104 (barge)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''104'' (also known as ''Barge 104'', or ''No.104'') was an American
whaleback A whaleback was a type of cargo steamship of unusual design, with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from vertical to horizontal. When fully loaded, only the rounded portion of the hull (the "whaleback" proper) could be seen a ...
barge in service between 1890 and 1898. The fourth whaleback constructed, she was built between October 1889 and February 1890, in
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
by
Alexander McDougall Alexander McDougall (1732 9 June 1786) was a Scottish-born American seaman, merchant, a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution, and a military leader during the Revolutionary War. He served as a maj ...
's American Steel Barge Company, for McDougall's fleet of the same name, based in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. 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 freighter Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carriers operating on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Freighters typically have a long, narrow hull, a raised pilothouse, and the ...
s. ''104'' entered service on April 21, hauling
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
from
Two Harbors, Minnesota Two Harbors is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 61 serves as a main route i ...
. On November 10, 1898, while being towed out of Cleveland harbour with a cargo of
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
bound for Duluth, she broke away from the tug ''Alva B.'' ''104'' crashed into Cleveland's west
breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * ...
. She sank quickly, with her crew being rescued by the Cleveland
United States Life-Saving Service The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian eff ...
. ''104'' was a total loss, becoming the first whaleback to be lost on the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
.


History


Background

''104'' was a whaleback, an innovative but not widely accepted ship design of the late 1880s, designed by
Alexander McDougall Alexander McDougall (1732 9 June 1786) was a Scottish-born American seaman, merchant, a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution, and a military leader during the Revolutionary War. He served as a maj ...
. A
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
, Great Lakes
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
, inventor and entrepreneur, McDougall developed the idea of the whaleback as a way to improve the ability of
barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
s to follow a towing vessel in heavy seas. Whalebacks were characterized by distinctive
hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...
shapes with rounded tops, lacking conventional vertical sides, and
conoidal In geometry, a conical surface is an unbounded surface in three-dimensional space formed from the union of infinite lines that pass through a fixed point and a space curve. Definitions A (''general'') conical surface is the unbounded surface f ...
ends. Their rounded hulls enabled water to easily slide off their decks, minimising friction, and letting them sail quickly and smoothly through the water. Their superstructure was located on turrets mounted on the main deck. The rounded contours of whalebacks gave them an unconventional appearance, and McDougall's ship and barge designs were received with considerable skepticism, resistance, and derision. As they had porcine-looking snouts for bows, some observers called them "pig boats". After McDougall was unable to persuade existing shipbuilders to try his designs, he founded the American Steel Barge Company in
Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...
in 1888, and built them himself. McDougall actively promoted his design and company by sending the steamer ''Charles W. Wetmore'' to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, and starting another shipyard in
Everett, Washington Everett (; ) is the county seat and most populous city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the Seattle metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett ...
, which built the steamer ''City of Everett''. 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.


Design and construction

''104'' (also known as ''Barge 104'', or ''No.104'') was constructed between October 1889 and February 1890 in
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
by the American Steel Barge Company. Her first hull frames were laid down on October 23, 1889. ''104'' was launched on February 6, 1890, becoming the fourth whaleback built by Alexander McDougall's company. ''104'' was identical to ''105'' and ''107'', launched in April 1890 in Duluth, and August 1890 in
Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...
, respectively. She had an
overall length The overall length (OAL) of an ammunition cartridge is a measurement from the base of the brass shell casing to the tip of the bullet, seated into the brass casing. Cartridge overall length, or "COL", is important to safe functioning of reloads i ...
of (
length between perpendiculars Length between perpendiculars (often abbreviated as p/p, p.p., pp, LPP, LBP or Length BPP) is the length of a ship along the summer load line from the forward surface of the stem, or main bow perpendicular member, to the after surface of the ste ...
of or ). Her hull was (or ) wide, and (or ) deep. ''104'' had a
gross tonnage Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weig ...
of 1,295 (or 1,295.44, tons) tons, and a
net tonnage Net tonnage (NT, N.T. or nt) is a dimensionless index calculated from the total moulded volume of the ship's cargo spaces by using a mathematical formula. Defined in ''The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships'' that was adopte ...
of 1,230 (some sources state 1,230.69, or 1,231) tons. She had a cargo carrying capacity of 3,300 tons. ''104'' was an unrigged
barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
, and was towed by a steam-powered ship.


Service history

''104'' was built by the American Steel Barge Company for the fleet of the same name based in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. She was enrolled in
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
, on April 12, 1890, and was given the US official number #53257. Her home port was Buffalo. ''104'' entered service on April 21, carrying
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
from
Two Harbors, Minnesota Two Harbors is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 61 serves as a main route i ...
. In 1895, management of the American Steel Barge Company fleet was taken over by Pickands Mather & Company of
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
. On April 24, 1896, while upbound, in tow of the whaleback freighter ''A.D. Thompson'' in the
Detroit River The Detroit River is an List of international river borders, international river in North America. The river, which forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ont ...
near a
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
dock in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, ''104'' was struck amidships, near the
waterline The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. A waterline can also refer to any line on a ship's hull that is parallel to the water's surface when the ship is afloat in a level trimmed position. Hence, wate ...
by the wooden bulk freighter ''Philip Minch''. ''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. However, as the two vessels entered
Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair () is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day they first saw the lake. ...
, ''104''s pumps could no longer keep up with the influx of water, causing her to sink into (or ) of water. The wrecking tug ''Saginaw'', equipped with a steam pump, was immediately dispatched to pump ''104'' dry. 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. ''104'' and ''134'' were found to be aground in of water, embedded in sand and intact. They were released by ''James B. Colgate'' and the tugs ''B.B. Inman'' and ''J.W. Ward''.


Final voyage

Late in the evening on November 10, 1898, ''104'', with 7 crewmen on board, was being towed out of Cleveland harbour by the tug ''Alva B.'' in a heavy storm. She was loaded with a cargo of
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
bound for
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
. Due to the heavy seas, ''104'' broke away from ''Alva B.'', and crashed into Cleveland's west breakwater, approximately northwest of the Cleveland
United States Life-Saving Service The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian eff ...
. After pounding against the breakwater, ''104'' rapidly sank. Cleveland United States Life-Saving Service were notified of ''104''s situation, arriving at the scene with a lifeboat. The poor weather prevented the rescuers from throwing a line to ''104''. Instead, they maneuvered their life boat inside the breakwater. Using ropes and heaving sticks, the rescuers managed to remove ''104''s crew, and put them on the breakwater. There were no injuries, or loss of life in the wreck. ''104''s enrollment surrendered on January 14, 1899, in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. An article published on November 14, in
The Times Herald ''The Times Herald'' is a daily newspaper in Port Huron, Michigan. The newspaper, owned by Gannett, is the only daily paper serving St. Clair County, Michigan as well as parts of Sanilac County, Michigan, Sanilac and Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...
of
Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Po ...
reported that ''104'' had already broken up. She was a total loss, becoming the first whaleback to be lost on the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
.


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * Google books has images of those pages in the chapter entitle
''The Turret Steamship''"> ''The Turret Steamship''
* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:104, barge 1890 ships Ships built in Duluth, Minnesota Maritime incidents in 1896 Maritime incidents in 1898 Whaleback ships Shipwrecks of Lake Erie Merchant ships of the United States Barges of the United States Shipwrecks of the Ohio coast Ships sunk in storms