I think for most intents and purposes, had things worked out with a happier ending, the restored Nobska would have been more a replica of herself than a restored original. She was pretty much a gutted shell of a boat going into the restoration, and much of that shell was replaced in the drydock. Anyway, I guess the moral of the story is, before you go tearing into a project, especially on somebody else's property, be sure to have a plan and some funds in reserve to put it back together again and get it out of there. It seems like the New England Steamship Foundation could have taken a lesson or two from Dick Jensen.

Another historic passenger ship is also being scrapped as we speak, albeit with less fanfare. The hull of the 1910 Great Lakes passenger liner Alabama, cut down to a barge back in 1964, is being cut up for scrap in Windsor, Ontario. And then of course there's the Norway, soon to be beached in Alang - it's not shaping up to be a good year for old passenger ships.

It looks as though the East Coast may soon be gaining another historic steamship though. The news page on Boatnerd.com reported today that the former Boblo steamer Columbia, slowly rotting in Detroit for the last 15 years, has been sold to the SS Columbia Project in New York (http://www.sscolumbia.org), who plan to restore her for service on the Hudson River. While Columbia has no direct historical connecton to New York, she was designed by noted marine architect Frank E. Kirby who also produced a number of historic Hudson River steamers, and her design is similar to those in many ways, so she will look right at home on the Hudson. It's a loss for Detroit, but it sounds like the boat will have a much better shot at being successful in New York. Let's just hope these guys have a better business plan than the Nobska folks did.

Stephen,

right you are!

The true quads were used on high speed applications like naval vessels and fast passenger ships.

Most of the four cylinder jobs were just three cylinders with a second high pressure cylinder addid.

But not all of them. Ain't steam engines fun?

Ted Miles

Don't forget the largest triple expansion four cylinder engines built, the ones for the trio of Titanic, Britiannic, and Olympic. Each was 35 feet tall, 63 feet long, and weighed 600 tons each. Each had HP, IP, and LP cylinders 54, 84, and 97 inches in diameter respectively, and a stroke of 75 inches. The forces that broke Titanic in two on the way down also broke off the forward LP cylinders.

The ones aboard the Battleship Texas are the largest afloat; with cylinders 39, 63, and 83 inches in diameter and a stroke of 48 inches. Touring the Battleship Texas as a child, it was the engines the made the greatest impression on me; with connecting rods taller than my dad and pistons you could stand on.

With all of the catwalks and other machinery, it is impossible to photograph the starboard engine of the Texas; this view is down the bedplate of the engine. (The bedplate of the Titanic alone weighed 195 tons.)



In regards to quadruple expansion engines, there are four I have listed; I have the Keewatin listed with a quadruple expansion engine. The Milwaukee Clipper and two ore carriers are the others.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

I'm only aware of one Great Lakes cargo ship surviving afloat with a quad, that being the cement carrier E.M. Ford, built in 1898 (1897 for the engine) as the ore carrier Presque Isle. She was in regular service until 1996, when she and 1927-vintage triple-expansion steamer S.T. Crapo were replaced with the new tug/barge unit Integrity. The Ford is now in use as a storage barge in Saginaw, Michigan.

Museum ship William G. Mather in Cleveland was built with a quad, but repowered with a turbine in the 1950's.

The other one is the J.B. Ford, ex-Edwin F. Holmes; built by American Shipbuilding Co. in 1909 and afloat as a cement storage and transfer vessel at La Farge Cement Co., Duluth, MN. I assume it is still there?

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

The J.B. is still there, but she's a triple. Actually she's on the Superior, WI side of the harbor (LaFarge has facilities in both cities), and she was built in 1904.

I have posted some photos of Nobska's scrapping here: http://pics.boatnerd.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=The_scrapping_of_SS_Nobska

I was following the link in Richard's earlier posting to the information on the SS COLUMBIA, and wanted to bring your attention to this page:

http://www.sscolumbia.org/restoration_project.html

Notice how many times the words EDUCATION and ENVIRONMENT are used!

Literally, and probably parts of it will remain in the mud off Staten Island for a long time. The SS New Bedford (sister to SS Nobska) is the ship on the left in the top photo, and the subject of the other photos on the page:

http://www.oboylephoto.com/boatyard/by_2004_3.htm

I had heard most/all of the hulks have been cleared out. True?

A lot of the stuff that was there in the early 90's is gone, but some of the larger vessels (including the New Bedford) and a number of very far-gone tugboats are still there, or at least they were as of last fall anyway.

I paid a visit to the Nobska over the weekend, about 90 feet of her midsection is all that's left of her now in the drydock, and a big pile of scrap metal off to the side.

I have received some good news from across the pond though. Paddle steamer Medway Queen, last of the turn-of-the-century-style flush-decked British paddle steamers (though she was actually built in 1924), and veteran of Dunkirk (where she made 7 trips to the beaches and rescued over 7000 men) has finally been granted lottery funding after two unsuccessful attempts, to the tune of 1.8 million pounds (about $3.3 million) for much-needed restoration work on her hull. More info here: http://www.medwayqueen.co.uk

Google Earth has a stunningly detailed view of Witte's Marine Equipment Yard. Hopefully the link below works like I hope; the New Bedford is the double-pointed hull in the upper right-hand corner just below the buttons:

Witte Marine Equipment Yard

I don't have the links to my own website handy with me right now; but I have arial photographs that have been sent to me of Witte's yard over the years that shows the decline in the size and condition of the yard from the 1970s, and with most of the known hulks labeled.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

Wow, James, thank you for the link. I didn't realize exactly where Witte's is. Now I know. If you scroll letf (west) and a little down (soth) you will see a pier sticking out of the Jersey side. This is the ex Reading RR McMyler Coal Dumping Machine, and the last Big Mac standing in the NY harbor.

Rob

Thanks; also, if scroll to the NW from Witte's yard, to the long piers on the NJ side, you will see the half sunk double ended steam ferry Maj. Gen. William H. Hart. It is the ferry you see in O'Boyle's photo essay that is listing but looks more or less complete, and has a spiral staircase leading to the top deck.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

Education and Environment = School District Trips = Money for maintenance and even grant money for restoration and rebuilding.

Don't knock it.

Within the past 15 years we've lost the Alexander Hamilton, SS South America, one of the CP inland passage passenger steam ships, the Canadiana, and now the Nobska. I donated money from my meager paycheck to save the Nobska and now it is a pile of scrap. We all donated 3 milliong of our tax dollars and now it is scrap. Let's not lose another beautiful steamer out of cynicism over sources of money.

Charles