Edward M. Cotter (fireboat)
Edward M. Cotter escorting USS Little Rock (LCS-9).
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | William S. Grattan (Engine 20) |
Operator | Buffalo Fire Department |
Builder | Crescent Shipbuilding of Elizabeth City, New Jersey |
Cost | $91,000 |
Laid down | March 24, 1900 |
Sponsored by | Virginia Pearson |
Christened | September 1, 1900 by Lucia Virginia Malone |
In service |
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Out of service | 1928-1930 |
Renamed |
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Refit |
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Homeport | Buffalo, NY |
General characteristics | |
Type | Fireboat |
Tonnage |
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Length | 118 ft (36 m) |
Beam | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
Draft | 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) |
Ice class | 1.5 in (38.1 mm) thick belt line of Swedish steel around the icebreaking part of the hull |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Capacity | |
Notes |
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Edward M. Cotter | |
Location | Buffalo, New York |
Built | 1900 |
Architect | Crescent Shipbuilding Co. |
NRHP reference No. | 96000968 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | June 28, 1996[1] |
Designated NHL | June 28, 1996[2] |
Edward M. Cotter is a
Edward M. Cotter is considered to be the oldest active fireboat in the world and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996.
Construction
The ship that was to become Edward M. Cotter was built in 1900 by the Crescent Shipyard of Elizabeth Port, New Jersey. She was originally named William S. Grattan after the first paid fire commissioner for the city of Buffalo. The final construction cost for the ship was $91,000.
The completed ship was 118 ft (36 m) in length, had a beam of 24 ft (7.3 m), and drew 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m). A 1.5 in (38.1 mm)-thick belt-line of Swedish steel was included around the hull for icebreaking duties. William S. Grattan was powered by two Babcock & Wilcox coal-fired boilers with steam engines rated at 900 horsepower (670 kW).[11] A single propeller provided propulsion. The rated speed of the ship was 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph).
The ship was also equipped with three double action steam pumps that supplied water at 9,000 US gallons per minute (0.57 m3/s; 7,500 imp gal/min) to the three fire monitors used for firefighting. Two of the fire monitors were mounted on the forward section of the ship and one was on the stern section.
History
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Buffalo's waterfront was an extremely busy center of commerce.
Upon completion she traveled up the Atlantic coast, down the St. Lawrence River, across Lake Ontario, through the Welland Canal and finally across Lake Erie in an uneventful trip that took 14 days. She was met 3 miles (4.8 km) out of the harbor by her sister fireboats and escorted in.[13]
1928 fire
On July 28, 1928 William S. Grattan responded to the oil barge James F. Cahill, loaded with 5,000 barrels of crude oil, that was aflame in the Buffalo River at Elk Street while docked at the Atlas Refinery.[14][15][16] Thirty-five fire companies, the Grattan and another fireboat battled the blaze.[17] After burning 17 hours, the barge's mooring lines gave way and the barge began to drift following a series of four explosions.[18] William S. Grattan's crew attempted to attach tow lines to the drifting barge but it struck a dock at an oil company where the empty oil tanker B.B. McColl was moored.[19] The fumes on the B.B. McColl ignited causing an explosion and fire that engulfed William S. Grattan. Captain Thomas Hylant along with his crew abandoned ship and swam through the flames to shore. Chief Engineer Thomas Lynch of William S. Grattan lost his life after abandoning ship and seven other crew members were injured.[15] The unattended boilers on William S. Grattan soon ran dry and exploded, leaving the ship burned out to the waterline and heavily damaged.[15][20]
William S. Grattan sat boarded-up for eighteen months while city and fire department officials decided whether to replace her at a cost of $225,000 or rebuild her for $99,000, which was $8,000 more than her original cost. The decision was made to rebuild and in 1930 she was rebuilt at the Buffalo Dry Dock Company of Buffalo, New York. During this refit some improvements were made to William S. Grattan. One improvement was that her
1953 refit
In the early 1950s, it was noticed that William S. Grattan was showing signs of age. Her boilers were only able to operate at 40 percent capacity and an engine room steam leak in 1951 injured part of her crew. During November 1952, William S. Grattan was sent to the
During this refit her boilers and
International firefighting
On October 7, 1960 Edward M. Cotter came to the aid of firefighting authorities in
Notable rescues
In 1978 USS Little Rock, a retired United States Naval guided missile cruiser on display at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, began taking on water and listing. Edward M. Cotter and several Buffalo Fire Department fire engines pumped water out of Little Rock for five days keeping the ship afloat and level while repairs were made.[13] Edward M. Cotter also assisted the disabled United States Coast Guard cutter Ojibwa during the winter of 1983. Ojibwa, while on Lake Erie, had lost her steering and was taking on water. Edward M. Cotter towed Ojibwa to her base in Buffalo and helped keep her afloat while repairs were made.[13] Another rescue occurred on July 31, 1984 when Edward M. Cotter towed the Polish tall ship Zawisza Czarny off a sand bar during the ship's visit to Buffalo.
