The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-04-07
Wooden Vessels on Lake
Michigan Soon to Be Moth
ing More Than Memory
MANY STEEL VESSELS USED

Wooden vessels on the great lakes
are rapidly vanishing their places be
ing taken by steel boats. While a
few wooden craft may still be seen
during the navigation season, each
year finds their number growing small
er. Prominent marine men predict
that type of vessel will pass out of
use during the next ten years, says
the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The United States recruiting ship
Wolverine, which at the time of her
launching was christened the Michi-
gan, was built in 1843 and is pointed
out as the oldest iron vessel in the
world. The Montreal, built at Buffa-
10 in 1862, was the first iron boat
constructed ON the lakes.
The Montreal was built by the late
E. T. Evans and was 200 feet long,
with beam Of 90 feet and a depth
of IA feet. Her gross tonnage was
861 and her dead weight capacity was
700 tons. Her boilers were the first
to be constructed for the purpose of
burning coal.
Iron shipbuilding made little pro-
gress between 1862 and 1872, the larg-
est boat to be constructed during that
period being the Great Western car
ferry, with a gross tonnage of 1880.
She was constructed at shipyards
where WalkervilIe, Canada, is now
situated. In 1868 the Philadelphia
was built in Buffalo Her gross tom
mage was 1,643.
More advancement was made in 1871.
In that year five vessels of a total
tonnage of 6,400 were built in Buffalo.
This port also turned out four more
1872. Three of them were passenger
boats and Canada built one carferry,
the international, at Sarina, Ont. She
was of 851 tons.
A severe depression existed between
1873 and 1878 and shipbuilding suf-
fered in common with other lines of
business. Few steamers were built
though. the building of schooners con-
tinued and the tonnage was mostly of
wood. The Grand Trunk railway built
second carferry, the Huron, at Sar-
ina, in 1875. The composite steamer
the first City of Detroit, was con-
structed at Wyandotte in 1877, and in
1878 the Arundel and the Ivanhoe
were built.
In 1879 the Idlewild, which now lies
unusued at the dock near Belle Isle,
was built at Wyandotte. She was of
1853 tons. Then. Wyandotte turned
out four vessels Of an aggregate ton
mage of $3.50. Next year these yards
built five more iron boats. In 1882,
the Onoko, 2,164, and the Jewett,
1858 gross tons registered were built.
The steamer State of New York, S07
gross tons, was built in 1883.
-Four steel steamers with a total
registered tonnage of 1927, and one
iron boat, with 1881 gross tons, were
constructed during 1884. 1t is this
year that marks the introduction of
steel vessels on the Great Lakes. The
next year has one iron and four steel
boats to It's credit. The iron boat
had tonnage Of 4,535.
Five steel vessels were built during
1885. They had total tonnage of
CATS. One iron vessel had tonnage
of 1884. This year was practically
the last in which an iron boat was
constructed on the Great Lakes. By
the end of this year there were thirty
eight vessels built of iron on the
lakes and eight steel vessels. The
iron boats had tonnage of $4,000 and
the steel boats a tonnage of 1854.