SS Charles W. Wetmore
43°23′N 124°20′W / 43.383°N 124.333°W
The Wetmore, downbound through the Weitzel lock, at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, en route to London, 1891
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Charles W. Wetmore |
Owner | American Steel Barge Company |
Builder | American Steel Barge Company |
Yard number | 0112 |
Laid down | 6 November 1890 |
Launched | 23 May 1891 |
In service | 1891 |
Homeport | Superior, Wisconsin through May 1892, then Everett, Washington |
Fate | Wrecked 8 September 1892 off Coos Bay, Oregon |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage |
|
Length | 264 ft (80 m) |
Beam | 38 ft (12 m) |
Draft | 16 ft (4.8768 m) |
Depth | 24 ft (7 m) |
Propulsion | 700 hp steam engine |
Capacity | 3,000 gross tons |
Crew | 22 |
Notes | One of two whalebacks in ocean service; carried parts around Cape Horn to build the second one, City of Everett. |
The SS Charles W. Wetmore was a
Construction and equipment
The Wetmore was built in 1891 as hull #112 of the American Steel Barge Company works.[2] The Wetmore was 264 ft (80 m) long with a beam of 38 ft (12 m) and a 16.4 ft (5.0 m) draft and gross tonnage of 3,000. Her power was a single 700 horsepower (520 kW) steam engine, but she also had four jury masts with sails for emergency use. As typical for freight whalebacks, there was a small turret at the bow which had anchor hoisting machinery and other equipment. Three turrets at the stern raised the stern cabin and pilothouse off the hull. Her single stack exited through one of the turrets.[3] A typical crew complement was 22.[4]
Operating history
The Wetmore was the first whaleback to operate outside the
Her designer,
Her career was short: she ran aground on 8 September 1892 in fog off Coos Bay, Oregon while carrying a load of coal from Tacoma, Washington bound for San Francisco.[3][2] Salvage attempts were frustrated due to bad weather, and the vessel was abandoned.[5] Meanwhile the Pacific Steel Barge Company yard, founded with the equipment she brought, built the SS City of Everett. No other whalebacks were built by the shipyard.
References
- ^ Wilterding, John H. Jr. (1969). McDougall's Dream. Green Bay, Wisconsin: Lakeside Publications Ltd.
- ^ a b "The American Ship Building Company (Superior WI) record of ships built". Maritime Business Strategies, LLC aka Coltoncompany.com. Retrieved 2008-02-05. [dead link]
- ^ a b c d "Charles W. Wetmore arrives". Washington State online history encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ a b "Today in Great Lakes History - 19 September". Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive. Archived from the original on 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ a b "Today in Great Lakes History - 10 June". Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive. Archived from the original on 2007-08-05. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ "Provenance page for Wetmore locking through Weitzel lock". Upper Peninsula Digitization Center Collections. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
- ^ "Bad Luck At The Last.; The Whaleback Charles W. Wetmore Without A Rudder" (PDF). The New York Times. 1891-12-11. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
External links
Historic photographs from the collections of the University of Washington: