EMPIRE

EMPIRE

Built 1844, at Cleveland, O.

HULL, of wood, constructed by Capt. George W. Jones. Length on water line 251 feet; over all 260 feet.

ENGINE, inclined Low Pressure, below deck, built by the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Co., Cleveland, O. Diameter of cylinder 35 inches, by 10 feet stroke of piston. Horse power 600.

BOILERS, six, of iron, locomotive type, constructed by Spang & Co., Pittsburgh, PA. Length of each 26 1/2 feet; diameter 4 1/2 feet, each containing 22 flues, 6 inches in diameter, 20 1/2 feet in length, offering a fire surface of 5000 square feet. Fuel, wood.

WHEELS, 28 feet in diameter; buckets 12 feet in length

TONNAGE 1136

A notable vessel, being the first steamboat built in the United States to measure over 1000 tons, and was, at the time she came out, 200 tons larger than any other steam vessel in the World. Instead of the round, bluff bow and square stern of the usual build of lake boats at that period, the EMPIRE had an excellent model, being sharp at both ends. She was the fastest as well as the most elegantly fitted up boat on the Great Lakes.

Her best time during her first year was 20 hours and 25 minutes from Detroit to Buffalo, and 12 hours and 44 minutes from Cleveland to Buffalo.

She ran for many years between Buffalo and Chicago and was afterwards used on the Buffalo and Toledo route. Later she was converted into a propeller.

• Lake Erie
  Ontario, Canada
  

  Latitude: 42.454166 Longitude: -81.121388