250 ( L c l c s c o n c 1
VOL. 4 A U Q U S T 1 9 5 5 N 0 . 8
Oil painting of Mackinaw Boat "Wabesi" By Oliver A. Birge, 1938 Description p.3; plans p.8
KIRBY LAKE ERIE STEAMERS, p.If PORT OF ST. JOSEPH, MICH. p. 11 2
3 * 1t z t a p t R. H. Davison, J.F.. Johnston, PUBLISHED BY ASSOClCtG ^ tOP E d i t o r : G reat L akes M o del Shipbuilders' G u il d Membership $3,00 bille isle dctboit7.micmgam Subscription $2.50 Supported in part by the Detroit Historical Society.
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The Fourth Annual Model Exhibition of the Great Lakes Model Shipbuilders* Guild will be held on Monday and Tuesday, August 22nd and 23rd, aboard the J. T. WING as in past years. Since much of the work in setting up, maintaining and taking down the exhibit must be done by Guild members, those members who will be free to assist on those days and on the preceding Sunday evening will be appreciated for the services they may render.
The next meeting of the Guild will be held on Tuesday night, August 23rd, after the conclusion of the exhibition.
In Memoriam: Mrs. Joseph E. Johnston
It is with deep regret that the members of the Guild learn of the death of Mrs. Johnston on Thursday, July ?th. Despite the disturbances of museum affairs, magnified by their proximity to the Johnston household in quarters aboard the J.T. WING, Mrs. Johnston was a patient and gracious hostess to members of the Guild, both as they met collectively at Guild meetings and worked indivi dually upon their own projects at the museum. The success of the Guild and of the Museum together Is due almost wholly to the efforts of the Johnstons; her passing leaves a void which cannot be filled.
G.P.R. THE GUI ID
ORGANIZED IN 1952 TO LOCATE, ACQUIRE. AND PRESERVE INFORMATION AND OBJECTS RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF SHIPPING ON THE GREAT LAKES AND TO MAKE SAME AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE MUSEUM OF GREAT LAKES HISTORY AND THE COLUMNS OF TELESCOPE. THE CONSTRUCTION OF AUTHENTIC SCALE MODELS OF GREAT LAKES SHIPS IS ONE OF THE PRIME OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION. WHICH HAS BROUGHT INTO BEING THE LARGEST EXISTING COLLECTION OF MODELS OF THESE SHIPS. THE MUSEUM OF GREAT LAKES HISTORY. LOCATED ON THE SHORE OF BELLE ISLE. IN DETROIT. IS OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND THE REPOSITORY OF ALL OF ITS HOLDINGS. THE GUILD IS INCORPORATED AS AN ORGANIZATION FOR NO PROFIT UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. NO MEMBER RECEIVES ANY COMPENSATION FOR HIS SERVICES. DONATIONS TO THE GUILD ARE DEDUCTIBLE FOR TAX INCOME PURPOSES. ------OFFICERS
Robert H.Davison,.... President. John F.Miller,••.Vice President. Joseph E.Johnston,Sec-Treas. DIRECTORS
Robert L.Ruhl,...... Detroit. Walter Massey,..LaSalle,Ontario. JohnK. Helge sen,...... Detroit. Leo M.Flagler, • .Windsor, Ontario. Frank Slyker,•••• .East Detroit. Donn Chown,••••••••••••.Detroit. SKELETON OF MACKINAW BOAT The "Wabesi" was painted white, and boasted snow-white sails, wholly LIES ROTTING ON HESSEL BAY untouched by the hemlock bark color By John T. Nevill ing of that era, and this, coupled with her graceful stance in the wat er, gave her her Indian name, "Wab esi," which means the swan. (Taken from a clipping in the Sault Her sails, incidentally, were Ste. Marie, Michigan Evening News, controlled by single halyards, one Thursday, January 17, 1952). line serving for both peak and thr oat, and this applied to either HESSEL, Mich.------The Twenty-six mast. Her sides were pine, over foot Mackinaw boat, "Wabesi," which cedar ribs. Her knees also were performed a noble service to the cedar while her keel, stern post, hardy and venturesome Les Cheneaux and bow post were oak. pioneers of 75 years ago, lies in The man who owns the "Wabesi's" rotting fragments on a Hessel Bay few remaining remnants is John Osog- beach, but thanks to the imagination win, pioneer Hessel resident, who and interest of a Hessel artist she will be 73 years old in March. The lives on in blue-print form. craft was left by John Osogwin's The artist is Oliver Birge, whose father, Joseph Osogwin, who owned it oil paintings and murals are widely for at least 60 years prior to his known throughout the midwest, and death in 1915* This the boat, now the blue-prints, made by Birge, are about 106 years old, has been in the believed to be the only set of scale possession of the Osogwin family for drawings in the world of a genuine 96 years. Great Lakes Mackinaw boat. Birge, who devoted almost a year In Fur Trade. of work to gathering the information and perfecting the prints, selected Although little is known of the The "Wabesi," because her rotting "Wabesi's" early history, John Osog keel, ribs, knees, bow and stern win assumes she was used to some ex posts are on property of a neighbor tent in the fur trade, which then who was her last owner. But it was a was seeing its last days of import fitting selection, because for many ance on Mackinac Island. That being years the "Wabesi" was the Les Chen as it may, she was acquired by Jos eaux area's only link with the out eph Osogwin when he was 15 years side world. old, and Joseph died in 1915 at the Built by the Shaneys, a family of age of 75. boat builders in St. Ignace, about Joseph Osogwin, as a young man, 18^5, the "Wabesi" was 26 feet long, was employed by William Wendell, one with a seven foot six inch beam. Be of a group of brothers, who were ing a Mackinaw, she was a double- county officials with headquarters ender, with a fairly flat bottom, in the then county seat on the Is wide cheeks at bow, a narrow fore land. By the time he acquired the front, and a long, narrow stern. Mackinaw boat, John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company was beginning Two Masts. its end. So young Joseph sailed the "Wabesi" to Big Bay de Noquet, pick She had two masts, both easily ed up a wife at Nahma, and ultimate demountable through a system of col ly settled near Hessel in Les Chen lars and locking pins, and many's eaux. the time the masts were removed to In Les Cheneaux, the "Wabesi" was be used as rollers in beaching the used mostly in the fishing trade, craft. Her main-mast towered twenty- but the early homesteaders were bad seven feet from keel to top, while ly in need of a more convenient mode her fore-mast was about three feet of travel to markets where they shorter. Both were tapered, and could buy supplies and provisions. shaped to almost perfect roundness with draw-knives. Continued on page 7 3 THE LAKE ERIE SIDEWHEELERS OF FRANK E^ KIRBY
by Gordon P. Bugbee
III. The Influence of Aesthetics Upon Design.
Although the influence of by fashionable borrowings from aesthetics upon design is per familiar sources. I t s sole haps more obvious than the con conventional exterior decora siderations we have just dis tions are the lathed stanchions cussed, it remains last since of the promenades, the carved it is almost wholly dependent wood paddle box decorations upon the preceding considera (absent in the Kirby vessels), tions. Like most ships the the panelled surfaces of cabins steamer is one of the most (also absent), and the carved functionally determined struc wood bow piece (which is per tures in spite of its trim haps an outgrowth of the figure mings. As with any ship, the head of sailing craft). This designer is limited in the ex design purity occurs probably tent to which he can arbitra because there was no establish rily mould and embellish the ed visual criterion of speed to steamer, because of probable be copied. Paradoxically in conflict with the operation of recent times when design has the ship. With these conditions generally been purified of imi the exterior of the steamer re tations, marine design has em mains generally plain and un phasized "streamlining” beyond adorned, while the interior em its functional demands - some bellishment becomes mere face times even subjugating function lifting, necessary for impres to appearance - to convince a sing the patronage upon which speed-conscious age that a the economic success of the facelifted structure i s steamer is dependent. "modern." Blanket condemnation of the trend is not justifiable, A ship is streamlined to for streamlining is often a some degree to permit a smooth useful artistic means of ex flow of water and air around pressing motion through develop its moving form, so that it ing the inherrent contours of appears to be fashioned by the the ship, but it is to be con wind, but its aerodynamic re demned where it tries to make quirements are less restrictive the ship something foreign to upon design than t h o se of its nature. faster-moving land a n d air craft. Thus, its appearance The appearance of the spontaneously expresses motion, steamer is^determined by an in partly by mental association terpretation of her structure with its function as a moving and placement of spaces and body, but also by thepeculiar functions in a balanced form. treatment of its lines and con 'Oiat is not to say that design tours. Despite i t s dated is an automatic process. The appearance, the steamer is a ship seems to fall into a lo strangely-original product of gical, predefined pattern, but an age otherwise characterized only the designer’s skill can 5 mould this pattern with a from a heavy concentration of pleasing and successful aesthe superstructure and funnels tic effect. The principal toward the bow, gradually fan characteristic