New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
WHALEBACkS.


wHALEBACKs.
Tho announcement that Captain Alexander
McDoucall. OF West Superior, has been in "ash-
tnrton in conference with the officers or 'he
War Denartrncnt regarding the use OF his whale
hack propellers in the Navy, again calls atteh-
t,on 70 q most interesting craft. Ten years ago.
vhcn these strange boats were first put OUT there
has much talk Of a revolution that would soon
follow in the form Of lake and ocean carriers
,n,ch in fact as there had been nearly forty
wears ago when Mr. Winans had cigar-shaped
Noat huilt for him in baltimore. The latter yes
-, was = failure. and the McDougall craft has
not worked a revolution. But they are Goou
boats. and FIJI an important place in the lake
1ervicc.
, CAPTAIN McDougall, the inventor Of the whale
back. has been associated with the lakes al MS
life A score Of years ago he was master Of one
Of the Anchor Line boats running between lake
ports. and then for few years he was IN the
freight business in Duluth The whaleback boat
had long been in his mind. though not IN us
nrcsent perfected form. Originally the Captain
intended to build simply long. slender boats OF
steel cylindrical in form and pointed at 'he
ends They were to be without steering aipa-
ratus. and to be lowed. as, for instance, Ios
would be towed. In fact. they may be likcned III
their original form to great hollow logs OF steel
The plan appeared feasible. but 1t was soon
learned that insurance men regarded the pro
posed boats with Gstrust. on account of the lack
Of steering apparatus. and would not issue IN
rurancc. 1t was then impossible, Of course To
get cargoes. and the plan had to be abandoned
But there was an easy way out Of the difficulty
and Captain McDougall Immediately designed Il
boat with ruddcr This was the simple eVoiu-
ton OF the whaleback tow-barge, OF when there
are thirty or forty on the lakes to-day II was
then but an easy and natural step 10 the "iiae
back propeller.
About the middle Of the eighties Captain NC
DouCan succeeded In forming company u
build his boats II was named the American
steel Barge Company. and the captain was
manager The yards were first establlSheu III
Duluth and it was there that the Nrst "iiaie-
back was launched. Later the yards were
moved to West Superior where they now are
1t is interesting to note In this connection t'a'
the plant Of the company comprises furnaces
etc. and that all the steel used in the building
Of its vessels is made on the ground from Lake
Superior iron ore.
THE FIRST OF THE WHALERACkS.
The first boat of the fleet 10 be launched was
the tow-barge No 1O1. which was built In the
yummcr Of 1888 She was of 431 tons registry
xnd 400 tons carrying capacity. thus being no'
more than one-half the size OF the average
aleback launched thereafter. This poor crait
JAS ridiculed by nearly all lakernen. who al
once called her a "pig'-a name that has clung
to her kind to this day. But az she cost only
$4,000 and netted the company nearly twice
that amount In the following two years the ridi-
Guile was easily borne.
few other barges were built and the com
pany then advanced to test the practicabilty OF
the whaleback propeller. The first Of these craft
was the Colgate Hoyt named In honor OF the
president OF the company. which was bult IN
the winter OF 1SS9-'9O She Is about 2G0 feet
long, Is Of COS tons registry and 300 tons
carving capacity. She met all expectations and
Is still IN commission. performing excellent ser
vice The Colgate Uoyt paved the way for
other steam whalebacks. and In November.
1890 the second propeller was launched, the
Joseuh /. Colgate, to be followed in turn by
,thcrs.
All the whalebacks are OF steel and built after
me design-long and slender, with rounded
iecks, approximately fiat bottom and pointed
snds They are planned to allow practically q
tlear sweep Of the waves from stem to stern.
and there Is almost no obstruction 10 wind or
wave The boats lie mostly under water when
loaded The supers,ructure Of the tow-b barge
consists Of a turret wheelhouse at the stern. be-
meath which are quarters for the five or six
men. while that Of the propeller consists OF q
cabin built on three turrets. This latter craft
requires between twenty-four and thirty men,
.ha