Wadena (Steamboat), 24 Sep 1891

The steam-yacht WADENA has been supplied with a full outfit of Coston night signals. This is the first lake yacht to carry these signals. The Saginaw Steel Steamship Company owning the MACKINAW and KEWEENAW, built on the lakes, have ordered a distinguishing Coston signal consisting of a green light followed by a red and a white star throw" 50 feet.
      The Marine Review
      September 24, 1891


      Cleveland Matters - Fifteen miles an hour is the speed performance of the steel steam yacht WADENA, between Long point and the Welland canal. The engines did not get warm and everything worked satisfactorily.
      The Marine Review
      November 5, 1891


Six O'Connell & Cahill lubricators were fitted on the engines of the steam yacht WADENA before she left Cleveland for the Atlantic. One was put on subject to approval, with provisions that others should be shipped to the coast, but it worked so satisfactorily that the others were ordered at once. Three Minnesota boats, the C.B. LOCKWOOD, PONTIAC and several other steamers have been supplied. The Continental Machine Company is local agent for the lubricator.
      The Marine Review
      November 19, 1891

Ogdensburg, N.Y., Dec. 3 - The steel steam yacht WADENA was hauled out on the Ogdensburg marine railway here and was pontooned by Geo. Hall & Co. The pontoons, 40 by 14 feet made of pine, were placed under her stern, and the yacht's draft was changed from 7 feet forward and 10 feet 9 inches aft to 7 feet 6 inches and 8 feet respectively. She left here Sunday and rail the Galoup rapids Monday. This was a test for the pontoons but they never budged. Vice-president Wallace of the Cleveland Ship Building Company and Capt James. Lowe, who took command of the yacht here in place of Sereno Dayton, said that it was a most exciting experience. After the pontooned WADENA had passed through twenty-seven locks she reached Lachine basin and the pontoons were released. From there to Quebec Engineer Smith made a nice run, turning up 15 miles an hour with 100 pounds of steam and arriving there Saturday. She left Monday for Boston with James Lowe as master and Bernier as pilot. It is expected that she will reach Boston next Monday. Within twenty-four hours after Mr. Wallace arrived forty men were at work on pontoons.
      The Marine Review
      December 3, 1891