is the ship’s ning out laterally amidships to sheer— the slight dip of the envelope the paddles, and deckline amidships countering finally tapering off toward the the danger of "hogging,” hence stern. The curved trunk dome a functional determination — over the grand salon, penetra whose graceful sweep is rein ted only by the funnel casings forced by the arc-like shadow and ventilator units, lends of the guards hiding the hull unity to the whole scheme, its behind the high bow, and by the opposing arc visually reinforc reverse arc of the water’s sur ing the effect of sheer. The face in the wake of the churn mass of ventilator units ing paddle wheels. Added to softens the drop in height aft of the funnels, and balances Forward End of Main Salon the funnels against the pilot SEEANDBEE house. The funnel embodied 1913 most of the forward concentra tion of mass in WESTERN STATES and its Kirby predecessors, sharing little emphasis with the low pilot house mass. The trend reversed in CITY OF CLEVELAND III and culminated in GREATER BUFFALO and GREATER DETROIT, where the pilot house mass rose three decks to lead off and join in emphasis with the central massj and the bow was visually heightened by a canopy deck structure archi tectonically formalizing the canvas canopy used to shade the foredeck. The bow carving was redesigned to lead off this canopy effectively. The closed- in main deck cargo area visual ly helps to lift the bow and contrasts with the open prome nade around the dining room and lobby astern. On GREATER DE TROIT the promenade is drawn forward to the paddle wheels, this, but more noticeable in visually lengthening the super the interior, is the deck structure and giving purpose to "camber” — the slight rise in what was before an unbalanced the deck toward the centerline sag astern. The sheltered deck falling off athwartships to areas and promenades encircling drain water accumulation, also "B" and "C" decks and termina a functional determination. ting "D" Deck may contribute The two characteristics give more to the shape of the vessel distinctive, almost organic than the cabins themselves , shape to the ship, where hardly which appear out of the shadows a straight line can be found forward to define the sides of except in the vertical. A the ship, and disappear into "surging" effect is derived shadows once again astern. o
"steamboat white” in the Nine ties to adopt a distinctive color scheme. Although the red- and-black funnels of the D & C steamers reverted to solid black, dark green replaced white in the hull and main deck anticipating the daring green hulled Cunarder CARONIA by fifty years— while the cabins became cream colored, tritamed in white. The C & B Line kept the green hull through most of its existence, but the D & C Corner, of the Qothic Room Line soon took on a black hull C u r of Detroit m and eventually carried black I3 IS . trimming up to ”D” Deck level, These open areas possess form providing effective contrast defined by the edges of the against the cream cabins and decks themselves and by the avoiding a dingy, "washed out” rows of supporting stanchions, appearance. Only in 1949 did so that they seem to carry up two D & C steamers again ven the surfaces begun by the metal ture white hulls, one merely sheathing of the Main Deck, for a single season. Indeed, they seem to symbolize the light construction of the But the most fascinating as superstructure. pect of the steamer was the splendor of its public rooms. The visual impression of the The sidewheeler fundamentally steamer varies according to the had an inexpensive superstruc angle from which it is seen? ture, and its economic purpose shallow sluggishness in a bow- and environment dictated costly on view; surging massiveness embellishment to make it re fading sharply aft in a view spectable, if not beautiful. from off to one side; sleek The concept of the wants of the elongation in the broadside travelling public had changed view; and in the stern view, slowly in the last century, and power reflected in the turbu even in this century promenad lent paddle wheel wake and the ing and sitting were the prin billowing smoke which seems to cipal passenger activities the push the mass ahead. Contem steamer had to satisfy, so the porary postcards and advertise interior gave the traveller ments exaggerated the bow and something to look at. The fi elongated the stern with a de nery of a means of transporta ceptive perspective suggesting tion which was aimed at low- greater size; the artists cap cost mass transportation seems tured the impression, but they inconsistent, bdt in a competi failed to understand the shape tive transportation market, of the vessel. Yet their sug this combination— a