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SS Christopher Columbus

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The S.S. Christopher Columbus was an excursion liner on the Great Lakes, in service between 1893 and 1936. She was the only whaleback ship ever built for passenger service. The ship was designed by Alexander McDougall, the developer and promoter of the whaleback design.

Columbus was built between 1892 and 1893 at Superior, Wisconsin by the American Steel Barge Company. Initially, she ferried passengers to and from the World's Columbian Exposition. Later, she provided a general and excursion service to various ports around the lakes.

At 362 feet (110 m), the ship was the longest whaleback ever built, and reportedly also the longest vessel on the lakes at the time of her launching.[1] Columbus is said to have carried more passengers during her career than any other vessel on the Great Lakes.[2] She was scrapped in 1936 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company at Manitowoc, Wisconsin.[3][4][2]

The first whalebacks

Main article: Whaleback

The history of the Columbus is linked with the history of the whalebacks, an innovative but not widely accepted ship design of the late 1880s, and of their designer, Alexander McDougall.

White livery

McDougall, a Scottish immigrant, Great Lakes captain, inventor,[5] and entrepreneur, developed the idea of the whaleback as a way to improve the ability of barges to follow a towing vessel in heavy seas.[6] Whalebacks were characterized by distinctive hull shapes with rounded tops, lacking conventional sides. Waves thus broke across their hulls with considerably less force than when striking a conventional hull. The cabins and other fittings were mounted on rounded turrets that water could flow round, giving a somewhat unusual appearance.[6]

McDougall's proposed barge and ship designs were received with considerable skepticism, resistance, and derision, some observers calling them "pig boats."[5] After he 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 SS Charles W. Wetmore to London, and starting another shipyard in Everett, Washington, which built the SS City of Everett.[7] When the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition was in the planning stages, McDougall recognized another opportunity to publicize his design. The Columbus, conceived as an elaborate ferry, was intended to demonstrate that the whaleback design would work in passenger service,[6][5] and would be able to travel at a "high rate of speed".[8][9][10] The ship's name honored the explorer Christopher Columbus as did much else of the World's Columbian Exposition, timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of his first voyage to the New World.[11]

Construction and initial operation at the Columbian Exposition

Hull under construction, showing turrets on which the decks are placed.

The Columbus was constructed at McDougall's American Steel Barge Company works in Superior, starting in the fall of 1892. The bottom, and hull framing, with 9 bulkheads, completed on September 13, 1892, were constructed first, then the six Scotch boilers[12] and the two triple-expansion steam engines were installed, followed by the rounded hull top and the six turrets. The ship was then launched, on December 3, 1892, after which two superstructure decks were added, mounted on the six relatively large (compared to whaleback freighter designs) turrets along the centerline of her hull,[6] which afforded access to her two internal decks in the hull and turrets. She was fitted out over the remainder of the winter of 1892 and the spring of 1893.

The Columbus was powered by two reciprocating triple-expansion steam engines.

To operate the ship, McDougall set up the Columbian Whaleback Steamship Company of Duluth, Minnesota. She was commissioned on May 13 1893. Her first captain was J. McArthur, who had captained other whalebacks for McDougall's firms, starting with the first powered whaleback, the Colgate Hoyt, built in 1890. McDougall was quoted as having said to McArthur, "There is your steamboat; take her down to Chicago and make a success of her."[13] McArthur did just that. Painted in all white livery, the Columbus made multiple trips per day, sailing from the Randolph Street dock to the Jackson Park, site of the World's Columbian Exposition's Beaux arts "White City" exposition fairgrounds, and back, a 6-mile (10 km) trip along the Lake Michigan shoreline. A contemporary souvenir booklet called her "the greatest marine wonder of its time".Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). The Goodrich Transit Line steamer Virginia (later the USS Blue Ridge) is said to have raced against her.[14]

The Columbus carried somewhere between 1.7 and 2.0 million passengers (sources differ) during the Exposition with only one fatality, a crew member.[13] In recognition of this success, the commissioners of the Exposition presented Captain McArthur with a gold watch engraved with a representation of the ship on the back. McArthur went on to captain other whalebacks, including the Frank Rockefeller (which became the SS Meteor, the last surviving whaleback).[13]

Regular service

A printed pass, signed by Alex McDougall as General Manager of the Columbian Whaleback Steamship Company.

