3D INTERACTIVE850 SELECTABLE PARTS
INSPECT A PARTSelect any visible componentHover or click a part in the model
WHEEL TIP SPEED—
STEAM POWER—
DISPLACED MASS—
BUOYANT FORCE—
DRAG TO ORBIT · SCROLL TO ZOOM · CLICK A COMPONENT
OPERATING PRINCIPLE
Steam pressure drives reciprocating pistons; pitman rods turn the sternwheel, whose immersed paddles push water astern and propel the hull forward.
WHERE & WHEN
Mississippi River system, United States · approximately the mid-to-late 19th century. A composite educational reconstruction, not a specific surviving vessel.
WHY IT MATTERED
Shallow-draft steam vessels connected river towns and moved passengers and freight along inland waterways before roads and rail reached every landing.