

The Pittsburgh Press - Apr 6, 1908

Man, suspended through Roosevelt, reinstated.

Capt Nichols, of Fred Hartweg gets new license


After a suspension of six months by the special order of President
Theodore Roosevelt. Clarence Nichols, master of the steamer Fred
Hartweg, has been reinstated and a new license issued to him at
Memphis. Nichols underwent the full penalty, although the suspension
was characterized as unjust by passengers upon his boat, and an appeal
was made to the board of supervising inspectors.


The suspension was made last October. The Fred Hartweg, it is claimed,
had been assigned a place in the steamboat parade from St. Louis to
Memphis, just before the Deer Waterways convention. It is claimed that
Nichols left his place and ran ahead of the other boats, nearly running
down the President's steamer. A telegram was at once sent by President
Roosevelt, demanding the suspension of Nichols, to the inspector at
Memphis.


The Fred Hartweg carried the Pittsuburg delegation to Memphis, which
included George W. Theiss, Captain William B. Rodgers, Captain Thomas
Rees, Captain W. H. Crump, Secretary J. Frank Tilley, of the Pittsburg
Coal Exchange, and others. Upon their return to Pittsburg several
members of the party took exceptions to the allegations, claiming that
the President's boat had not been in the slightest danger and denied
that Nichols had done anything for which he could be justly suspended.