low fare gestion may have prompted the and a reputation for a handsome trend in Kirby*s works from the grand salon— was necessary to low pilot honse of * WESTERN attract patronage. The magic STATES to the lofty pilot house names of steamboat entrepre of GREATER DETROIT. neurs like Jim Fish, Commodore Vanderbilt and Daniel Drew, Kirby’s Lake Erie steamers abandoned the conventional Continued on page 12 7 "As I recall it, it was in Oct MACKINAW BOAT ober or November, and anything could Continued from page 3 happen five miles out on the lake in that season. We worked most of the So the "Wabesi11, operated by Joseph morning lifting our nets, but the Osogwin and his sons began plying first part of the storm hit before between Hessel and Mackinac Island, we finished. thus becoming Les Cheneaux1 first transportation service. Out of Northwest This was a risky and haphazard service at best but it represented a "When we got the "Wabesi" loaded, vast improvement over the Indiar. her gun'ales were just a matter of trail which led north out of Hessel inches above the water, and the wav toward Pickford and the Sault. Old es were washing over. The storm came Hans Martensen, for example, who was suddenly out of the northwest, and one of the homesteaders, and who was the sea became white with churned not many years removed from Copen water. The sky blackened all of a hagen, Denmark, had lugged his cook sudden, then the black sky formed stove down the trail from the Sault into clusters of black, and three on his backJ huge waterspouts appeared and headed into the lake. Thriving Business. "Two of them came out of Prentiss Bay, and the other came out of Beav So the 26 foot Mackinaw, which er Tail Bay. My father kept busy could carry at least a ton of sup changing tack to dodge those spouts, plies, or from 15 to 20 people, was but he ordered my brother, Joe, to a most welcome addition to the area, stand ready to cut the halyards in and the Osogwin’s did a thriving case one of them got too close. Th business. When she wasn't headed to or from ose are the only water spouts I've ever seen in my life, and they near Mackinac Island, the "Wabesi" was taken out to Inver or lift the Osog ly scared the devil out of me. "Oh, we got in with our fish, al win nets on Martin’s Reef, or some right, but it was nip-and-tuck all other likely spot, and more often the way." than not she'd tack her way back to John Osogwin, need it be said, Hessel loaded to her gun'ales with furnished Oliver Birge with much of trout. Joseph Osogwin was a skilled his information about the "Wabesi," sailorman and he'd think nothing of her dimensions and equipment. loading the "Wabesi" until her "free-board" was reduced to no more than one foot, then heading to Hes sel in a rough sea. The Osogwins, however, didn't always operate out of Hessel. Some times, when fishing was particularly lively, they would camp' on Beaver Tail Point, with their nets lowered PLANS OF THE MACKINAW BOAT "WABESI" on Martin's Reef, and take their catch into Prentiss Bay, where they (following page) would sell the fish to William J. Johnson, now of DeTour, who was lum The plans printed in this month's bering in that area. TEIESCOFE are those of the Mackinaw It was one such occasion which Boat "Wabesi" described above, drawn by gave John Osogwin his biggest thrill James JonBs of the Museum staff from "I was about 12 years old," John drawings and dimensions of the actual Osogwin said, "so it was about 60 vessel made by Oliver A. Birge. years ago. My father and my older brother Joseph and I had hurried out to the reef early in the morning, before dawn, to lift our nets, be cause a storm was blowing up. 8
C1H EER. PLAN
MACK/MW DOAT 'WABTSf ]OK£ATiAK£SAjOD£i^SM^U^£RS^Oui^ Drawn from jolans dtvilopad by Built Ay Shanty at SLIynact, Atichlyan about 1045 5 3 2 5 " Oliver* A. Biryi Otrnad Jy Joavjoh Osoy win o f H iss* I, Michiyan. 9
THE PORT OF ST. JOSEPH MICHIGAN well as it's older sister city. The Canal was about a mile in length but Shipping at St. Joseph began with over half of it has been filled in. small schooners carrying lumber and to make parking lots. Recently there building materials as well as gener has been a concerted effort to fill al cargo. When steam barges replaced in much of the remaining portion of sailing vessels they carried much the Canal to make still more parking the same freight. In the 1890's and early 1900's there was a small grain elevator here and steamers of the Leopold & Austrian fleet brought grain in from Duluth. Later it was shipped out by rail. A salt ware house received this product for a time and it was also shipped inland by rail. Passenger steamers (also carrying package freight) began running into this port over a