The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-11-22


\ person meeting the captain Will
inVari;:il.- he impressed with bis strong
ind ysdii;.l.ty and great force OIL char
acter. lie IS a man of powerful ha.li
and a c, ast less worker. The mind
that conceived the humble wilaleback
still thinks uron new and greater pos
sib...tieS in the great field OF shipbutid.
ing lie has scared repeated triumphs,
bit is SIT listed that he will successfully
enter new department III vssstl con
etruction at 10 distant day Capt
McDoug..li is an exceedingly modest
character. AMI VIII k he would not be
human if lie did not expect to get
credit for his work, he Is the last man
to put himself forward in this light.
Alexander McDougall WAS one Of a
family Of five ch | iran living on the
j. .nd OF Islay.Awh ca i located on the
west coast of Seotlani, and which is Il
part of the Ii g':lanis of Scotlind. It
was on the banks of the Glide that II :
then boy vessel builder and lnven o:
first became interested III the char:C-
ter Of work that III after years was
destined to make him famous and
W ,altliy The McDougdll family
moved to Amcricl where the father
soon afterward died, leaving the CHI
dren in destitute circumstances.
Alex. and one of his brothers, though
only about fourteen years of age, be
cam supporters Of their mother ana
Younger members of the family. Fer
i've years the LIDS stood bravely to the
work of supporting themselves and tile
household Alex. at the age Of four
teen started out rs farm hand, but
finding that the llb3r was not remun-
hIt RI al
better en- his own and his mothers
account, learned the trade of making
edged tools. which opened the way for
better end much needed wages and the
KIN IVY ledge of which proved of great
value i'll after years.
lie spcnt two ye-..,,,; q / this work and
IN 1851 ommenced sailing. His hrSt
position on a vessel w.s in the capacity
Of second porter on the steamer Edith,
running between Buffalo and Chic igo.
lie loved vessels and loved to study
their parts lie he'd vague dreams OF
WhGt lie Iai.ht himself accomplish
sonlc Gdg in vessel construction, but
did not think Of it seriously until about
twelve wears ago. III the meantime lie
was constantly at work on models of
something new in vessel shapes. Alex.
McDoagaIl secured the title of cap
tain when lie became master of the
steamer 4. Scott. in which lie remained
several years. The captain refers to
the memory of this vessel with fesl
ing Of tenderness She WAS lost en-
lake erie ana her ribs have been drift
wood for many years. I was III the
early siXt eS that the steamers India,
China and Japan were built to operate
bet Duluth and Buffalo and were
known as the Atlantic, Du!utll q Pa
cite Steamship company. They were
bu X to run in connection with the
st. Pa;.l & DGl Ith Railway. Capt.
McDougall was made captain of the
Japan. but the writer is DEPRESSING
Capt. McIoIgall previous to this was
also c&p,a n OF the ST, amer Iron City
and i'll her mada his first trip to the
Head Of the Lake. lie was twenty one
wears of age upon that occasion and 1t
WAS the summer of 1S66. The vessel
landed at Connor' 5 Point.
/ Can't. MtDougall bought out the
steamer japan and was her master
for six years. The vessel ran to Dnlath
/ fer two years after having been brought
DAT and then for long time ran to
/ Chicago during the period OF depres-
! sion at that point. Capt. NcDougall
!. Ill sailed III the steamer 1ronSides,
I Illinois and Meteor, between 1868 and
! 1863 They were All first class boats of
! their time, but would be mean dcs-
/ pissed crafts at present They have
all passed in their chips, said the
: captain thoughtfully, ''and many a
I good fellow whose name IS suggested
+ hy theirs has gone too. | Will always
| their remembrancc." Cart. Mcffso OF :
all was also master of The steamer
! City Of Du'u'h, and sailed between the
] head of the lakes III different vessels
I IN the capacity of captain for eleven
! years. During all these years the
restless brain OF the captain WAS ut
! work upon Il variety Of subjects rela
| tive to vessel building that eventually
! resulted in the steel whalebacks of the
present. It WAS i'll 1872 that he first
conceived the idea Of Mhaleback
model.
The capt lin was sent to England in
1871 by a syndicate of vessel builders
to gather ideas i'll regard to iron yes
sci building and spent considerable
time there lie obtained ideas that
proved of value and interest that were
suggested by what lie saw in England.
Speaking OF the tire when he first
became impressed with the idea of the
wlMlaback vessel, the captain said:
II was standing in the office of the
Lake Anchor line i'll Milwaukee,
think 1t WAS in 1874, when my thoughts
wandered off onto this subject. 1t
/! WAS during a period of depressed
freight. | knew that correct ideas
that could Plan vessel Of cheap but
! strong construction and that could
transport a great am3un. of freigh.
cheal Is, where in demand My first
scheme Was to build Il tow of the
whalehack or cig2r shaped pattern,
became engross9d with my ideas and
caused mode Is to lie made. The whale
back was my day dream ana it did not
always forSake me at night. | cJnlia-
ed my scheme TO Il few of my more
intimate friends. They listened at
I tently9ls, but caJld not disguise their
lncradualty of the validity OF the plan.
If | had been less obstinate and
firm than was | should have never
! realized what have. | continued To
nsakA what | thought We're original
plans. kept developing them unit Il
Il last | became satisfied that / WAS
right. and, rs Dayy Crockett would
put il, WAS ready to 90 ahead. But to
go ahead even at that stage of the
game was even more difficult than to
l,lan the boats. After becoming a
resident of Duluth reserved the attic
of my house for models and general
workshop, whore could carry on my
work on the quiet, Ny principal idea
in doing the work in secret WAS 50 that
III case al failHre, | would not he ex-
posed IL the shafts OF ridicule that |
knew would be sent in my direction.
Enough We're sent as ii was. | had u
small tank Of water in the attic upon
which used 10 float miniature yessvlS
ana cargoes.
Il finally secured assistance from
Capt, Thomas Wilson, OF Cleveland,
and a. u. Thompson, Of Duluth. aad
between us we built the lol. | put