After 1915

These are pictures of the Elizabeth Marine Ways, after 1915, which is my best estimate. To identify these pictures I compared the buildings in each and then used those that have a very visible roof top sign as the positive identifier.

To view a larger image click on that particular image, for a brief description of the image place your cursor on the image.

Many of these pictures are from the collection of the Elizabeth Marine Ways, I will identify these pictures with EMW.

The photo above shows five boats on the yard at Elizabeth Marine Ways. I have used the entry in JW's journal dated December 2, 1917 to December 22, 1917 to help identify the boats that are shown, along with the fact that three of the names are visible. During the dates given these five boats docked in the following order and are shown in the photo as the first docked being in the highest position; VOYAGER, MONITOR, BERTHA, FALLIE, AND VULCAN.

Starting from the bottom of the yard;

The VULCAN is the key to dating this photo as being December 22/23, 1917 as this boat was in on December 22nd and out on December 23rd.

The FALLIE docked on December 20, 1917, JW does not write the date this boat is back in the water.

BERTHA docked on December 6, and is back to work prior to January 2, 1918 when she is in Fayette City needing additional repair work.

The MONITOR docked on December 3, 1917 needing extensive repairs after sinking. This boat is back in the water on February 2, 1918.

The VOYAGER docked on December 2, 1917 for a new hull, this work is not completed until August 31, 1918. The photos below show the VOYAGER still has the upper position during April 1918.

The ice floating in the river, as seen in the photo above, is an indicator of the period from December 1917 into February 1918 which JW describes as the worst winter with the thickest ice he had ever seen. This winter weather had just started when the photo above was taken.

This photo is labeled as being taken at the Elizabeth Marine Ways in 1918. The boats lined up from the river bank have two with names showing, the VOYAGER on top and BERTHA in the middle which is a similar order as the description above. Their is more snow visible in this photo than the photo above which to me means it was not taken on the same day as the photo above but several days later, after one of the storms JW writes about in his journal.

These four photos, dated April 1918, show the Steamers VOYAGER, KEYSTONE, ROBERT JENKINS, and TRANSIT at the Elizabeth Marine Ways.

JW documents these boats being at EMW during this month with the following entries in his journal:

The VOYAGER docks on December 2, 1917 for a new hull, this boat is back in the river August 31, 1918.

The KEYSTONE docks on February 5, 1918, as the W. C. JUTTE, for extensive repairs. This boat was owned by the Keystone Sand Company, according to Ways Towboat Directory the name change took place during April 1917, but the photos show the name change taking place with the final piece of the name still not installed during April 1918. JW lists various repairs on March 24, 1918 with the boat towed away on April 27, 1918.

The ROBERT JENKINS sinks in heavy ice on January 28, 1918 and is not docked for repairs until March 14, 1918. JW notes that repair work is completed during May 1918.

The TRANSIT is at the Ways on March 20, 1918 with repairs completed on April 27, 1918.

The four photos below are dated the same as the four above, April 19, 1918, with the difference being that they are taken from the riverbank looking back at the Elizabeth Marine Ways. The significance of the date, April 19, 1918, is that a strike was in progress at EMW which had started April 1 and ended April 23. This explains why their is no work in progress on this Friday the 19th.

All eight of the above photos are from the collection of Captain Robert Eberhart.