      THE WADENA.
An illustration of the steel steam yacht WADENA, built by the Cleveland Ship Building Company and owned by J. H. Wade of Cleveland, accompanies this issue. The boat, which left Cleveland some time ago for a trip around the world, is now crossing the Atlantic on a southerly course by the Bahamas, and it was expected that she would be heard from at Nassau, but there is as yet no cable established from that point. The yacht goes on to Sicily to meet her owner and family.
The New York Herald in describing the arrival of the WADENA at that port says: "At Tebo's wharf, foot of Twenty-sixth street, South Brooklyn, many of the largest steam yachts in the country are laid up for the winter. Imagine the surprise of the old salts who look after the yachts there to see a large steam yacht come into the basin, where the only yacht that is known to be still in commission is Mr. Hearst's Vamoose. None could make her out, but that she was pretty and new there was no mistake. Finally Mr. Tebo satisfied curiosity by saying that she was the WADENA, owned by Mr. J. H. Wade Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, and that she was built on the lakes and had come through the canal on pontoons.
"The WADENA is a beauty. She was built by the Cleveland Ship Building Company and is of steel, schooner rigged and driven by triple expansion engines. Her principal dimensions are as follows: Length over all 165 feet; length on water line, 145 feet; beam 2 1 feet; depth of hold, 10 feet, and draught, 11 feet. She has fine, easy lines and certainly looks as well as any yacht in the basin, which is saying a good deal, and reflects credit on her designer, Mr. A. Angstrum, and her builders. The only fault found was that she had too little freeboard - in other words, she sat too low in the water. She is painted white, with teak trimmings, and has a very giddy figurehead in the shape of a gilt mermaid which, in the matter of costume, would make Diana of the Tower blush with envy. First of all you come to the forward. cabin or chart house, over which is the captain's bridge, which is fitted with a patent steam steering gear, and commands a view of the whole ship. The chart room is an airy and pleasant place, being panelled in mahogany, and fitted with plate glass windows. A settee covered with rich material forms a half circle around the room, and in mild weather it will make a delightful lounging and smoking room. A carved mahogany stairway leads down to the forward saloon or library, which takes up, the whole width of the ship. This is finished in white mahogany handsomely carved and polished, Well filled bookcases line the walls. A daintily carved writing desk is suddenly let into view by pressing a spring. Carved over it are the words. "The sea and air are common to all men." A handsome dome of ground glass admits light as do six portholes. At night six electric lights and numerous candelabra make the room very bright. Tile seats around the room are covered with salmon colored tapestry in which roses form a graceful pattern. On the port side is Dr. Powell's room which is fitted with every possible convenience and like the other rooms on this deck is finished in white mahogany. Dr. Powell will accompany Mr. Wade's party on their trip around the world.
"A hallway on the starboard side leads to the room which will be occupied by Mr. Wade's two little boys. Like most of the other rooms it contains two beds, folding washstand, clothes press And dresser. The woodwork is of white mahogany, while the sides are hung with blue silk tapestry. Opposite the hall, on the port side, is the room which Miss Wade and her maid will use. It is a trifle larger than the boys' quarters, has more closet room and is finished in rose colored tapestry. Before Miss Wade's room is reached the gun case is seen, and it is well filled with cutlasses, revolvers, rifles and shotguns, which may come in handy down in the South Seas. Next comes the owner's stateroom on the starboard side. The mahogany is elaborately carved. It has a double bed, a large bureau, roomy closet and movable reading desk and washstand. A porcelain lined bath, with hot and cold water, is beneath the floor 'of the room. A steel safe
The interior metal work of the yacht is of oxidized silver of unique patterns. Aft of the chart room on the main deck is the captain's stateroom, which is tastefully fitted up. Next is the main or dining saloon, which is one of the prettiest apartments in the yacht. It is finished in polished red mahogany, and the table and seats are of the same wood. The latter are simple and handsome, The table can seat eight persons. At the after end of the saloon set in the wall is a handsome wine closet and cooler, which is connected with the refrigerator in the butler's pantry adjoining the main cabin. The butler's pantry is filled with glass and china enough to start a hotel. A dumb waiter leads waiter leads to the cook's galley below. The WADENA will not carry any ice in its refrigerator but will use an ice machine. A handsome piano is one of the ornaments of the main saloon, on which you can see delightful little cupids blowing their pipes. Underneath the dining saloon are the officers and crew's mess and state rooms, which are fairly roomy and comfortable and well equipped for the long journey which the men will take.
"Briefly speaking the WADENA is a vessel of 198.71 gross tons and 74.81 tons net. She is built of steel from one-half to onequarter of an inch in thickness with heavy frames of same. Her decks are steel, covered with wood. Her cabins are of steel plate, covered with teak. She has six water tight compartments and water ballast tanks with a capacity of eighteen tons. She has very heavy machinery for her size, and should be able to make the eighteen knots which her builders claim. She is fitted with a triple expansion engine having cylinders 15 ½, 26 and 42 inches in diameter and 22 inches stroke of piston. She has an independent air pump, circulating feed and bilge pumps. She is fitted with electric lights throughout, a forced draught fan and a complete distilling apparatus, combined with fresh water tanks with a capacity of 1,500 gallons, In addition she has a steam windlass and capstans. Her boiler is of Scotch type, 12 feet 6 inches in diameter by 12 feet 8 inches long. There are three furnaces 39 1/2 inches in diameter, with grates 6 ½ feet long, and 234 tubes 3 inches by 9 feet. She also has auxiliary boilers for running the ice machine and electric lights. She carries four boats, consisting of the captain's gig, a naptha and steam launch, and dingy and metallic life boat. Twenty-six men including the officers and crew are required to run the WADENA. Her skipper is J.C. Collamore, formerly of the steam yacht CORA; Mate J. Crosby; Second Mate, Harvey Hayman; Chief Engineer, F. B. Smith; First Assistant Engineer, William H. Leavy, and Second Assistant Engineer, William Kohl. Two cooks and two stewards will look after the wants of the travelers. Two coal passers, two oilers, arid two firemen will be employed in the machinery department, while a quartermaster and five men will have charge of the deck."
      The Marine Review
      January 28, 1892