104 (barge)

American whaleback barge February 2021 Barge 104.jpg 104 before she sank United States 60px Buffalo, New York, United States 104 Her hull number * American Steel Barge Company of Buffalo, New York American Steel Barge Company of Duluth, Minnesota 104 October 23, 1889 February 6, 1890 Registry number US  53257 April 21, 1890 November 10, 1898 Sank on Lake Erie after striking the West Breakwater in Cleveland, Ohio Whaleback barge * 1,295 gross tons *1,230 net tons * 288 ft m 1 LOA * 276.5 ft m 1 LBP 36.1 ft m 1 18.9 ft m 1 3,300 tons Towed by a steamship 7 104 (also known as Barge 104,Zoss 2007 26 or No.104Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) 1896) was an American whaleback barge in service between 1890 and 1898. The fourth whaleback constructed, she was built between October 1889 and February 1890, in Duluth, Minnesota by Alexander McDougall's American Steel Barge Company, for McDougall's fleet of the same name, based in Buffalo, New York. She was a whaleback, a class of distinctive, experimental ship designed and built by McDougall. The whalebacks were designed to be more stable in high seas. They had rounded decks, and lacked the normal straight sides seen on traditional lake freighters. 104 entered service on April 21, hauling iron ore from Two Harbors, Minnesota. On November 10, 1898, while being towed out of Cleveland harbour with a cargo of coal bound for Duluth, she broke away from the tug Alva B. 104 crashed into Cleveland's west breakwater. She sank quickly, with her crew being rescued by the Cleveland United States Life-Saving Service. 104 was a total loss, becoming the first whaleback to be lost on the Great Lakes. History Background Whaleback 104 was a whaleback, an innovative but not widely accepted ship design of the late 1880s, designed by Alexander McDougall. A Scottish immigrant, Great Lakes captain, inventorAbout the Great Lakes 2007 and entrepreneur, McDougall developed the idea of the whaleback as a way to improve the ability of barges to follow a towing vessel in heavy seas.Ebeling 2001 Whalebacks were characterized by distinctive hull shapes with rounded tops, lacking conventional vertical sides, and conoidal ends.Minnesota Historical Society 2008 Their rounded hulls enabled water to easily slide off their decks, minimising friction, and letting them sail quickly and smoothly through the water.Ebeling 2001 Their superstructure was located on turrets mounted on the main deck.Minnesota Historical Society 2008 The rounded contours of whalebacks gave them an unconventional appearance,Ebeling 2001 and McDougall's ship and barge designs were received with considerable skepticism, resistance, and derision.Ebeling 2001Croil 1998 As they had porcine-looking snouts for bows, some observers called them "pig boats".Croil 1998Duerkop 2007 After McDougall was unable to persuade existing shipbuilders to try his designs, he founded the American Steel Barge Company in Superior, Wisconsin in 1888, and built them himself. McDougall actively promoted his design and company by sending the steamer Charles W. Wetmore to London, and starting another shipyard in Everett, Washington, which built the steamer City of Everett.Oakley 2005 Despite McDougall's further efforts to promote the design with the excursion liner Christopher Columbus, whalebacks never caught on, with only 44 of them being built.About the Great Lakes 2007Ebeling 2001Leonard 1983 Design and construction right horizontal Drawings of 104 published in the Scientific American on July 4, 1891Scientific American 1891 left/right/center right Barge 104 on the ways.jpg 147 104 on the ways Barge 104 launch.jpg 147 Launch of 104 Barge 104 at a dock.jpg 147 104 at a dock 104 (also known as Barge 104,Zoss 2007 26 or No.104Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) 1896) was constructed between October 1889 and February 1890Berry (1) 2021 in Duluth, Minnesota by the American Steel Barge Company.Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 Her first hull frames were laid down on October 23, 1889.Berry (1) 2021 104 was launched on February 6, 1890,Zoss 2007 26Berry (1) 2021Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1890 becoming the fourth whaleback built by Alexander McDougall's company.Zoss 2007 26 104 was identical to 105 and 107, launched in April 1890 in Duluth,Berry (2) 2021Bowling Green State University (2) 2021 and August 1890 in Superior, Wisconsin, respectively.Berry (3) 2021Bowling Green State University (3) 2021 She had an overall length of 288 ft m 1 (length between perpendiculars of 276.5 ft m 1 or 276 ft m 1).Berry (1) 2021Swayze 2001Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 Her hull was 36.1 ft m 1 (or 36 ft m 1Berry (1) 2021Swayze 2001) wide,Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 and 18.9 ft m 1 (or 19 ft m 1Swayze 2001) deep. 104 had a gross tonnage of 1,295 (or 1,295.44, tonsAlpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2021) tons, and a net tonnage of 1,230 (some sources state 1,230.69,Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2021 or 1,231Swayze 2001) tons. She had a cargo carrying capacity of 3,300 tons.Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2021 104 was an unrigged barge, and was towed by a steam-powered ship.Swayze 2001 Service history 147px|thumb|left|104 from a different angle 104 was built by the American Steel Barge Company for the fleet of the same name based in Buffalo, New York.Berry (1) 2021Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 She was enrolled in Duluth, Minnesota, on April 12, 1890, and was given the US official number #53257.Berry (1) 2021Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 Her home port was Buffalo. 104 entered service on April 21, carrying iron ore from Two Harbors, Minnesota.Berry (1) 2021 In 1895, management of the American Steel Barge Company fleet was taken over by Pickands Mather & Company of Cleveland, Ohio.Toronto Marine Historical Society 2000 9 On April 24, 1896, while upbound, in tow of the whaleback freighter A.D. Thompson in the Detroit River near a coal dock in Detroit, Michigan, 104 was struck amidships, near the waterline by the wooden bulk freighter Philip Minch.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1) 1896 A.D. Thompson and 104 proceeded up the Detroit River, as 104 did not immediately begin to fill with water, and her pumps kept her dry.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1) 1896 However, as the two vessels entered Lake St. Clair, 104s pumps could no longer keep up with the influx of water, causing her to sink into 16 ft m 1 (or 17 ft m 1Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2021) of water.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1) 1896 The wrecking tug Saginaw, equipped with a steam pump, was immediately dispatched to pump 104 dry.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1) 1896 On June 8, 1896, 104 and the whaleback barge 134 broke away from the whaleback freighter James B. Colgate in a storm. As neither of them had enough time to drop anchors in order to avoid grounding, both of them ran aground on Chequamegon Point.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) 1896 104 and 134 were found to be aground in 2 ft m 1 of water, embedded in sand and intact.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) 1896 They were released by James B. Colgate and the tugs B.B. Inman and J.W. Ward.Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) 1896Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2) 2021Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (3) 2021 Final voyage Late in the evening on November 10, 1898, 104, with 7 crewmen on board,Bowling Green State University (1) 2021Swayze 2001 was being towed out of Cleveland harbour by the tug Alva B. in a heavy storm. She was loaded with a cargo of coal bound for Duluth, Minnesota.Zoss 2007 26Swayze 2001 Due to the heavy seas, 104 broke away from Alva B., and crashed into Cleveland's west breakwater, approximately 0.5 mi km 1 northwest of the Cleveland United States Life-Saving Service.Zoss 2007 26Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 After pounding against the breakwater, 104 rapidly sank.Swayze 2001Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1898 Cleveland United States Life-Saving Service were notified of 104s situation, arriving at the scene with a lifeboat.Zoss 2007 26 The poor weather prevented the rescuers from throwing a line to 104.Zoss 2007 26 Instead, they maneuvered their life boat inside the breakwater. Using ropes and heaving sticks, the rescuers managed to remove 104s crew, and put them on the breakwater.Zoss 2007 26 There were no injuries, or loss of life in the wreck.Zoss 2007 26Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 104s enrollment surrendered on January 14, 1899, in Buffalo, New York.Berry (1) 2021Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 An article published on November 14, in The Times Herald of Port Huron, Michigan reported that 104 had already broken up.Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1898 She was a total loss, becoming the first whaleback to be lost on the Great Lakes.Leonard 1983In total, eight whalebacks wrecked on the Great Lakes. Four of them 104, 115, Sagamore and 129 were barges, while a further four, Thomas Wilson, James B. Colgate, Clifton and Henry Cort were steam powered.Leonard 1983 Note Notes upper-alpha References 30em Sources 30em About the Great Lakes 2007 Remember the Whaleback Steamers http://www.abouthegreatlakes.com/whale.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20071005170240/http://www.abouthegreatlakes.com/whale.htm January 25, 2021 October 5, 2007 About the Great Lakes Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (1) 2021 104 (1890, Barge) https://greatlakeships.org/2899767/data?n=1 February 19, 2021 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Alpena, Michigan Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (2) 2021 Ward, J.W. (1891, Tug (Towboat)) https://greatlakeships.org/2907025/data?n=16 February 19, 2021 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Alpena, Michigan Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library (3) 2021 Inman, B.B. (1892, Tug (Towboat)) https://greatlakeships.org/2892859/data?n=1 February 19, 2021 