The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-03-09
ICE CRUsHERs.
Can he Made to Pierce Any Ice Field Say
Capt McGregor

Can BE Made to Pierce Any Ice Field Say S
Capt McGregor
| Capt. McGgegor gives his opinion of
ice cruShers. in q recent issue OF the
Detroit Evening News. Be says:
The public has often been led TO
behave that winter navigation is almost
impossible between certain points be-
cause OF impassasle ice fields. No such
leo iieids. however, exist, and proper in
vestigation will disclose the fact that no
such ice fields viii likely eyer exist to
prevent or even seriously hinder navi-
cation by properly constructed boat
running between certain lake ports.
Ny attention has been more especially
called TO such misrepresen tations in the
case of two boa:s navigating between
Frankfort, Mica. and Kcweenaw, Wis,
called Ann ArSos No. and Ann Aroor
No. 2. These boats were built In Toledo
IN 1892 by the Craig Shipbulding Co.
and were reputed 10 be the best boats
ever constructed for ice navigation.
Upon inquiry learned, however, that
they did not encounter as much ice dur
the entire wiater of 1892 and 1898 as did
the ST. Ignacs at Mackinac in tho same
year in one round trip Of t6 miles.
The press being 80 filed, how ever,
with reports of the trlbulations Of the
Apn Arbor ferries from Frankfort to
Keweenaw, Wis, and Menominee. Mich
being much interested in the study OF
marine architecture resolved to investi.
gate for mysolf. After careful nxamna-
tion, In justice TO the winter route from
Frankfort to Kewconaw or Mcnominee,
In Justice to the Ann Arbor Railway Co /,
and in justice to the property owners OF
Frankfort, caunot say less than that
the ice Rorges OF Frankfort have been
most gigantically misrepresented and
the ice-crushing qualities OF the Ann
Ar Dor STEAMBOATS, most hugely overesti-
mated.
TIE Ann Arbor No. recently caught
in the ice off Manistee was less than a
mile of shore when i visited her. Her
ice crusher was In good order, but the
hull Of the big ferry was $50 constructed
that the Ice crusher wheel could not dig
out any ice from the wiarow in front
and force 1t lang under the boat because
Of the depth Of the boat bolow the cur
rent Of the wheel. 1t could not force
the ice along by the bilge and side Of
the boat because of the fat bottom and
low, short turned bilges aud the long
straight side, which presented too much
rer;stence for the force OF the wheel to
overcome.
Ice in which the Ann Arbor would be
helpless would hardly detain the famous
ice breaker st. Marie OF Mackinac more
than thirty inmates Of her run from
Mackinac to ST. Ignare.
1t is mechanical impossibillty to com
bine In one boat oil the qualities OF
great carrying capacity. great ice-crush-
ing powers. superior seayo!ng qualities
and lisht draft IN one hull.
The steamers Anu Arbor Nos. | and
seems to be failures as Ice nsviga,ors. !
They are failures as to strength. and
consequently short-lived. But they are
successes as great carriers aud shoal
water Davigators.
Every psit OF the water line OF n suc-
cessfnl lce-breaksr must meet thu Ice
obliquely. The curved sides ard .ud OF
a boat willseasily force the Ice under
meath her, but the straight wall sides OF !
a boat will not easily force miles OF au
Ice field asunder.