M.E. Norman

Last updated
Tom Lee Memorial.jpg
Memorial in Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee, commemorating the heroic rescue of 32 lives. (2008)
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
Name:M.E. Norman
Launched: 1924
Fate: Sank, May 8, 1925
General characteristics [1]
Type: Steamboat
Length: 113 ft (34 m)
Beam: 26 ft (7.9 m)
Capacity: 65 passengers
Complement: 10

M.E. Norman was a sternwheel steamboat operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. On May 8, 1925, M.E. Norman sank after capsizing in the Mississippi River. Tom Lee, an African American riverworker, saved the lives of 32 passengers.

Steamboat Smaller than a steamship; boat in which the primary method of marine propulsion is steam power

A steamboat is a boat that is propelled primarily by steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S or PS ; however, these designations are most often used for steamships.

Mississippi River largest river system in North America

The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system on the North American continent, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. Its source is Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and it flows generally south for 2,320 miles (3,730 km) to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. The main stem is entirely within the United States; the total drainage basin is 1,151,000 sq mi (2,980,000 km2), of which only about one percent is in Canada. The Mississippi ranks as the fourth-longest and fifteenth-largest river by discharge in the world. The river either borders or passes through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Contents

Description

M.E. Norman was a sternwheel steamboat, meaning it was steam-powered with a paddlewheel located at the rear (stern) of the ship. It was built in Morgan City, Louisiana in 1924, measured 113 ft (34 m) long by 26 ft (7.9 m) wide, and carried a maximum of 65 passengers and 10 crew members. The ship was operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. [1]

Morgan City, Louisiana City in Louisiana, United States

Morgan City is a city in St. Mary Parish in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census.

Sinking

On May 8, 1925, M.E. Norman was one of two ships used to provide a sightseeing tour for attendees and families of the Mid-South convention of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Memphis, Tennessee. As the ship approached Cow Island Bend in the Mississippi River, it began listing to both sides, then capsized and sank rapidly. [1]

American Society of Civil Engineers professional association

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a tax-exempt professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. Its constitution was based on the older Boston Society of Civil Engineers from 1848.

Memphis, Tennessee City in Tennessee, United States

Memphis is a city located along the Mississippi River in southwestern Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. The 2017 city population was 652,236, making Memphis the largest city on the Mississippi River, the second most populous city in Tennessee, as well as the 26th largest city in the United States. Greater Memphis is the 42nd largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of 1,348,260 in 2017. The city is the anchor of West Tennessee and the greater Mid-South region, which includes portions of neighboring Arkansas and Mississippi. Memphis is the seat of Shelby County, the most populous county in Tennessee. As one of the most historic and cultural cities of the southern United States, the city features a wide variety of landscapes and distinct neighborhoods.

Tennessee U.S. state in the United States

Tennessee is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States. Tennessee is bordered by eight states, with Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the west, and Missouri to the northwest. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms the state's western border. Nashville is the state's capital and largest city, with a 2017 population of 667,560 and a 2017 metro population of 1,903,045. Tennessee's second largest city is Memphis, which had a population of 652,236 in 2017.

Tom Lee, a 39-year-old African American riverworker, was returning to shore in a 28-foot motorboat, Zev, when he became the only witness to the sinking. Lee, who could not swim, acted with little regard for his own safety, using the small motorboat to rescue 32 passengers from the river. He made several trips, continuing the search throughout the night. Twenty other survivors were able to swim to safety on their own. [1]

Tom Lee Park City park in Memphis, Tennessee

Tom Lee Park is a city park located to the immediate west of downtown Memphis, Tennessee, overlooking the Mississippi River. Encompassing about 30 acres (12 ha) parallel to the Mississippi River for about one mile (1.6 km), it offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River and the shores of Arkansas on the opposite side. The park is named after Tom Lee, an African-American riverworker, who saved the lives of 32 passengers of the sinking steamboat M.E. Norman in 1925.

Overall, 23 passengers and crew drowned. Most of the bodies were recovered during the spring and summer of 1925. The final body was recovered in February 1926, and three bodies were never recovered. The wreck of M.E. Norman was located a few days after the sinking, but attempts to raise it failed. [1]

The cause of the sinking was investigated but no clear explanation was ever determined. [1]

Discovery of artifacts

In 1998, crews demolishing an old bridge near Ensley Engineer Yard unearthed a time capsule of M.E. Norman artifacts. The time capsule had been buried in May 1936 and apparently forgotten. The artifacts included an Army Corps of Engineers flag from the ship, newspaper articles documenting its sinking, passenger lists, and related photos and letters. The artifacts were preserved and exhibited as "Time In A Capsule" later that year. [2]

Tom Lee Park

Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee is named in rescuer Tom Lee's honor. In October 2006, a bronze sculpture was erected in the park to commemorate the event and to honor the civil hero. [3] [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Neely-Alexander, Charmeal (2012). "HIStory - Tom Lee - A Memphis Hero". tomleeamemphishero.webs.com. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  2. Pogue, Jim (July 1998). "Artifacts from Corps tragedy discovered". mallofmemphis.org. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. Pogue, Jim (November 2006). "Bronze sculpture honors Memphis hero". Engineer Update. United States Army Corps of Engineers. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007.