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The Saga of the JOHN B. LYON - Part I By Jack Mesmer In 1880 Captain Frank Perew contracted with Quayle & Sons of Cleveland to build a new propellor. Her construction was begun late that summer. The new steamer was called the JOHN B. LYON, after Mr. John B. Lyon a well known grain merchant of Chicago. Although it was intended to put the vessel in operation in 1880 she was not launched until the spring of 1881. The JOHN B. LYON (U.S. 76199) was built of wood and measured 255.9 feet at the keel, 274 feet overall, 38.8 feet in width and 20.0 feet in depth. Her tonnage was given as 1,710 gross and 1,331 net tons. She was a single decker designed to handle bulk cargoes, primarily grain. The LYON was considered a superb example of vessel construction and workmanship. The captain's, officer's and seamen's quarters were forward, on and under the forecastle deck. The pilothouse, atop the forecastle deck, was joined on either side by a bridge which extended from rail to rail. The engineer's quarters and his crew were located aft in the deck house just behind the boiler house. In addition, the dining quarters and stewards rooms were located aft. She carried 2 masts, originally equipped with sails; the forward mast located just behind the forecastle and the second located slightly forward of the boiler room. Power for the steamer was provided by two compound engines measuring 22 inches by 42 inches with a 4 foot stroke, and could produce 1426 H.P. These engines were built by H.G. Trout of Buffalo, and were built according to the Perry & Lay pattern. Steam was provided by two Otis steel boilers measuring 164 feet long and 94 feet in diameter. She had two tall smokestacks. The engines turned a 12 foot wheel which was four bladed. When the JOHN B. LYON came out in 1881, she was commanded by Captain John Perew, brother of her owner. Like so many of the steamers of her time, the LYON was operated with at least one tow barge, and frequently two or three. The first season of operation of the JOHN B. LYON proved to be a tough one. She was repeatedly in minor mishaps. In mid May the propellor went aground in Chicago Harbor for three days when inbound with a load of coal. Even thought the steamer suffered no damage in the grounding the cost of releasing the vessel was quite expensive. Twelve tugs, a lighter, costing $25 a day and 35 cents a ton to transfer, were required to release the steamer. The cause of the mishap was low water in the harbor. On July 16, the LYON went aground again in the Chicago River between the Randolph Street bridge and the Lake Street bridge. She was released the following day. She was moved into the main river, where she collided with the schooner JONES, which was lying at the coal dock. The steamer carried away the schooner's jibboom and bowsprit, besides damaging her stem. The steamer escaped with little or no_ injury. During the grounding, however, she did damage her wheel which was replaced in Buffalo at the Mill's & Company Drydock on August 11. The new wheel was built by H.G. Trout of the King Iron Works. On the night of October 2, while outbound loaded with coal from Buffalo to Chicago, the steamer collided with the canal boat VICTOR, which lay at the Sturges elevator in Buffalo River. The VICTOR was so badly damaged that a tug had to beach her to prevent the canal boat from sinking. Again the LYON suffered no damage. Originally the blame for the incident was placed on the VICTOR for failure to display a light while at the dock. However, through court litigation, the fault was determined to be the LYON, and Captain Frank Perew was ordered to pay $500, although the owner of the VICTOR, Mr. Miles Case, had sued for $800. Captain Perew. unhappy with the decision. appealed the case. The legal battle that ensued lasted for 9 years and ended in 1890 with the court ordering Captain Perew to pay Mr. Case $1,300. The additional $800 was to defray Mr. Case's cost through the litigation. On the 12th, the steamer experienced another mishap. While passing up the Chicago River she went around in the draw of the Division St. bridge. Tugs were called out and they worked on her the entire day but were unable to release her. A lighter was brought in and about 100 tons of coal were taken off. This proved insufficient. The following day, an additional 200 tons of coal were lightered. The steamer was then pulled free, and brought to her dock to unload. The blame for this incident was placed on the poor work of the dredging companies in achieving the proper depth in the channels. a w e