Erie Railroad Lakes Line - Steamers OWEGO, BROWNELL
ERIE LAKE LINE STEAMER "GEORGE F. BROWNELL."
From the May, 1914 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
ERIE RAILROAD LAKE LINE DIVISION.
Interesting Data Concerning Steamers "Owego" and "George F. Brownell."
By H. C. Snyder, Assistant General Freight Agent, Chicago.
In the year 1888 there were built in Buffalo by the Union Dry Dock Co.,
then and until 1900 an Erie Railroad property, for the Union Steamboat Company, as the Erie Lake Line was then known, two ships, sisters in all respects and named "Owego" and "Chemung." These two ships created nothing short of a furor among marine men and the interest then aroused has continued unabated to this day. Not only were they a radical departure from previous types, but they were the largest ships then afloat on the Great Lakes. It was claimed that their failure was freely predicted. That these ideas were erroneous is a matter of history.
But, the twins had other claims to fame. Their graceful lines and ship-shape rig, attracted general interest and unusual attention and their speed was far and away in advance of anything then afloat in the trade. There was not even a passenger ship on the lakes at that time, their equal in that respect. They have never yielded the pennant to this day to any freighter. They have repeatedly covered the distance between Chicago and Buffalo, eastbound, 893 miles, in 52 hours, or at the rate of 17.2 miles per hour average for the whole distance. Since over certain portions of the course, as in the St. Clair and Detroit rivers and across Lake St. Clair, full speed cannot be maintained, it follows that in the open lake the speed was considerably higher.
The ships are 350 ft. long, 42 ft. beam and 25 ft. deep. They are built very much heavier and stronger than called for by present-day practice; in fact, the amount of material worked into their hulls is a disadvantage in some respects, because its effect is a reduction in carrying capacity. They are considered the best built ships ever turned out of a lake shipyard and after their years of service their hulls are in practically as good condition as when they left the yard.
They originally carried six boilers each, but about the year 1896 three boilers were removed from each ship, effecting a marked saving in fuel and a considerable gain in carrying capacity. Their engines are splendid examples of marine engineering construction. They were built by the Quintard Iron Works, New York, and show no effects of their years of strenuous service. The rirst breakdown has yet to be scored against them. They were the first triple-expansion engines to be fitted in a lake-built ship and, as built, had cylinders 28, 42 1/2 and 72 inches diameter and 54 inches stroke. Their indicated horse power was about 3000.
STEAMER "OWEGO" OF THE ERIE'S LAKE LINE DIVISION
In 1912 the three old boilers were removed from the Owego and she was given two new boilers 14 ft. 6 inches in diameter, 11 ft. 3 inches long between heads, and fitted with mechanical heated draft. These boilers are noteworthy, in that the shells are constructed of only two plates, which are the largest ever rolled in the United States, and, in fact, represented the limit of rolling-mill capacity. The plates are each 23 ft. long and 11 ft 8 inches in width, 1 3/16 inches thick, and were made by the Worth Bros. Co., Coatesville, Pa. The design was prepared by Mr. H. Penton, Superintending Engineer to the Lake Line, and it is of interest to note that it has been adopted extensively by others, though not yet in sizes equal to the Owego. The engines were also reduced to 24, 38 and 63 inches diameter, their valve gear altered and other changes made and the results were little short of wonderful. The coal consumption fell at once from 256 tons per trip to 154 tons, with an increase in speed of 0.35 miles per hour.
The results were so gratifying, that in 1913 Mr. Penton also took in hand the "Chemung," whose name was changed at the same time to "George F. Brownell," in honor of one of the Erie's vice-presidents. The results in her case were still more striking. The fuel fell from 275 tons per trip to 144 tons, a reduction of 48%, and the speed increased 0.05 mile per hour above the "Owego." In the performance chart printed in the February Magazine, these two ships are numbered 4 and 5. The present difference in the two ships is accounted for entirely by the propellers, a new screw having been designed for the "Brownell" while the "Owego" retains her old screw.
With the new equipment the ships have become more famous than ever since careful observations show them to be not only the fastest, but also the most economical ships of their class on the Great Lakes, or elsewhere.
