What is a “grasshopper” on a steamboat?
This term refers to the spars on either side of the steamboat bow (front deck). These spars were used, via ropes and pulleys, to help the boat get free from sandbars and obstacles in the river. Ropes from the spars were wrapped around a capstan in the center of the bow. A motor spun the capstan, thus tightening the ropes and driving the spars into the sand bar. By lifting the boat even a few inches, the paddlewheel could then spin in reverse to send more water under the boat. This was done repeatedly as the boat crawled over the shallows. The action of the spars resembled the back legs of a grasshopper when being used–hence the name “grasshopper.” These were essential equipment on any steamboat on the Upper Missouri.
