Miraculously, the first steamboat race, which took place in 1811, didn’t end with an explosion, but with a crash.
Somehow, that didn’t stop steamboat operators from loading up as much fuel as possible into their furnaces to make them go as fast as possible while spectators placed bets. Whatever was left of a ship after such an explosion would usually burn, even on the surface of the water. That was bad news since steamboats were made of wood. Steam engines were prone to exploding if their temperatures weren't managed properly. The first vessels to be propelled through the water with steam-powered engines were invented in the early 1800s, and as much as they revolutionized travel and commerce, they also introduced a brand new danger. As summer approaches, sun-chasers will be heading out to waterways soon, but while party pontoons and speedboats dominate rivers today, there was once a time when steamboats and the people who raced them ruled the waters. If you’d like to travel downriver as fast as possible in the most dangerous way imaginable, we’re sorry to say you’ve missed the boat.
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