Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Scanner, v. 31, no. 2 (November 1998), p. 6

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Ship of the Month - cont'd. 6. below is of the most substantial character, and space is provided there for roomy and comfortable quarters for the crew. "As the arrangement of the main and promenade decks, and the fittings and furnishings have already been described in our columns (which, sadly, are un­ available to researchers today), it will be unnecessary to speak of them further than to say that the space is not only fully utilized, but every­ thing is very conveniently arranged. The furnishings are not wholly on board but are ready to be put in at once. The whole craft outside will also be supplied with another coat of paint, two coats already having been given her. "She is fitted with a compound jet condensing engine, and a Fitzgibbon ma­ rine boiler. The engine has a 14 inch stroke and suitable for 160 pounds working pressure. She carries an 18 inch searchlight, 50 incandescent elec­ tric lights, with one engine to supply the necessary power. A pony engine and hand deck pump is (sic) also supplied. Shortly before noon today the new craft with a number of the company's shareholders and their friends on board, left for a trial trip up the river. She is expected to make 14 miles an hour which the contract calls for. " BROCKVILLE was a handsome steamer with pleasing lines. The Brockville news­ paper report of June 17, 1898, was accompanied by a drawing of the ship, but it does not seem entirely accurate when compared with the many photos we have of the steamer during the various stages of her career. Unless she received a major rebuild in her very early years (of which we have no re­ cord), we must assume that many of the differences were due to "artistic li­ cense" by the perpetrator of the drawing! BROCKVILLE had a counter stern, and her stempost was slightly curved so that it pulled back somewhat above the level of the main deck, a feature not un­ common in wooden-hulled passenger steamers of the period. The main deck was entirely enclosed from stem to stern, with a large number of big windows with curved tops provided to allow cabin occupants to observe the river sce­ nery. Two gangways were provided on each side, a wide one forward and a ra­ ther narrower one aft of midships. Most of the various cabin amenities would have been located on the main deck, and the dining room was most probably situated aft. The promenade deck above was almost entirely open, there being only a fairly small cabin (later enlarged somewhat) midships. Seating for those passengers wishing to take the air whilst enjoying the river views was provided by a combination of benches and portable wooden chairs. A wire mesh railing ran all around this deck. The midships and aft sections of this deck were shaded by the boat deck above, while from the front of the cabin to the stem, the deck was not covered except by a canvas awning which could be raised over­ head on Stretcher-frames when protection from the sun was required. On the hurricane deck was located the pilothouse, a rather ornate structure with a slightly curved front. There were four big, curved-top windows in its face, and a window and door in each side. There was a substantial overhang of the pilothouse roof which served as a sunvisor, and was supported by ele­ gant brackets. Nameboards were carried on the roof on each side of the house and sprouting from its centre was the searchlight to which the press devoted so much attention. (It was the custom of excursion boats in the area to run moonlight trips and to illuminate the shoreside attractions with the ships' searchlights). The artist's sketch shows no "texas" behind the pilothouse, but all our photos show a cabin there, built in the same style as the wheel­ house itself, which provided quarters for the ship's master. The artist's drawing showed BROCKVILLE's only mast to be a rather heavy spar rising in front of the promenade deck cabin and pilothouse. Our photos, however, show a lighter pole mast rising from between the pilothouse and the master's cabin, and some photos show another light mast, possibly removable, well aft. A fairly tall and heavy smokestack, well raked, rose abaft the

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