The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-08-01
ReyolutIOnizing Traffic.

The Boston Journal in speakin of the
Wetmore's recent trip from Superior
to Liverpool with a cargo of wheat,
has this to say:
Cable dispatches announcing the ar
rival of the American ''whaleback"
steamer Charles w. WetmOre at Liver
pool Yesterday, and describe the amaze
ment of the Englishmen at this latest
fruit of Yankee ingenuity. The
Wetmore was built in the heart of the
continent away out in Wisconsin.
That is queer state for trans-atlan-
tic cargo to hail from, and perhaps it
is not strange that this and the YES
selsqueer appearance and method of
construction should excite the lively
curiosity of Liverpool seafaring men.
In fact, probably not one native Amer
lean in ten thousand ever heard of this
odd craft and its peculiar history.
Whalebacks, as they are called, are
essentially a product of our inland
ocean A few have been constructed
on the Atlantic seaboard, but they
were originated on the unsalted seas.
Capt. McDougal, lake navigator, IS
the inventor. and his shipyards at
West superior, Wis, employs thOuS-
and workmen, and has launched a large
fleet of whalebacks, steamers as well
as barges, for the lake trade. These
vessels are cigar Supplemented. in
fact, largely after lCapt. Neino's
famous Nautilus, as described in Jules
Verne's facinating story. They are
built of steele. and, when loaded, lie
sloaping deck, with superstructures
near the bow and stearn. The matches
are tightly sealed, and the waves can
wash freely over the craft amidShipS
without doing an injury to it. Two or
three barges of this pattern are Occas
ionally seen IL Boston harbOr, whittier
they bring cargoes of coal from Balti-
more, and a steamer of the same model
was sent through this spring and has
also engaged in the same business.
But the voyage of the Wetmore to
Liverpool Is the "whalebackS most
notable achievement. With a cargoe
of $4,000 BUSHELS of grain the Wet
more came down the great lakes, pass
ed through the canals to the st. Law
renee river and reached Quebec on
July D. Thence it sailed on its eXper-
mental voyage across the Atlantic.
Pleasant weather was encountered,
and the odd craft reached Liverpool
after passage that was no longer
that OF many cargo carrying stamers
of the ordinary type. The Wetmore
so it Is announced, is to be employed
regularly in deep water voyaging. 1t
will proceed from Liverpool to New
York, and there will receive cargo
of machinery for Puget Sound, where
a whaleback shipyard is to be estab-
lished. The long voyage around Cape
Horn, it is expected, will be completed
some time in November
The safe arrival of the whaleback at
Liverpool, therefore is maratime
event of no little significance. OF
course this novel type of sea-going
craft is still in its experimental stages
and no extravigant expectations should
be entertained of it. But it is IN the
bounds of possibility that the whale
back may eventually revolutionize ma
rine construction and restore the lost
Ocean CARRYING business to American
hands. That is what Capt McDougall
and his friends are confidently predict
ing. But what will our Maine and
Massachusetts, shipbuilders say to
learning lessons in their trade from
" isconsin.