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Alpena, Michigan Berry (1) Sterling 2021 104 https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/numbers/104-2 February 17, 2021 Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry Detroit, Michigan Berry (2) Sterling 2021 105 https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/numbers/105-2 February 17, 2021 Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry Detroit, Michigan Berry (3) Sterling 2021 107 https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/numbers/107-2 February 17, 2021 Great Lakes Vessel Histories of Sterling Berry Detroit, Michigan Bowling Green State University (1) 2021 0104 https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/441018 February 17, 2021 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green State University (2) 2021 0105 https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/441019 February 17, 2021 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green State University (3) 2021 0107 https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/441020 February 17, 2021 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio Croil James 1998 Steam Navigation and Its Relation to the Commerce of Canada and the United States https://archive.org/details/cihm_02131 Montreal News Company Toronto, Ontario January 25, 2021 1082014 362–64 Google books has images of those pages in the chapter entitled The Turret Steamship Duerkop John 2007 Some Marine Terminology http://www.marmuseum.ca/duerkop.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080311063134/http://www.marmuseum.ca/duerkop.html January 25, 2021 March 11, 2008 Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston Research Resources (definition 65, "Whaleback" Kingston, Ontario Ebeling Charles W. You Call That Damn Thing a Boat? http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2001/2/2001_2_24_print.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20070929121045/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2001/2/2001_2_24_print.shtml January 25, 2021 September 29, 2007 American Heritage of Invention & Technology American Heritage Publishing 17 2 2001 8756-7296 11638224 Leonard John 1983 A Whaleback Quiz https://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca//documents/scanner/15/06/default.asp?ID=s006 January 26, 2021 Toronto Marine Historical Society Toronto, Ontario Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1890 104 (Barge), U53257, 8 Feb 1890 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/32322/data?n=5 February 17, 2021 Maritime History of the Great Lakes Ontario, Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes (1) 1896 104 (Barge), U53257, sunk by collision, 24 Apr 1896 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/62137/data?n=6 February 17, 2021 Maritime History of the Great Lakes Ontario, Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes (2) 1896 No. 104 (Barge), U53257, aground, 8 Jun 1896 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/53252/data?n=1 February 17, 2021 Maritime History of the Great Lakes Ontario, Canada Maritime History of the Great Lakes 1898 No. 104 (Barge), U53257, aground, 10 Nov 1898 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/61661/data?n=8 February 17, 2021 Maritime History of the Great Lakes Ontario, Canada Minnesota Historical Society 2008 Thomas Wilson - Whaleback freighters https://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/wilson/wilwf.php January 26, 2021 Minnesota Historical Society Saint Paul, Minnesota Oakley Janet 2005 Charles W. Wetmore arrives http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7362 January 25, 2021 Washington State online history encyclopedia Washington, United States Scientific American 1891 The McDougall Steel Whaleback Vessel https://c7.alamy.com/comp/2ABX7MA/a-weekly-journal-of-practical-information-art-science-mechanics-chemistry-and-manufactures-whaleback-steel-merchant-barges-scientific-american-1891-07-04-2ABX7MA.jpg February 19, 2021 Scientific American Alamy New York City Swayze David 2001 Great Lakes Shipwrecks - B http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/b.htm January 25, 2021 Boatnerd Port Huron, Michigan January 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210127233718/http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/b.htm dead Toronto Marine Historical Society 2000 Ship of the Month No.260 https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/page.asp?ID=115949&po=8 February 6, 2021 Toronto Marine Historical Society Toronto, Ontario Zoss Neel R. McDougall's Great Lakes Whalebacks https://books.google.com/books?id=snP9T7QYs1oC&q=%22Barge+104%22&pg=PA43 2007 February 6, 2021 Arcadia Publishing Charleston, South Carolina 978-0-7385-5143-2 History United States 41 30 16 N 81 43 21 W title Category:1890 ships Category:Ships built in Duluth, Minnesota Category:Maritime incidents in 1896 Category:Maritime incidents in 1898 Category:Whaleback ships Category:Shipwrecks of Lake Erie Category:Merchant ships of the United States Category:Barges of the United States Category:Shipwrecks of the Ohio coast Category:Ships sunk in storms