Elmer S. Dailey
1973 image of the three barges; Elmer S. Dailey is the rightmost
| |
History | |
---|---|
Owner | Steward J. Dailey |
Operator | S. J. Dailey Company |
Route | Connecticut–Long Island Sound |
Builder | William H. Follette |
Completed | 1915 |
Out of service | 1974 |
Fate | Sunk in 1974 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Canal barge |
Tonnage | 101 |
Length | 105.2 feet (32.1 m) |
Beam | 17.9 feet (5.5 m) |
Depth of hold | 9.9 feet (3.0 m) |
Propulsion | Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines |
Elmer S. Dailey | |
Location | Bridgeport Harbor, Bridgeport, Connecticut |
Coordinates | 41°10′42″N 73°11′14″W / 41.17833°N 73.18722°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1935 |
Architect | Follette, William H. |
NRHP reference No. | 78002837[1] |
Added to NRHP | December 21, 1978 |
Elmer S. Dailey, originally known as the Claire B. Follette, is a wooden
Description
The barge is an Erie Canal boat that has two Fairbanks-Morse in-line six-cylinder diesel engines. It measures 105.2 feet (32.1 m) long with a 17.9 feet (5.5 m) beam. The depth of the hold is listed at 9.9 feet (3.0 m) and it had a listed capacity of 101 tons.[2]
Clouette describes the Elmer S. Dailey as having an "almost rectangular hull in section and plan, with bluntly rounded bow and stern...the bulwarks, perforated by scuppers, rise up to the stem which is slightly raked back. There are prominent strakes in the bow and topside along the sides of the vessel. A coaming about 2 feet (0.61 m) high frames the single large cargo opening which occupies about two-thirds of the boat's length". The cargo opening is covered by convex hatch covers. Towards the stern is a rectangular pilothouse and a low cabin with a companionway which has a protruding stack.[2]
History
The Elmer S. Dailey was originally known as the Claire B. Follette when it was built by William H. Follette in 1915 at
The ship was owned by Stewart J. Dailey, a former mule driver on the Erie Canal who later became a partner in a Tonawanda shipbuilding company and afterwards opened his own business, S. J. Dailey Company.[3][4]
The barge was used to transport materials between ports in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and after the diesel engines were added, it was able to push another barge.[2] It was in service between 1941 and 1972,[5] and afterwards was moored in Bridgeport Harbor together with the Berkshire No. 7 and Priscilla Dailey, two other barges.[5]
In the spring of 1974, one of the barges began to take on water, dragging down the other two.[6] No part of the barge is visible above water. Elmer S. Dailey is listed in the U.S. Registry as #166315.[2]
Importance
The Elmer S. Dailey is historically significant because it is the only known surviving Erie Canal boat and is one of a few remaining wooden-hulled canal boats.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 1978.[2] It and the other two barges that sank with it are the only shipwrecks in Connecticut listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
In 1998, the historic status of the barges was a concern for the Port Authority of Bridgeport Harbor, as the sunken ships interfered with a billion-dollar redevelopment project. Over the years, the barges had deteriorated so that an operation to salvage them would likely result in it breaking apart.
See also
Notes
The New York Times article notes that the barges sank in 1974, but inaccurately states that the ships were placed on the National Register of Historic Places "shortly before they went down".[5] The Elmer S. Dailey's nomination form was produced in February 1978 and it was added on December 21, 1978.[2] Another document relating to the Intermodal Transportation Center erroneously states the Elmer S. Dailey National Register of Historic Places listing date and that it sank because of Hurricane Gloria in 1985.[8]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bruce Clouette (February 16, 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination:Elmer S. Dailey". National Park Service.
- ISBN 9780738598284.
- ^ Bruce Clouette (March 8, 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Berkshire No. 7". National Park Service. and Accompanying photo from 1973
- ^ a b c d Musante, Fred (February 1, 1998). "Rough Navigating Around Bridgeport's Sunken Barges". The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ a b "Bridgeport Barges". Connecticut Office of State Archeology. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ "Environmental Assessment, 4(f) Evaluation (National Environmental Policy Act) And Draft Environmental Impact Evaluation (Connecticut Environmental Policy Act) Proposed Bridgeport Intermodal Transportation Center Bridgeport, Connecticut" (PDF). Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. June 17, 2003. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ Doyle, Richard (August 19, 2003). "Re: Intermodal Transportation Center Finding of No Significant Impact" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.