The seaworthy qualities of the twins have been tested in many a gale and in the terrible storm of November 10, 1913, when so many fine modern ships were lost, and within several instances their entire crews, the "Brownell" had a trying experience, but came through without a dollar's worth of damage to herself or the slightest injury to any member of her crew, a tribute, not only to the splendid weather qualities of the ship, but to her personnel, as well.
Both ships have been given new houses throughout within the last year, same containing every provision for the comfort and convenience of their officers and crews. Beginning with the bridge, it will be noted that the watch officer is protected from the weather by a completely enclosed pilot-house, which can be thrown practically open in fine weather by lowering windows. Below this is the regulation pilot-house, unusually roomy and comfortable. Aft of the pilot-house is the captain's quarters with sleeping room, office, bath and toilet. In the lower house the mates are quartered on one side forward and the wheelsmen (or, as they are called at sea, "quartermasters") on the other. Bath and toilet are also fitted for their use. Across the after end of this house extend two large private rooms with communicating bath and toilet for the accommodation of the guests of the line.
In the midship deckhouse the deck-hands are quartered on one side and the firemen on the other, with shower and toilet between.
Forward of the engine hatch the chief engineer and first assistant engineer have each a large room with bath and toilet accommodation.
The rest of the crew -- cooks, oilers, lookouts, etc. -- are provided for alongside the engine trunk. Sanitary facilities are profuse; in fact, sanitation is a watchword with Erie President Underwood. All floors in houses are of Byerlite, a sanitary, germ-proof and fire and waterproof composition. A revolving hood ventilator, which can be turned from within the room, is fitted on every room on the ship. In the master's, mates', engineers' and guest rooms, beds are of brass and all others iron. Running water is provided for all.
The galley, dining room, mess room and refrigerator are located in the after house and are unusually well lighted and airy.
An unusual and interesting feature, not only of the "Owego" and "Brownell," but, of all the ships of the line which have undergone alterations, is the revolution in stoke-hold conditions. The old days of dark, dirty and hot stoke-holds are gone. Besides the fact that the greatly reduced fuel consumption has lessened the labors of the firemen, the fans which supply air to the heated draft system draw their supply from the stoke-hold and thus exhaust the hot and dust-laden air and deliver it to the air heaters and thence to the furnaces. In such a ship as the "Brownell," for example, the fan draws about 10,000 cubic feet of air per minute from the stoke-hold and this must be replaced by cool air, which comes down through the air shafts to the stoke-hold floor, so that the temperature of the stoke-hold is never uncomfortably high. The dust arising from breaking coal and from cleaning fires and hauling ashes is also quickly removed, and, in fact, the conditions now existing are much better than in most plants ashore.
In the new plans the stoke-holds are roomy and clean and as different from the old and familiar conditions as can be imagined. It is of no consequence whether there is a breeze or not; the fan compels the air to flow to the stoke-hold and so creates a breeze at the right spot. Altogether, the two sisters fulfill all the requirements of beauty, not only as to externals, but also in respect of the old adage, "Handsome is as handsome does."
The picture of the "Brownell," taken last year as she was passing through the St. Clair River, shows how well founded is the judgment of marine men, that the two sisters are the handsomest ships on the Great Lakes.
I am indebted to Mr. H. Penton for the valuable data descriptive of the boats mentioned in this article.
Postscript from the January, 1917 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
The George F. Brownell, renamed the Chemung after passing into the hands of the Harby Steamship Co. of New York, was torpedoed and sunk off Cabo de Gato on the Mediterranean coast of Spain on November 28, 1916. The Austrian U-Boat took the survivors' lifeboats in tow, conducting them to within five miles of the Spanish coast. No fatalities were reported (P. 650-651). The date is given as Nov. 26, 1916 in "Great Lakes Ships We Remember II," by Rev. Peter Van Der Linden, Freshwater Press, Cleveland, 1991. Van Der Linden gives the location of sinking as 36 deg 37 min, N 1 deg 35 min W, off Cabo de Gato.
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