After the exposition ended the Columbus entered passenger service, and had an additional (third superstructure, fifth total) deck added during the 1899–1900 winter season.[2] Despite the Columbus' success at the exposition, and McDougall's promotional efforts, the whaleback design never caught on. By 1900, the last whalebacks had been built in Superior: the Alexander McDougall, 1899 (the last powered ship), and the John Smeaton, the last whaleback barge. The American Steel Barge Company was sold to the American Ship Building Company, becoming their Superior Works, and switched to more conventional laker designs.[15]

Day trip advertisement, 1920s

In 1899 the Columbus was leased to and operated by the Goodrich Transit Line,[16][17][18][19] whose steamer Virginia had been a perennial racing rival.[20] She changed hands in 1905 to the Milwaukee & Chicago Transportation company – possibly a Goodrich holding company[4] – and again in 1909 to Goodrich Transit Line.[4] Her livery was at some point between 1906 and 1909 changed to a black hull with yellow accents, and she was placed in service on the route between Chicago and Milwaukee. The Columbus remained with the Goodrich line for a number of years. Although she did excursions elsewhere, her regular schedule was a daily trip to Milwaukee leaving Chicago mid-morning, sailing to Milwaukee for a two-hour stopover, and then returning (as the advertisment (pictured) illustrates). This brought a crowd of sightseers to Milwaukee every day.[21]

Columbus had at least three known accidents. In June 1895 she suffered an explosion caused by a steam pipe disconnection while under way.[22] Accounts differ, but some claim that this happened during a race with her rival, Virginia.[23] In July of 1905, she collided with the schooner Ralph Campbell in the Chicago river.[24] On 30 June 30 1917, she was involved in her most serious accident, a collision with a water tower. The collision happened in Milwaukee while tugs were maneuvering her to her dock. The Milwaukee River current caught her, spinning her sideways, and her bow sheared off two legs of the Yahr-Lang Drug Company's water tower, toppling it and flooding Columbus' decks with about 25,000 gallons of water. The collision killed 16 passengers and damaged her pilot house, taking her out of service for the rest of the year.[25][26]

The Columbus was one of the first ships to be fitted with an onboard radio, installed as early as 1909; she was allocated the call letters "KC".[27] Her radio was used to help rescue passengers (along with the Chicago) from the Goodrich liner City of Racine when the Racine was disabled off Waukegan, in Lake Michigan.[28]

Stability testing

In 1915, after the SS Eastland disaster, in which the Eastland tipped over while docked in the Chicago River with the loss of over 800 lives, the Columbus, along with other passenger ships, underwent stability testing. Even with 7,500 sandbags (simulating passengers) piled on one side, and tugboats pulling on her, she listed only 12 degrees.[29][30] In 1932–33 she was featured at the Century of Progress exhibition in Chicago.[5]

Disposition

The Columbus was taken out of service in 1933, and changed hands twice during the Great Depression, in 1933 and again in 1934.[4] She was scrapped in 1936 at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.[4]

