Fantastic Voyage

THE BOATS The corps used 25 vessels throughout the journey. A 26th boat–a custom-designed collapsible iron frame covered with skins–was carried all the way to what is now Montana, where it failed upon hitting the water

The Keelboat Lewis designed the craft and oversaw its often delayed construction in Pittsburgh. This largest craft of the expedition never made it past what is now North Dakota. In spring of 1805, it returned to St. Louis, carrying men, specimens and reports

–55 ft. long –8 ft. wide –Retractable roof –Crew of up to 27

–Carried perhaps 12 tons of cargo and, when loaded, drew 3 ft. to 4 ft. of water

–Before setting out, Lewis bought $33 worth of “flagg stuff.” At the time, the U.S. flag had 15 stars and stripes

–A 32-ft. mast held a large square sail and a foresail; the mast was hinged at the bottom so it could be lowered

–In addition to rowing, crewmen could move the boat by pushing poles into the river’s bottom

–As many as 12 poles or 22 oars at a time

–Oarsmen’s benches

–Locker lids formed a walkway for poling

Dugout Canoes The crew carved 15 canoes by hand during its journey–and carried some of them on crude wagons for 17 miles around the Great Falls of the Missouri. Empty, each weighed more than a ton

–Two canoes could be tied together to form a catamaran

–Crews of four to six

–Some were about 30 ft. long

–2 to 3 tons of cargo capacity

–It took 16 men a month to carve their first six canoes from felled trees. Near the trip’s end, the men made two canoes in just three days

The Red Pirogue Lewis bought it, possibly in Pittsburgh, to lighten the keelboat’s load on the shallow Ohio River. The 41-ft. craft was hidden with supplies at the Marias River in what is now Montana. Returning 13 months later, the men found the boat had rotted away

–Up to 9 tons of cargo

–Crew of up to eight

–Flat bottom

The White Pirogue This smallest boat to leave was the largest craft to return two years later. Originally slated to carry provisions, it became the officers’ boat, carrying the most vital instruments and supplies

–Men or horses sometimes used ropes to pull the boats from shore or from the water

–Hemp towline

–Square sail and sprit sail

–Crew of up to six

–Up to 8 tons of cargo

–About 35 ft. long

–Made of poplar, probably painted white

–Retractable awning

–Flat bottom

TOOLS OF THE TRIP

Producing an accurate map was imperative. The compass was crucial to navigation and surveying

Beads were a primary currency of trade with the Indians. When the explorers ran out of beads, they used buttons cut from their coats

Lewis and Clark gave the Jefferson Peace Medal to Indian chiefs they met as a symbol of friendship from their new “chief” in Washington