Heritage
As commerce declined on Buffalo's waterfront, Edward M. Cotter was transferred from the Buffalo Fire Department to the Public Works Department in 1992 for icebreaking duties. In 1996 Edward M. Cotter was designated a National Historic Landmark.[2][5] and was transferred back to the Buffalo Fire Department in 1997.
A non-profit group named "Friends of the Cotter", founded in 2005, has been running fund-raising events to overhaul Edward M. Cotter.[7] Along with her normal duties Edward M. Cotter has been sent to various festivals and boat shows around the Great Lakes.[13]
On March 24, 2023 a proclamation was issued by Buffalo mayor Byron Brown and the City of Buffalo Common Council declaring March 24 to be recognized as "Edward M. Cotter Day" in recognition of the fireboats 123 years of service. A fund raising campaign with a goal of six million dollars was announced by Fireboat E.M. Cotter Conservancy President Larry Cobado to restore the Cotter to full operational condition.[22]
Other fire boats
Edward Cotter is one of a few fireboats to ply the Great Lakes:
- William Lyon Mackenzie is operated by Toronto Fire Services and operates in Lake Ontario.
- Curtis Randolph is operated by Detroit Fire Department and operates in the Detroit River.
- Cleveland Fire Department and is stationed in the Cuyahoga Riverand operates in Cleveland Harbor.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
- List of U.S. National Historic Landmark ships, shipwrecks, and shipyards
- History of Buffalo, New York
- SS Canadiana
- USS Sable (IX-81)
- MV Aquarama
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Edward M. Cotter". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 11, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ a b McNeil, William R.; Messmer, Jack (June 8, 2008). "Vessel Renamings: COTTER, EDWARD M." The Great Lakes Shipwrecks database. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ Summary of legislation. Assembly Minority Research Services, New York State Assembly. 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
- ^ a b
James P. Delgado (January 27, 1989). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: Edward M. Cotter" (pdf). National Park Service.
{{
KiB) - ^ a b c "Fireboat Edward M. Cotter". Penn Dixie's Miss Buffalo Nature Cruise and Buffalo Lighthouse Tour. June 8, 2003. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c "The World's largest Dyngus Day squirt gun". April 4, 2007. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ "Edward M. Cotter". pbase. February 8, 2005. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ "A Model Fire Boat", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p. 11, September 2, 1900, retrieved November 27, 2022
- ^ "Buffalo's New Fire Tug", New York Times, p. 12, September 2, 1900, retrieved November 27, 2022
- ^ "List of vessels in which Babcock & Wilcox boilers are fitted or are on order". Marine Steam. The Babcock & Wicox Company. 1905. p. 168. (identified as William S. Gratton)
- ^ "1898". Edward M. Cotter official web site. Buffalo Fire Department. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Guadagna, Sam (February 2006). "BUFFALO'S ENCHANTED FIREBOAT: Edward M. Cotter". Sea Classics. Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ "Million Dollar Fire At Buffalo; One Life Lost, 29 Are Injured", Zanesville Times Recorder, p. 1, July 28, 1928, retrieved November 27, 2022
- ^ a b c Smith, H. Katherine (September 21, 1941). "A Good Listener". The Buffalo Courier Express. pp. Section Five Page 5.
- ^ McNeil, William R.; Messmer, Jack (June 8, 2008). "James F. Cahill (Barge), U165740, fire, 12 Sep 1928". The Great Lakes Shipwrecks database. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ "1 Dead, 28 Burned in $1,250,000 Oil Fire At Buffalo", The Dubois Courier, p. 1, July 28, 1928, retrieved November 27, 2022
- ^ "One Killed, 2 Hurt Fighting Tanker Blaze", Syracuse Herald, p. 30, July 27, 1928, retrieved November 27, 2022
- ^ Bascom, John N., ed. (October 1971). "The McColl Frontenac Oil Company Limited: A Fleet List". The Scanner. 4 (1). Toronto Marine Historical Society. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ "Waterfront Fire In Buffalo Is Estimated As $1,250,000 Damage", New Castle News, p. 1, July 28, 1928, retrieved November 27, 2022
- ^ a b "1960". Edward M. Cotter official web site. Buffalo Fire Department. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ Wekenmann, Kyle. "123 Years of Service: The Proclamation of Edward M. Cotter Day". The Record. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
External links
- Media related to Edward M. Cotter (ship, 1900) at Wikimedia Commons
- History of the E. M. Cotter
- Interactive 360° VR tour of the E. M. Cotter
- Edward Cotter
- Buffalo's Enchanted Fireboat
- Friends of the Cotter Official Website
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. NY-345, "Fireboat EDWARD M. COTTER, Moored on the Buffalo River at 155 Ohio Street, Buffalo, Erie County, NY", 32 photos, 22 color transparencies, 3 data pages, 4 photo caption pages
- "Buffalo, New York". Vol. 4–5. Electricity: A Popular Electrical Journal. 1893.
The American Electric Supply Company was awarded a contract for a dynamo and other electrical apparatus required by the new fire boat.