hundred years ago but didn't begin to realize their full poteneial until the Graham & Morton Line fleet began operations in 187^. Between I890 and 1930 this Line did a tremendous business, but ceased operations after 1932. During the '3 0 's and '*fO's we only had one excursion boat from Chicago. The principle run was between Chicago and St. Joseph but a number of Lines operated between Milwaukee and St. OLD BEACON LIC4HT HOUSE Joseph at various times. During the past 25 years coal, ST. TOSEPH. MiCH. crushed rock and petroleum products have come into this port in bulk cargoes and today these products lots and streets but so far this has constitute the only shipping activ ity seen locally. There are about been stalled off by some of those owning dock property. six or eight self unloaders coming The history of Lake shipping at in per years. The tankers make many this port follows much the same pat more trips and several times recent tern as that of many other small ly they have come in during all ports around the Lakes. Most of the twelve months of the year. glory and accomplishments are in the An unusual feature of this port past and it doesn't appear as if was the digging of the Benton Harbor there will be too much activity in Ship Canal some 75 years ago. Lake the future. boats were able to sail from the St. Joseph River up the Canal to Benton Harbor, thus making it a port as By Gordon M. Potter
Opposite Page; Mackinaw Bbat built by John Strandholm about 1 8 9 0 -9 5 j photographed near Hessel, Michigan, 1903 5 by TSrnest N. Birge. — Courtesy of Oliver A. Birge 12
KIRBY LAKE ERIE STEAMERS through CITY OF CLEVELAND III and were last used by Kirby ex Continued from page 6 posed in the salon of the small which permeated the spirit of propellor PUT-IN-BAY of 1911 the finest steamers at mid before he withdrew them to the century, lingered more moder exterior as diagonal slats to ately at the turn of the cen make the inside ceiling a tury in the empires of C. W. structurally-uncluttered sur Morse in the East and the face simulating a barrel vault. McMillan family on the Great Even the tapered form of the Lakes. aftermast shaft was not out of place in the salon of the Lake As paragons of splendor, the Erie steamer, although in the Lake Erie steamers are late East it was transformed into a comers undergoing a renascense classical pillar or otherwise which had already worked itself decorated. Mirrors are widely out in other regions. The Lakes usedt especially at the stair had shared a glorious earlier landings, often made to simu development with influences late a window sash, to give a transplanted from the Hudson, false sensation of space beyond but after the railroads matured in a region actually blocked toy the routes of the grand a funnel or engine room casing. steamers— and consequently the Just as space flowed freely, so fashion of interior splendor— decoration prevailed in a sin lay dormant on Lake Erie until gle general style throughout. revived by Kirby's influence. Thus Kirby's works rise out of Although decorative efforts no strong regional precedent, increased in the earlier ships, and the designer was free to the first advancement toward a develop a distinct species, more sophisticated style pat seasoned by general Eastern tern came in CITY OF CLEVELAND influences. III, inaugurating an interior transformation on Lake Erie Kirby's works of the last developed largely by the inte century surprisingly seem free rior decorator Louis Keil. of the florid extravagance that Accompanying the differentia echoed elsewhere on the water tion of spaces is the differen and ashore at that time. I f tiation of stylistic motifs to rather mediocre, the interiors set o n e space apart from were not overwrought. Decora another — elementarily applied tion, consisting of nominal ar in CITY OF CLEVELAND III but chitectural conventions to en more definitely asserted in hance a n embarrassingly CITY OF DETROIT III. The grand utilitarian structure, was salon of CITY OF CLEVELAND III simple and unsophisticated, and was proclaimed to be "Louis in many ways structurally XVI" in style, a rather baroque truthful. Arched wood buttress creation which was still recog ribs support the grand salon nizable in terms of its Lake ceiling and curve freely down Erie predecessors. The smoking below the ribbon of clerestory room, dining room and lobby re lights. On later vessels in tain a rather mediocre, stylis the transitional period termin tically anonymous scheme. ating with EASTERN STATES of 1902, mural painting panels ob In CITY OF DETROIT III, five scured the central portion of years later the transformation the ceiling structure, but the is more boldly asserted, so arched side supports remained that it hardly resembled its 13