Having carried so many passengers (some sources say over 2 million in total),[5][1] the SS Christopher Columbus was one of the most photographed passenger ships on the Great Lakes. Souvenir postcards of her are still widely available. One of her anchors (the design was patented by McDougall on February 3 1891)[31][32] is displayed at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Page 146". The World's Columbian Exposition: A Centennial Bibliographic Guide. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference sw1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference mh-scrap was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference bgsu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e "Remember the Whaleback Steamers". About the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) claims dozens of patents in several countries
  6. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference ah was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Charles W. Wetmore arrives". www.historylink.org Washington State online history encyclopedia. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "The Marine Record October 1, 1891". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  9. ^ Search the Maritime History of the Great Lakes site for all records related to the Columbus.
  10. ^ Wisconsin Maritime Historical Society directory of marine resources.
  11. ^ ""A gleaming City on the Lake"". Chicago Public Library Digital Collections. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  12. ^ "Scotch Boiler description". History of the Steamboat. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
  13. ^ a b c "Marine Captain's Biographies, Volume II - Captain J. McArthur". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  14. ^ "LCC 19 Blue Ridge - SP 2432 section". globalsecurity.org forces and ships information. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  15. ^ "The American Ship Building Company (Superior WI) record of ships built". Maritime Business Strategies, LLC aka Coltoncompany.com. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  16. ^ "Marine Captains Biographies Vol 2 - Captain A. E. Goodrich entry". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-10-16. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  17. ^ "Blue Book of American Shipping  : Marine and Naval Directory of the United States, 1903 , Cleveland, OH: Marine Review Publishing Co., 1903, page 160". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) Listing shows the Columbus as "owned or managed by" Goodrich
  18. ^ "Blue Book of American Shipping  : Marine and Naval Directory of the United States, 1903 , Cleveland, OH: Marine Review Publishing Co., 1903, page 412". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) Image of the Columbus in Goodrich livery
  19. ^ "Blue Book of American Shipping  : Marine and Naval Directory of the United States, 1903 , Cleveland, OH: Marine Review Publishing Co., 1903, page 426". Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) This advertisement features the same image as above.
  20. ^ "MINISTERS IN A STEAMBOAT RACE.; It Was on Lake Michigan and They Rejoiced Greatly to Win". Chicago Tribune, July 5, 1896 - from the New York Times archives. Retrieved 2007-10-15. Tells of another racing exploit in 1896
  21. ^ "Excerpts from "Bucket Boy" by Ernest L. Meyer, 1947". Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. : A Chronological History 1881-1907. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  22. ^ "Thirteen were Injured". The New York Times, June 24, 1895. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  23. ^ "Public Transportation and Sport Don't Mix - Especially with Steamboats". Blog post citing June 24 1895 Washington Post story on the explosion. Retrieved 2007-10-15. This blog cites the Washington Post archive of the story
  24. ^ A record of an accident with the schooner Ralph Campbell reported in the maritime press July 1905
  25. ^ "Damaged "Christopher Columbus" Cruise Vessel". Wisconsin Historical Society site. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  26. ^ "Ship hits water tower. (Milwaukee 1917)". Tower Accidents and other stories. Retrieved 2007-10-19. Note, the site gives "unknown" for the attribution, but partially the same text is found at boatnerd.com and gives "Great Lakes Ships We Remember" as a possible source
  27. ^ "Wireless Telegraph Stations of the World, September 1, 1909 edition [N5.2:M74/909]". Early Radio Station Lists Issued by the U.S. Government, from earlyradiohistory.us. Retrieved 2007-10-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) The 1908 edition does not show her having assigned call letters so the inference is that she did not have one then.
  28. ^ "Modern Electrics, September, 1910, page 315". Notable Achievements of wireless, from earlyradiohistory.us. Retrieved 2007-10-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  29. ^ "Redfield Halts Eastland Inquiry". New York Times August 6, 1915. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  30. ^ "SOME MARINE TERMINOLOGY - by John Duerkop". Research Resources - Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston. Retrieved 2007-10-19."Even with tugs trying to pull her over she hardly heeled" Quote attributed to (Ships and Sailing May’52)
  31. ^ "MCDOUGALL ANCHOR Object Description page". Mariners' Museum website, Collections section. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
  32. ^ "ANCHOR ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL". Google Patents page. Retrieved 2007-10-16.


External Links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to SS Christopher Columbus and World Columbian Exposition.
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