How Were They Shipped?

[Sam squanch]

Uhhhhh.....the Arabia steamboat museum has several Allen pocket pistols on display along with a few shotguns. So they were carrying arms. Or were you thinking of military muskets?

 

[Justin.44]

I'm not sure how or what they were shipped in, but I'll bet it was faster than the USPS is now

 

[Don H]

For packing they may have used wood wool or Excelsior which is basically long thin shavings of wood. This was in use in the mid 1800's for furniture stuffing, mattresses etc. It is still made and used today.

The box was probably wood like this 1894 Winchester box made to ship 10 rifles.
Original Winchester Model 1894 Wooden Shipping Box

 

[JBrandon]

Along with the Arabia steamboat (very fine museum in KC), there is an equally good one on the W edge of Iowa, the steamer Bertrand, 1865. Anyone doing reenactments or research on artifacts of the Civil War period should see these.
As near as I can tell from quick searches, Betrand carried weaponry, but only ammunition was recovered, some packed in wooden boxes.

Steamer Bertrand 1865 DeSoto Bend

Time capsule: Cargo from 1865 steamboat wreck on display at DeSoto refuge

The Steamboat Bertrand Museum « The Turner Brigade--Missouri Volunteers, U.S.

The Steamboat Bertrand Museum « The Turner Brigade--Missouri Volunteers, U.S.

Mt Howitzer ammo packing boxes

 

[Coot]

Uhhhhh.....the Arabia steamboat museum has several Allen pocket pistols on display along with a few shotguns. So they were carrying arms. Or were you thinking of military muskets?

At the museum, they said that the boats were not carrying cargo arms. Passengers & crew were free to carry personal weapons.

 

[Sam squanch]

All the people got off the Arabia, the only drowning was a mule. Surely they had time to gather their belongings for a few minutes. All the same model Allen pocket pistols ( a bunch when I was there) that I saw must have been a shipment, maybe off the record.