"sister” consort except in general spatial characteristics. CITY OF DETROIT III is perhaps Kirby*s most typical work— sophisticated and yet possess ing warmth and intimacy with a deceptive a n d paradoxical scale. Here the Lake Erie steamer has somewhat hurriedly came into its own, reinforced by a national reputation. Stylistic differentiation be comes a cultivation of a multi tude of period style represen tations as integral parts of a larger unity, much as one cul tivates plants in a greenhouse. A serious sense of disunity re sults, especially noticeable when one passes from the "Goth ic Room” through a corridor to the "Corinthian" main salon . The use of styles, while incon sistent, perhaps, nevertheless tends to expand the size of the ship psychologically. The practice of fragmentary period styles was already common in contemporary hotels and man sions, and was thus logically transposed to a steamer. On
Kirby*s own Hudson River Day View u p m a in s t a ir w a y in to cjrand Salo n Liner WASHINGTON IRVING of 1913 a motif from the Court of the cjremter. D etroit Lions of the Alhambra is faith 1924 fully reproduced on the saloon .deck as a writing room, perhaps are directly related to the glaringly inconsistent with the decorative scheme. They are exposed ceiling joists of the somewhat echoed by the carved balloon frame structure above. wood figures draped over the CITY OF DETROIT III shows a cornices — a clichd, perhaps, high quality of workmanship and but nonetheless pleasing* The materials, and of artistic im ceiling of the salon remains pulse. The fine wood panels of divided into mural panels. In the salon were polished like a the cocktail room, the artist glass surface originally, and indulged in a bit of playful even the metal walls of the ness when he carefully painted funnel casings in the corridors a spider web in each corner. were patterned and carefully The great stained glass "La painted to resemble wood panel Salle Window** in the Gothic ing* The traditional mirrors Room seems to be there merely are replaced by mural paintings because one can’t imagine a of rather conventionalized he gothic room without a stained roic maidens, retaining archi glass window; and yet the win tectonic borders, usually dow serves to light the room within arches or ovals, which from the stair landing and en- gine vent casing beyond, creat in its shrunken shape, with ing an illusion of great out dark wood paneling. side space beyond each of the enclosed spaces it separates* The larger steamer SEEANDBEE Liberated from its place in the which closely followed CITY OF hull, the dining room take on DETROIT III within a year had stylistic decoration, with win little to add to what the lat dow alcoves whose walls are ter had introduced, a n d in decorated with oval-shaped por many respects she was merely a traits of young women. The lengthened version of the lat lobby takes on a new appearance ter with an extra funnel thrown
THE PRINCIPAL LAKE ERIE PASSENGER. LINES (NAMES of vessels DESIGNED 6 Y FRANK E. KIRBY ARE- CAPITALIZED)
YEAR YEARS IN NAME OF SHI PS GROSS KEEL ENGINES R E FA A R K S bu ilt FLEET TONS L£N SOURCES: LISTS OF MERCHANT VESSELS OF THE U.S.} MARINE RECORD, 3 APRIL 1884, P 25 LYTLE LIST OF AM. STEAM VESSELS, 1807-68 (S.S. HIST. SOCIETY OF AM.)} THE PETROIT MARINE HISTORIAN (MARINE HIST. 50C. OF DET.)5 qREEN’5 GREAT LAKES DIRECTORIES,' LIST OF ENGINES BY FLETCHER & HARRISON CEDkJARp p. CLABKQl______15 in. The SEEANDBEE is more pro adorn the ceiling and surfaces minent, however, because for a of the columns. The light me decade afterward her supremacy tal balustrade removes some of was undented. A new decorative the ponderous quality of ear turn was noted by the writer lier steamers. Other areas of who found **elaborate ornamenta the ship are somewhat subdued, tion** suppressed t o attain less individualistic, a n a **rich simplicity”— the latter a blending into the overall im phrase later used to describe pression, so that the aim of GREATER DETROIT, meaning merely the decorator seems merely to a toning down of extravagance make them pleasant, rather than without inhibiting the impres impressive. sion of grandeur. The main salon is almost identical to that of CITY OF DETROIT III ex cept for a substitution of ”Ionic” for "Corinthian” orders and removalof ceiling divi sions to form one large ceiling mural. The ”Palm Court” was renamed the "Atrium” but hardly changed even in decorative scheme. The proclaimed "Art Nouveau" of the smoking room was a modern touch, but was treated merely as another style in the rather mediocre vein found in contemporary living rooms across the country. The finale in GREATER DE TROIT and GREATER BUFFALO