Model built for Pittsburgh Exposition
Worked
all night on rudders on Steamer Hawk. Helped put her in the river. On
her way up she sunk in the 4th pool. She was a total loss. The Hawk is
one of the last old-time 22 ft. boats.
The steamer
John W. Ailes exploded her boilers and burnt to the water, we rebuild
her at the Ways, finished in April 1902, and she was named Ranger.
The miniature
1/2 inch scale model barges, coal boat, coal barges, coal flats, cold
boat bottoms, and a replica of the Steamer Sprague and a miniature
bridge were built at the Elizabeth Marine Ways August 1908. These were
first on exhibition at the Pittsburgh Exposition 1908 - 1909. The barges
and other coal craft were hitched into the Steamer Sprague representing
the largest tow that ever went down the Ohio River. They were exhibited
in a large shallow tank of water, they were all loaded with coal and
passing under the bridge. This display was put on by the Monongahela
River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company and were installed ready for
public inspection by John Wiegel, John Morgan, and myself. Later they
were exhibited in Europe: London, Paris and Rome, after which they came
back to the Ways. The bridge and coal craft are still at the ways in
1926. The Steamer Sprague is in the offices of Pittsburgh Coal Co.,
Oliver building, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Three of the men that help
build these models are gone from all hard work - Frank Worchester,
George Balsinger, Herb Wiegel (all dead). The others that are still
living are William Packard, John Morgan (dead), and myself.
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