MAY • JUNE, 1997 Volume XLV; Number 3 TELESCOPE Page 58 MEMBERSHIP NOTES- There are two new videos produced by Mark Howell now available in the museum gift shop. Building, the Mighty Mac details the construction of the Mackinac Bridge in the mid-1950's. Many people doubted that a bridge could be built across the Straits of Mackinac to connect the two peninsulas. In a little over 3-1/2 years the five-mile suspension bridge was completed. The documentary includes rare archival 16mm color footage with interviews with Dr. Steinman and others that made the bridge a reality. There is a short story on the carferries that once sailed across the Straits. When the Mackinac Bridge was opened in 1957, the ferries discontinued service shortly afterwards and were sold. The other video The Milwaukee Clipper: Should We Scrap A Great Lakes Legend? details the history of the passenger ship S.S. Juniata, which was later converted to the Milwaukee Clipper. As a bonus, a short promotional clip is included titled "Clipper Holiday", which shows the Clipper underway to Lake Michigan ports. Both videos retail for $29.95 each and those ordering by mail should include $3.50 for postage and handling. MEETING NOTICES • On Sunday, September 21,1997, the GLMI members will have an opportunity for a three-hour cruise on the Diamond Belle on the Detroit River. This cruise will take the place of our Annual Dinner which had been held regularly at the St. Clair Inn. We hope our members will enjoy the river cruise as we travel downriver CONTENTS • Membership Notes, Meeting Notices, etc. 58 The New Buffalo Steamer See-And-Bee Repnnted from Marine Review 59 The Schooner G.K. Jackson 1882 by Howard Peterson 69 The Milwaukee Clipper - Part II by Howard Peterson 72 Great Lakes & Seaway News Edited by James Moms 76 Back Cover Photo: City o f Munising (US 200531). Passenger auto ferry built in 1903 as Pere Marquette 20 at Cleveland. Measured 338.0 x 56.0 x 19.5. 2620 Gross tons; 1546 Net tons. Purchased by Michigan State Highway Commission for ferry service across the Straits of Mackinac. Renamed City o f Munising in 1938. Converted to a double-ender at Bay City, MI. in 1947. Out of service when the Mackinac Bridge opened. In May, 1961, she was sold to Washington Island Storage Corp. in Washington Island, WI. Reduced to abarge and renamed No. 2 in October, 1961. Pulished at Detroit, Michigan by GREAT LAKES MARITIME INSTITUTE ©All rights reserved. Printed in the United States by ________ Macomb Printing, Inc._________ OUR COVER PICTURE . The passenger vessel Seeandbee at Mackinac Island with either the North or South American in the background. When she was launched eighty-five years ago in 1912, the Seeandbee was the laigest sidewheeler on the Great Lakes. This photo (date unknown) is from the Harry Wolf Collection at the Dossin Museum. Harry was ship's photographer for the Georgian Bay Lines. Telescope is produced with assistance from the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, an agency with the Historical Department of the City of Detroit. MAY* JUNE, 1997 Page 59 THE NEW BUFFALO STEAMER SEE - AND - BEE Reprinted from Marine Review November, 1912 The new side-wheel passenger steamer build­ design a bigger sidewheeler. ing for the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co., Cleve­ There are 62 staterooms fitted with private toi­ land, was launched on November 9 from the Wyan­ let connections, 408 regulation staterooms, and 24 dotte yard of the Detroit Ship Building Co., and was parlors en suite with private bath and toilet, making a christened Seeandbee by Miss Eleanor Moodey, total of 494 rooms. daughter of Robert C. Moodey of Painesville, a direc­ Structure of the Hull tor of the company, thousands witnessing the event. The hull is constructed entirely of steel, having The new steamer is not only the largest sidewheel a double bottom for water ballast, extending for a passenger steamer on the Great Lakes, but is also the length of about 365 ft, and having a depth of 3 ft. above largest sidewheeler in the world, and it is not likely the base line. This double bottom is divided at the cen­ that a steamer of her type exceeding her dimensions ter line by a fore and aft watertight girder, and is fur­ will ever be built. Naval architects are quite agreed ther subdivided by transverse bulkheads into 14 sepa­ that she is the last word for this class of craft. Frank rate watertight compartments. The hull above the water E. Kirby is reported to have said that he will never bottom is divided by 11 athwartship watertight bulk­ Hariy Hariy Wolf Photo/Dossin Museum When she was launched in 1912, the SEEANDBEE was the largest