Paddle steamers are ships that are driven by a large paddle wheel present on the side or at the rear of the ship. The wheels get their energy from a steam engine, which was fired with coal in earlier times. The ship is pushed forward when the blades of the wheel dip in water and shovel it backwards. Such paddle steamers are seen mainly on River Mississippi, which is very shallow at places. A flat, box-shaped hull is ideal for the river steamers because the blades need to dip in water partially, making it ideal for the Mississippi.e after the other.