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Ship of the Month - cont'd. "They will be similar in design to the 4 (EDWARD L. STRONG, N. H. BOTSFORD, JOHN C. HOWARD and FRANK A. AUGSBURY -Ed. ) built for the Geo. Hall Coal & Shipping Corporation about 2 years ago at Three Rivers, Que., with the exception that they will not be fitted with cargo booms or winches, and they are being built on the transverse and not on the Isherwood sys­ tem. They are intended primarily for the canal trade on the lakes and rivers to carry grain, coal and pulpwood. "They will be fitted with triple expansion surface condensing marine engines, cylinders 15 1/2, 26 and 44 in. diameter, with a 26 in. piston stroke, to which steam will be supplied by 2 Scotch marine boilers, 12 1/2 ft. diameter and 10 3/4 ft. long, at a working pressure of 180 lb. Accommodation will be provided for crew of 23, and each ship will have a capacity for about 85, 000 bush, of wheat on a 14 ft. draft. The keel for the ROBERT J. BUCK was laid on Jan. 31, and when launched... the machinery was on board and the ship almost completed. " The next issue of CR&MW, in July 1925, recorded the launch of the second of the triplets. "The second of the 3 steam­ ships ordered by this corporation (Hall) from Collingwood Shipbuilding Co., the keel for which was laid on Feb. 3, was launched... on (Saturday) June 6, the machinery being on board and the ship nearly completed. She was named WALTER B. REYNOLDS, after the mayor of Brock­ ville, Ont., who is a coal merchant there... "She is of the raised quarter deck type and full canal size. She has been built under the special survey and to the highest class of the British Corporation Society for service on the Great Lakes and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Structural strength is provi­ ded considerably in excess of that required by the classification society, to provide against the severe local stresses to which ships are subjected in the canal trade. She has 2 cargo holds, each served by 3 hatches. One of the hatches to each hold is made extra large to fa­ cilitate handling steel cargoes. Four mooring winches are fitted, one on the forecastle, one on upper deck forward, and 2 on raised quarter deck. "The layout of crew's accommodation, which is commodious, is in accordance with the usual practice for lake ships. The captain's quar­ ters, chief engineer's room and dining room are panelled in oak. The ship is fitted with elec­ tric light, and with a refrigerating plant for ship's stores. The ballast pumping equipment is of large capacity for rapidly filling or emptying the various ballast tanks... "She ran her trial trip off Collingwood, June 18, and then left for Midland to load bunker Launch day for the REYNOLDS, June 6, 1925 coal, previous to clearing for Fort William. The third ship ordered, and which is precisely similar to the other 2, was launched on (Saturday) June 27 and named ROBERT P. KERNAN. " This latter information was, however, contradicted by a brief article which appeared in the August 1925 issue of CR&MW, which indicated that the KERNAN was launched on (Monday) July 6 and was christened by Mrs. J. S. Leitch, wife of the Vice President of the shipbuilding company. It further stated that the KERNAN was named for the President of the Donnacona Pulp and Paper Company.