Inside the J.M. White

One of the most glamorous steamboats on the Mississippi during the later part of the nineteenth century was the J.M. White.

Few boats could match the technological innovations on board and none could match her speed. The J.M. White had chimneys eighty-one feet tall, she had a five tone whistle, and much of the loading machinery she used was steam powered.

Inside the boat was the zenith of luxury. The main cabin had cherry filigree woodwork and could seat 250 passengers for meals. On the texas, or top deck, there were fifty staterooms and two bridal suites. Each stateroom was ten by fourteen feet, exceptionally large for a steamboat. The furniture was specially made for the boat as were the linens and china. 400 people could be accommodated on the promenade decks and galleries. The J.M. White was a fabulous showcase of wealth.

Unfortunately she was an expensive boat to operate and after only eight years of service was too expensive to run. Captain Tobin tried various means to stay in business with the White but even bringing in new business partners was not enough. Insurance premiums of more than $100,000 were more than he could afford.

On December 13, 1888, the J.M. White met with tragedy while on a routine run from Vicksburg. Apparently a careless passenger was smoking and caught some drapes on fire. However, the reason the J.M. White burned will never be known for certain. With a full load of cargo and passengers, the ship had just tied fast to the Blue Store landing, when flames engulfed the decks. An estimated twenty-eight people died and the J.M. White was no more.

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