Seizer was a wooden-hulled, stern-wheel steamship that served as the first snagboat for the United States Army Corps of Engineers on the Sacramento River.
Seizer was a stern-wheeled, shallow draft steamship ordered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers) to serve as the first snagboat on the Sacramento, the Mokelumne, and the San Joaquin Rivers.[1] She was built in Stockton, California in 1881 and outfitted with a wood-fueled steam boiler which enabled her to cruise at a speed of 6-7 knots.[1] The ship was painted white with a red line and a mahogany smoke stake.[1] She was captained by Captain "Rush" Fisher of Missouri and carried a crew of 33 men.[1] The crew included divers from Hawaii who were able swimmers and capable of entering the muddy waters to attach chains to sunken trees.[1] [2] In 1895, she overhauled and fitted to burn coal.[1] By 1919, she was using oil as a fuel.[1] In 1908 she was joined by a snag scow, Tackle (30 GRT, 64 x 28 x 3.5), which was designed to operate in much shallower waters.[3] [4] She retired in 1921 after the completion of her replacement, Bear (242 GRT), and was converted into a quarter boat.[5] Her steam engine was utilized in the snagboat Yuba (410 GRT) built in 1925.[6]
The National Magazine of Shipping, Volume 21
. 1924.