Idaho's Lake Coeur d'Alene was known especially for its steamships that slid back and forth across the waters from the 1880s to the 1930s. One of the better-known boats was the sidewheeler, "Idaho."
Would it surprise you to learn that another boat, a steamboat named Idaho burned to the waterline and sank on Nov. 26, 1866? This Idaho never knew Lake Coeur d'Alene. Instead, it worked the waters of the East River, New York City.
The Idaho was one of the newer boats of the Brooklyn Ferry Company. Shortly after leaving the dock at about 7:10 in the evening, what may have been a smoldering fire broke through the ferry's deck and started to consume the Idaho rapidly. Fortunately, a sister ferry, the Canada, was nearby. The captain of the Canada pulled alongside the burning boat long enough for most of the passengers to jump aboard. Heavy flames forced the Canada to pull away before everyone could get aboard. A woman and her child jumped into the water and were saved from drowning by two men. One of the men suffered serious burns in the rescue, but there were no fatalities.
The Idaho, which was not insured, was a total loss. Authorities estimated it was worth $64,000.
The fire aboard a boat named after the state didn't cause a ripple in Idaho newspapers at the time, so it falls to me to break the news to you 157 years later. You're welcome.
