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MINNESOTA FLEET, Cont'd. , The early Minnesota ships were built in an era of keen competiti- | on, hence were powerful and fast. ji After this was ended by the absorp- tion of most of the competing lines in the Pittsburgh Fleet, speed was no longer a necessity, and the pow- — erful but uneconomical engines wer taken out of these smaller ships & used in newer larger hulls. Thus engines from the MANOLA, capacity 3000 tons, were remote ae 1905 ond 33 put in the ELBERT H.GARY, cap.11000 tons, and propelled the latter 580 The Minnesota freighter MASABA footer for over 30 years before needing replacement in 1937. This fact tells two lessons, the first the inefficiency of the fast but small carrier, and secondly the excellence of workmanship of the engines of these early ore carriers of the Nineties. os OR OK OR OR OR OR OR OR OK OR OR OR ROR OK OR OR OK OK OK OK OK OR OK OK OK OK OK KOK OK OK SHIPS THAT KINGSTON - Steel hulled sidewheel passenger steamer, NEVER DIE built at Toronto in 1901 by the Bertram Engine Works. (#13) Length, 288 ft., beam 36 ft inside guards and 65 ft. outside guards, depth 13°3". Tonnage 2925 gross, 1909 net. Steel main deck. Had two stacks in tandem, and two masts, near- ly vertical. Equipped with radar during season of 1949. Both in inter- ior fittings and especially in exterior line and silhouette, the KING- STON resembled a smaller version of the well remembered sidewheelers of the famous Fall River Line on Long Island Sound. KINGSTON was propelled by paddles driven by direct connecting inclined triple ex- pansion engines (rebuilt in 1948) whose steam was provided by four Scotch boilers. was originally built for the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company. When the Canada Steamship Lines were organized in 1913, all the R.& O. ships joined the C.S.L.fleet. During her entire career this vessel operated on the Toronto - Thousand Islands - Pres- cott run. At Prescott, connections were made with the rapids boats. During most of her career the KINGSTON ran opposite her smaller and slightly older sister vessel, the single stacked TORONTO (See DMH,v.1, No.2). From 1938, when the latter was retired until last summer, the KINGSTON carried this route alone. The expected abandon- ment of this route (DMH, v.3,n0.6) will terminate 110 years of continuous service between Lake On- tario and St.Lawrence River ports, which began with the establishment of the Roya] Mail Line,1840. NOTE: This description and the accompanying pict- ure of the KINGSTON taken on her last trip, 9-17-49 was sent us by our fellow member, Mr.John H.Bascom of Toronto. Editor. )