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Propeller - One Blade Missing The most exhilarating experiences were the lifts. A wonderful silence would descend upon the barge as the roar of generators ceased. Crane operators Les Lundin and Dave Danielson worked the levers of the fifty-ton lift crane with a fine touch as heavy artifacts were set upon the deck with nary a bump. One incident that evoked considerable interest was when John Stine opened the fire door of the boiler. He discovered the wood still stoked exactly as the fireman had placed it shortly before the vessel sank! The boiler contained no guages -- only four petcocks for checking the water level. The engine proved to be of a low-pressure direct-acting single cylinder design. It has a bore of about fifteen inches and a stroke of thirty-six inches, and developed an estimated fifty horsepower. The steering mechanism contained a few surprises. The guadrant was exposed to the elements. The steering chain contains one-quarter inch by two-inch links. The rudder is smaller than was anticipated and appears to be sheathed in iron which was built up and strapped. One can well understand why accidents attributed to steering problems with these early vessels were frequent. The propeller is ten feet in diameter and originally contained four blades. The blades were bolted to the hub and, although replaceable, probably were designed for that particular ship. They had been manufactured in Pittsburgh. One of the blades was broken off which possibly contributed to the sinking of the INDIANA. As the blade broke from the hub, one theorizes that it struck the rudder, jamming it to port. An imbalance of the propeller created a vibration which sprung the packing gland in the stern post, permitting water to enter. The single bilge pump could not handle the water and the packing gland was inaccessible because of the cargo in the after hold. The INDIANA simply filled and sank. =o