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of black coal smoke. It was quite a contrast when compared with today's relatively quiet diesel-electric monsters. From the Leatham D. Smith yards were basically two designs, a sand sucker/self unloader and the straight self-unloader. The systems were similar, but there were variations between them, especially in the first several years. First on the conversion list were three Smith-owned vessels which he operated in the stone trade through the Cleveland Cliffs fleet. Old whalebacks were relatively cheap to obtain, since they had long lost favor in bulk trades. They were not popular with crews and were hard to unload with conventional dockside equipment. Of the first four con- versions, three were whalebacks. The first was the Clifton, formerly the Samuel Mather. She and the traditional Fontana were fitted with virtually identical unloading rigs in 1924. Another whaleback, the Bay View was converted to a sand sucker with a different type of unloading system, while a third whaleback, the Bay State received a combination of sand sucking and self-unload- ing equipment. The Bay View and Bay State had somewhat different profiles than the Clifton. Once in operation, the Fontana, Clifton and Bay State were run by the Progressive Steam- ship Company. The mechanical operations were apparently to the satisfaction of the May x* June, 1980 Page 65 designer, but there were some lessons to be learned. A hard lesson came the first year, 1924. Perhaps no one will ever know what caused the disappearance of the Clifton in stormy Lake Huron on September 21st and 22nd. She was lost with 30 lives, with no trace. Some were quick to blame the bulky-looking Smith self-unloader arrangement on the deck of the whaleback. The design, according to some, was suitable for conventional vessels such as the Fontana, but the lack of freeboard on the whaleback, combined with the increase in the height of the center of gravity may have caused her to roll over in the heavy seas. Then, too, there are those who theorized that her boom may have come loose. If it would have swung over the side it may have caused a dramatic shift in her balance, and she would have been an easy victim of cap- sizing. Regardless, it was a big loss. Meanwhile, another unusual ship was being converted. Smith converted his Andaste, a monitor-type, that was a hybrid of conven- tional design and the whaleback. It was never a popular design, but the 247-foot vessel was appropriate for the sand trade, and re- ceived an early Smith unloading rig. While Leatham Smith was converting the vessels primarily for his own use, they attracted the attention of another company, namely the Valley Camp Coal Company. Valley Camp proved to be Smith's largest One of the first conversions was the Whaleback Clifton in 1924. Her unloading rig was similar to that installed on the Fontana and John McCartney Kennedy. She never operated a complete season, having been lost with all hands during a storm in September, 1924. MacDonald Coll./DOSSIN MUSEUM