Ste. Marie (Propeller), 16 Feb 1893

The mammoth car ferry and ice crusher STE. MARIE, built by the Detroit Drydock Co. for the Michigan Central, Grand Rapids & Indiana and Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroads for transferring cars across the Straits of Mackinac, will be launched at 4:00 this afternoon from the company's shipyard, foot of Orleans St. It will be an "end" launch, the huge vessel going into the water stern foremost. About 1,000 invitations have been issued.
      The following dimensions of the new boat are furnished by the builders: Length of keel, 269 ft. 6 in.; moulded on deck, 302 ft.; breadth, 51 ft. 6 in.; depth, moulded, 24 ft.; draught of water, 17 ft.; capacity 18 loaded freight cars; speed 15 miles per hour. The engines are vertivcal compound; forward engine, diameter of cylinders 28 and 52; stroke, 40; propeller, diameter 10 ft. 6 in.; after engine, diameter of cylinders 32 and 58; stroke, 48; propeller, diameter, 12 ft. The boilers are 4 in number, double ended cylindrical; mean diameter, 11 ft. 6 inches; length 18 ft.; working pressure, 120 pounds.
      Detroit News
      February 16, 1893