Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Scanner, v. 36, no. 7 (April 2004), p. 5

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5. Ship of the Month - cont'd. foot centres. The tonnage of METCALFE was calculated as 1851 Gross and 1302 Net, while that of PABJUNE was 1859 Gross and 1122 Net. We have no explana­ tion of the substantial difference in the Net Tonnage of the two virtually- identical sisterships. Each vessel was given a triple-expansion steam engine with cylinders of 16, 26 1/2 and 44 inches diameter, with a stroke of 33 inches, which produced what variously was reported as 863 I. H. P., 111 N. H. P. or 96 R. H. P. Steam at 180 p. s. i. working pressure was produced by two coal-fired, single-ended Scotch boilers 12 feet in diameter and 11 feet in length. METCALFE's boilers had heating surface of 2, 818 square feet and grate surface of 77 square feet, while PABJUNE's had 2, 698 H. S. and 72 G. S. The engine and boilers for MET­ CALFE were built in 1923 by Bow, McLachlan & Co. Ltd., of Paisley, Scotland. The machinery for PABJUNE was built for her in 1923 by Dunlop, Bremner, the shipbuilders. These were good-looking ships, albeit a bit older than their years as they had a more traditional and distinctive appearance than the canallers that some British shipyards were beginning to churn out like sausages in the 1920s. Not only was there more sheer to the deck than most canallers showed, but the anchors were stowed in round-topped pockets close to the stem. The forecastle head had a closed steel bulwark for most of its length, and the texas cabin placed upon it had a bowed centre section, perhaps originally containing guest observation quarters. On the bridge deck was a steel pilot­ house which had five rather widely spaced windows in its curved front, at one time with just a small sunshade over the centre window, although in la­ ter years each ship was given a full sunvisor. Awnings were carried over the bridge deck and out over the bridge wings. An open post-and-wire rail ran down either side of the spar deck. The ships each carried two well-raked masts; the foremast was stepped right abaft the break of the forecastle and it was fitted with one cargo boom. The mainmast was positioned between hatches four and five, and it carried two cargo booms. Each ship had on its flush quarterdeck a longer than usual after deckhouse, with a long boilerhouse and coal bunker hatch in its forward end, and there was a high, closed steel taffrail just at the fantail. The only overhang of the boat deck above was a short section on each side, upon which was posi­ tioned a lifeboat which was worked with radial steel davits. The smokestack, originally tall and thin but always well raked, was positioned over the after end of the boilerhouse. METCALFE and PABJUNE originally had black hulls and forecastles with white deckhouses. The funnels were black with three broad gold bands. The masts were buff, the main with a black top. Despite the fact that the two ships were not yet even in Canadian waters, "Canadian Railway and Marine World", in its issue of May 1923, gave appoint­ ments for PABJUNE and METCALFE. The former was to have Capt. H. J. Bryan as master and J. M. Clark as chief engineer, while appointed to METCALFE were Capt. L. Patenaude and chief E. Reid. Once they were in operation on the lakes, the first mention of either of the new steamers in "Canadian Railway and Marine World" came in the issue of October 1923, wherein it was mentioned that, during August, Canadian Vick­ ers Ltd., Montreal, had supplied new oak hatch beams and repaired the hatch coamings of PABJUNE. There was no report as to why this work was required. Later that year, however, PABJUNE definitely was involved in two accidents. In late September, she grounded on Ogden Island in the upper St. Lawrence River, some 20 miles below Prescott. The Reid Towing & Wrecking Company at­ tended and PABJUNE was refloated on September 30th after 22, 000 bushels of grain had been lightered out of her. The report in the November 1923 issue of "Canadian Railway and Marine World" indicated that "she was considerably damaged, but with air compressors to keep down the water, she proceeded to

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