A century-old riverboat-turned-casino that folded under withering competition from the St. Louis region's growing array of gambling sites is headed to a scrapyard, piece by piece.
Crews are dismantling the S.S. Admiral along the Mississippi River at St. Louis, months after a would-be auction failed to attract what the owner considered serious bids for the vessel.
Gateway Marine Services' Bill Kline tells the Belleville News-Democrat that a half dozen of his company's workers are using saws, torches and other tools to pick the Admiral apart.
A fire also broke out on the vessel back in January.
Until last summer, the Admiral was The President Casino. The President was one of the first casinos after Missouri legalized casino gambling in 1993, but the vessel became by far the St. Louis region's smallest casino and was hampered by its age, size and location.
