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50 MARINE REVIEW Andrew Fletcher 1863-1925 (Continued from Page 20) Lake Champlain; steamboats for Bos- ton harbor and over 200 other steam- boats and yachts of various kinds. Another notable development for which credit must be given to the W. & A. Fletcher Co. is the double screw ferryboat, carrying screw pro- pellers at each end. This type of boat was first built for the Hoboken ferries then owned by the Stevens family of Hoboken, N. J., the New York Central, West Shore Ferry lines, and the type was subsequently adopted by many of the other ferries of New York harbor, Philadelphia, Boston and other places. During the late World war the company gave its best services to the government and con- verted and reconverted after the war many ships for transporting troops and other war time purposes for both the United States army and navy de- partments. The machinery for about 50 ships, the large majority being of the single and double reduction geared steam turbine type was built during this period. It is interesting to note that a member of the third genera- tion of the Fletcher family is now active in the management of this pioneer and productive enterprise. In the fall of the year 1913 Mr. Fletcher became identified with the American Locomotive Co. as director and member of the executive com- mittee. In January, 1917, his, inval- uable services in that capacity were recognized by his elevation to the presidency of the Locomotive com- pany, a post which in addition to being the active head of the W. & A. Fletcher Co., he continued to hold until the end. Other important corporations with which Mr. Fletcher was_ identified as an official are the American Lo- comotive Sales Corp., the Montreal Locomotive Co. and Consolidated Iron Works, of which companies he was president and director. He was a January, 1926 director of the Chase National bank of New York, the First National bank of Hoboken, The American Car & Foundry Co., the Canadian Car & Foundry Co., the Bucyrus Co., the Locomotive Superheater Co., the Consolidated Textile Co., the Ameri- can Surety Co., the William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Co. He was a member of the American committee of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. Mr. Fletcher was a life member of the executive committee | of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, life member of the In- stitute of Engineers and Shipbuilders of Scotland. Mr. Fletcher married in New York City April 10, 1894, Jean Landels Drummond, daughter of the late John L. Drummond, a prominent banker and broker of New York City. There are two children, Andrew Fletcher Jr., and Jean Fletcher. Barge Is Wrecked—But Not Damaged _in the August, 1925 issue of MARINE REVIEW on the construc- tion of Ellis channel steel gasoline hoisting barges under construction for the New York Central railroad, an interesting episode has given an actual demonstration of the ability of these barges to withstand about any assault which may be made upon them. The last three of these boats to be delivered to the New York Central left Boston on Nov. 11, in tow of the Tug NEPTUNE. During the entire trip there was a heavy northeaster blow- Ee the article which appeared ing and while passing Fort Slocum early on the morning of Friday, Nov. 18, the RICHLAND, which was on the tail of the tow, broke loose and was driven % of a mile over the rock ledges and finally landed nearly high and dry on the granite outcropping on Fort Slocum island. The captain of the barge stated that during her travels she landed on pin- nacles in the trough of the waves and at times spun like a top, and at other times bumped against the rocks, re- bounded and went hurtling forward until she arrived at her final landing NEW YORK CENTRAL CHANNEL STEEL BARGE BLOWN ON THE ROCKS WITHOUT APPRECIABLE DAMAGE place as shown in the accompanying illustration. Upon a survey being made, it was found that a high tide and lots of pull would be necessary to get her off, and on account of certain contingencies she was not released until Sunday morning, Nov. 15. During all that time «the barge was subject to con- tinuous buffeting by the strong winds which were blowing. However, she was towed without any caulking, or plugs, to dry dock. Upon examination no leaks were found and only a very few dents showed in some of the channels and plates and the damage from a mone- tary standpoint was negligible. Under the conditions of this acci- dent, according to one of the railroad marine department officials, if this had been either a wooden boat or a plate job, this barge would have been a total loss. Ferryboats Ordered Two new ferryboats are to be built for the East Boston service at the Fore River plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Ltd. One of the boats will replace the HUGH O’BRIEN which is a sidewheeler and in service since 1888. Each will be equipped with an auxiliary fire-fighting service for emergency work and will have a capacity of 50 or 60 vehicles. ~