Eva was a sternwheel steamboat that was operated on the Umpqua River on the Oregon coast in the early part of the 1900s. Eva was notable for long service on a short route of about 20 miles. Eva was also notable for having been used by one of its owners to illegally transport dynamite on a passenger-carrying vessel, by the ruse of labeling the dynamite boxes as "bacon."
Construction
Eva was built in 1894 at Portland, Oregon. Following construction, Eva was brought under tow, with a load of flour on board, from Portland to Gardiner, Oregon, where the engines were installed.
Eva was long, with a beam of and depth of hold. Eva measured out at 130.57 gross tons and 66.67 net tons. The boat's draft was . The official U.S. merchant vessel registration number was 136459. The port of registry was Coos Bay, Oregon.
Eva was powered by twin steam engines, horizontally mounted, driving a sternwheel. The engines generated 80 nominal horsepower.
Ownership and personnel
Eva was owned by the Umpqua River Steam Navigation Company, of which Oscar B. Hinsdale (1867–1918) was a principal, as was W.F. Jewett. Hinsdale was a businessman and a prominent citizen of Gardiner, Oregon, who was also connected with the Gardiner Mill Company. Capt. N.J. Cornwall (b.1855) was also interested in the navigation company and as of 1895 was also in command of Eva.
Capt. "Jimmy" Smith had been a well-known and popular master of Eva. Of Smith, it was reported that he "always insisted on getting everything that was coming to the company."
Starting in about 1898, Frank Sagabird was the engineer of the Eva and held that position until the boat was retired from active service in April 1916. His brother Capt. Henry Sagabird was also a master of Eva for over ten years, starting in about 1906 and continuing, like his brother, until the boat was withdrawn from service.
Route
From 1876 to 1916, the Drain-Coos Bay stage line provided for travellers from Drain, Oregon to proceed by stage coach to Scottsburg, where they would meet a steamboat to proceed down the Umpqua river. Eva and other steamboats on the river provided an important link in the line by providing riverine service between Scottsburg and Gardiner, Oregon.
For travellers going to or coming from Coos Bay, Eva made a run from Gardiner to a beach near Winchester Bay, close to the mouth of the Umpqua river on the south side, where another stage route ran south towards Coos Bay along the beach. It was reportedly either 17.5 or 20 miles on the water from Scottsburg to Gardiner. It was a further nine miles from Gardiner to the south beach.
The stages were run by the Drain-Coos Bay Stage Company, which had been organized by the same people as the navigation company, that is, Capt. N.J. Cornwall, W.P. Jewett, and O.B. Hinsdale.
Operations
Once at Winchester, passengers from Eva could take a stage coach from Gardiner on to Coos Bay, although by 1915, the beach stage coach had been replaced with an "auto stage."
During the year 1896, Eva carried 2,600 passengers and 1,000 tons of freight. Passenger traffic declined for Eva in the 1898 fiscal year, with the boat carrying 2,050 passengers. Freight traffic was up however to 1,500 tons carried.
A few days prior to July 17, 1900, Eva was transporting a circus from Australia. The circus had come up the coast from California by wagon to Gardiner, Oregon. At Gardiner, the circus was loaded onto a scow, and then towed upriver by the steamer Eva. On board the scow were three men, eight horses, four wagons, a tent, and much circus equipment. After a few miles, the scow suddenly sank in of water. The men and five horses survived, but all the rest went down with the scow. Part of the circus property and a span of mules were on board Eva, and these were taken back to Gardiner to regroup.
In the week of June 16, 1903, Eva was hauled out on a mud flat for repairs. During this time, Eva place on the run up the Umpqua River to Scottsburg was taken by the steamer Juno.
On August 27, 1903, it was reported that a delay in delivery of a cylinder for Eva had required Juno to work double service on the Scottsburg run for the previous two weeks.
During the year 1904, Eva carried 5,847 passengers and 2,500 tons of freight.
On April 9, 1908, near Scottsburg, Eva hit a snag and sank. Eva was carrying mail and passengers at the time. The boat was beached. Everyone on board was able to get off. Passengers and mail were transferred to another vessel. Eva was to be raised and then brought to Gardiner for repairs.
A new boiler was installed in Eva on May 29, 1910, and that day Hinsdale was in Gardiner to inspect the boat.