i s quite unlike the earlier treat ment. Perhaps this results from a change in interior dec orators, the W. & J. Sloane Co. of New York being engaged. The scheme is somewhat more refined 1924 than before, less typical of a steamer, and yet it is more The flow of interior space playful, perhaps, sometimes is aesthetically treated in a showing touches of the exotic. manner peculiar to the steamer, The GREATER DETROIT*S main sa using the scooplike contours to lon is a rather free and ima force attention toward the cen ginative interpretation of a tral portion of the ship, aided "Renaissance” motif. The main by a strong longitudinal dimen stairway pauses in a landing sion. In point of emphasis the in a high arched alcove under a forward and after salons are dome on pendentive, with larger set back to back, separated by murals even more closely in dark corridors alongside the corporated into the architec utility core which, to an ob tonic pattern of the wall. The server in one salon, announce ceiling murals are superceded the intermediate spaces and the by an elaborate plaster imita further salon by light gaps in tion of a mosaic ceiling, and the dark passage. Further colorful figures and patterns visual continuity is maintained 16 on the top deck by the curved cornice against the glazed par ceiling common to all public tition on CITY OF DETROIT III, areas. Placement of stairways and treats them in turn as a at the points of emphasis helps portico on SEEANDBEE. Despite to contain attention and rein dissimilar decoration of GREAT force the vertical element. ER DETROIT and GREATER BUFFALO, In CITY OF CLEVELAND IIIf this the physical composition of the treatment is rather crude, de salons established by Keil per parting little from WESTERN sists in these two ships. STATES, but foreshadowing the later composition. In the for One last element in the com ward salon a fireplace at the position of the Kirby steamers point of emphasis fails to con must remain undiscussed, as it tain attention, and a balus varies according to the impres trade above it severs the lower sion of each traveller, and is from the upper part of the sa beyond the realm of the design lon, and the space is too short er. Long after these ships to handle the extra space given have ceased to exist, details to it. Thus Keil scaled down of spaces, structure and beauty the forward salon of CITY OF and the differences of one ship DETROIT III with the "C" Deck from another, will be super- gallery cut down to a mere cir ceded by a faint impression. cular floor well, and the fire What will last longest will be place is replaced by a stairway the spirit of the grand steam repeating the treatment of the ers as it has been established main salon on a minor theme. by the personnel who managed In the main salon of CITY OF and sailed them, and by memor DETROIT III Keil pulls out the able incidents that occurred to cornice at the forward end to each passenger in passage. Un form a portico, introducing a fortunately these cannot be smaller barrel vault over the collected in a writing such as stairway to terminate a passen this, except as an incomplete, ger’s view as he ascends from collective memory assembled by the lobby to the salon, re students of history. Wood , ceiving at once the full impact steel and space are destructi of its glory. Keil reinforces ble, but this collective memory the after end of the main salon will persist, transformed into by repeating the columns and legend by the passage of time. THE END BIBLIOGRAPHY MARINE: ENGINEERING, v/arioos issues, especially Jan. 1401, p .4 0 * Nov, I40£, p . 5"4 O; May 1906, pp. 191-05, 197; 7Uk*, 1407, p -281; Sept. 1908, p. 3 7 1 - 7 8 ; Nov, 1910, PP 4 4 5 - 4 8 ; Oct. 1912, pp. 3 8 4 - 9 6 ; Jor»e 1913, Pp. 2 5 2 -6 '8 ; Toly 1413, pp. 275-78, 282; Sept. 1924, P- SZ7; Nov. M 2 4 , pp. 6 4 2 - 4 8 . MARINE REVIEW, various issues, incloc/i'ny 7 May 1908, pp. 19-24; Oct. 1904, pp. 37/-73; Oct. |4|| rrPP- 3sou-oi; 8 0 - 8 1 ; np/'.f Ap«-i> HIC,19 52, p-p. 138;too; Julyjuiy 19<2, pp pp. 2 1 3-2 - 2.IJ 1 ; Nov. 1912, ppp p 3 6 6 f 6 c - - 7 T 4 ; JuneJ one 1413,14 13, pp. 2 2 2 / / - 2 23 3 ; April 1423, p. 155; July, 1923, p 280; Sept. 1424, pP. 376 - 74; Ju/y, 1428. PP. 73-75; May 1424, p 4 /; Oct. | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AcknouJ ledgements a r e especially due to Mr. Uoyd King and others of the D 4 C Navigation Co.; Cqpt. Joseph E. Johnston and the Museum of Great Lakes History in Detroit; prof. Kenneth CT C o n a n t of Harvard University; a n d t o Messrs. J. Michael O'Briery Conrad Milster^ Wm. King Covell, Donald V. Bout, C h a r l e s Stauffiger a n d others Lubose frie n d s h ip ond advice hove aided preparation of th i'5 paper.