Meriwether Lewis' Iron Boat Dream

Artist's rendering of Armory superintendent Joseph Perkins (left) and Captain Meriwether Lewis inspecting the assembled iron boat frame at Harpers Ferry. The strange craft was comprised of an iron frame which came apart in sections, over which was stretched a covering of hide

NPS. Harpers Ferry Center Commissioned Artwork. Public Domain. Aristis: Rocco, Keith/Tradition Studios

How do you deal with failure? Do you immediately try again? Perhaps you disconnect from the world a while? One’s response to failure influences any future endeavors and forward progress. Regardless of how one handles failure, it often helps knowing other people fail too. That you’re all in the same boat...or not as in a famous case of failure along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The iron boat Meriwether Lewis designed did not work. His work on the iron boat and response to its failure serves as a masterclass in picking yourself up after a setback and proceeding on.

Meriwether Lewis planned extensively to equip the Corps of Discovery. Part of his preparations included designing a large iron framed canoe at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal in modern day West Virginia. The frame could be easily transported by the Corps, and then turned into a serviceable boat when needed using locally available materials such as animal hides and pitch made from pine tree sap. The Corps transported the iron frame all the way to modern southwestern Montana before putting the boat to the test. Despite excellent planning on the part of Meriwether Lewis, he couldn’t foresee the lack of available pine trees to make the necessary pitch. Lewis wrote about the launching of the iron boat:

July 9, 1805

we corked the canoes and put them in the water and also launched the boat, she lay like a perfect cork on the water.    five men would carry her with the greatest ease. I now directed seats to be fixed in her and oars to be fitted.    the men loaded the canoes in readiness to depart.    just at this moment a violent wind commenced... the wind continued violent untill late in the evening, by which time we discovered that a greater part of the composition had seperated from the skins and left the seams of the boat exposed to the water and she leaked in such manner that she would not answer. I need not add that this circumstance mortifyed me not a little; and to prevent her leaking without pich was impossible with us, and to obtain this article was equally impossible, therefore the evil was irraparable... but to make any further experiments in our present situation seemed to me madness; the buffaloe had principally dserted us, and the season was now advancing fast. I therefore relinquished all further hope of my favorite boat and ordered her to be sunk in the water, that the skins might become soft in order the better to take her in peices tomorrow and deposite the iron fraim at this place as it could probably be of no further service to us... but it was now too late to introduce a remidy and I bid a dieu to my boat, and her expected services.—

Joseph Field, Meriwether Lewis, Patrick Gass, and John Shields stretching leather skins over the iron framework of "The Experiment" at the Great Falls of the Missouri River. When put into the water on July 9, "the experiment" floated "like a perfect cork," but then began to leak.

NPS/ Harpers Ferry Center. Public Domain. Artist: Keith Rocco

Patrick Gass wrote in his journal on July 8, 1805, "We call her The Experiment and expect she will answer our purpose." From June 18-July 8, 1805, the canoe was assembled and covered with a total of 28 elk skins and 4 buffalo skins. Unable to find pine trees for pitch, a substitute tar of charcoal, beeswax, and buffalo tallow was applied to the skins to prevent them from leaking. When put into the water on July 9, "the experiment" floated "like a perfect cork," but then began to leak.

Lewis wrote on July 9, 1805: "She leaked in such manner that she would not answer." Lacking time to attend to further modifications, Lewis "relinquished all further hope of my favorite boat."

With the bitter failure of his “favorite” iron boat, Meriwether Lewis now faced the decision of how to proceed on. Luckily, he rebounded quickly. With his friend William Clark, he devised a plan for a group of the Corps to construct two additional dugout canoes to compensate for the loss of the iron boat. While Clark and a small group put the alternative plan into motion, Lewis passed the next day as follows:

July 10, 1805

had a cash dug and deposited the Fraim of the boat, some papers and a few other trivial articles of but little importance... having nothing further to do I amused myself in fishing and caught a few small fish

What better way to unwind than a relaxing afternoon fishing? Despite the disappointment of the iron boat, Lewis immediately put an alternative strategy into motion. He then blew off any pent up frustration by engaging in a useful, relaxing hobby. Lewis’s response to failure in this instance influenced the direction of the Corps for the better, and allowed the Corps to do what they did best…proceed on.