sidewheeler on the Great Lakes. TELESCOPE Page 60 Hull o f SEEANDBEE at Wyandotte Shipyard. McDonald Coll/Dossin Museum heads extending from the keel to the main deck. These in the designing and construction of the vessel to fire watertight bulkheads, with the exception of the colli­ protection and appliances for fire fighting. sion bulkhead and other bulkheads that are required In addition to the three great divisions, the boat by law to be without openings, are fitted with water­ is divided into 50 sections for fire alarm purposes, each tight doors operated hydraulically from the engine section containing about eight staterooms, and by room. means of a very ingenious device of hollow wire with Including the tank top, there are seven decks in which each stateroom is equipped, any disturbance will all namely, the orlop deck, main deck, promenade be immediately registered upon an annunciator located deck, galley deck, upper deck and dome deck. in the engine room and in the captain’s quarters. The Steel is used to a greater extent in the structure risk of a serious fire aboard has been reduced to a mini­ of this ship than in any other of her type, being ear­ mum through precautionary measures. For instance, ned to the promenade deck, the housings on orlop the crew’s quarters are built of steel throughout, the and main decks and top decks to promenade deck are cargo spaces are insulated with galvanized iron and of steel. The top sides of promenade deck are finished asbestos wherever wood is used. Steel fire curtains are with channel gutter, forming a landing for the prom­ fitted in cargo spaces opposite engine room enclosures. enade deck beams, which are of wood. The beams Fire hydrants are located throughout the vessel, so and under side of promenade deck, however, are spaced that 50-ft length of hose connected at all times sheathed with galvanized iron with heavy asbestos reaches every part of the vessel paper between the iron and wood. This, with the steel There is also a very complete automatic sprin­ housings up to the promenade deck, makes the vessel kler system throughout the interior of the ship, cover­ practically fireproof. Moreover, the engine room, ing all cargo holds, crew’s spaces, hallways and cab­ boiler room and galley, ventilators and enclosures are ins, smoking rooms, lounge room, and other service all of steel and extend from the main deck through rooms of the ship. This system is controlled automati­ the top of the dome. Fireproof doors are also fitted, cally by a special sprinkler pump located in the engine extending from the main deck through all decks to room. When the vessel is docked, connections are also the dome, dividing the vessel into three separate com­ made whereby city protection for fire purposes can be partments. In fact, particular attention has been paid immediately used. MAY‘ JUNE, 1997 Page 61 McDonald Coll/Dossin Museum SEEANDBEE launched at Wyandotte on November 9, 1912. There are two trimming tanks, each of about 52 being 18 metallic lifeboats, all of special design, 14 of tons capacity, located on both port and starboard sides these having capacity of 40 persons each, two having just aft of the wheel casings. These tanks can be ei­ capacity for 20 persons each, and two for 16 persons ther filled or emptied in two to four minutes, thus mak­ each. In addition, the vessel is equipped with the usual ing it possible to keep the vessel always on an even number of life rafts and life preservers are required by keel. United States Steamboat Inspection Service. Bow Rudder The Power Plant To facilitate quick handling in rivers and har­ The power plant of this steamer is in proportion bors, the steamer is fitted with a bow rudder, which is to the size of the steamer itself, and hence no small controlled by a steam steering engine located on the affair, being designed for the development of 12,000 main deck forward and directly connected to rudder H P there are nine boilers in the steam plant, all of the stock by chain and quadrant. The character of the ser­ Scotch type. Six of them are of the ordinary single vice is such that the vessel has to navigate restricted end construction, 14 ft diameter, 10fl 11-1/4 in long, in somewhat tortuous channels at both Buffalo and and three of the double end type, 14 ft. diameter, 21 ft Cleveland, and the bow rudder makes her instantly 10-1/2 in. long; all built for 165 lbs. working pres­ responsive and manageable. The after rudder is con­ sure. trolled by a steam steering engine connected to quad­ The boilers are installed in three compartments rant by a chain. The Akers emergency steam steering with athwartship coal bunkers between, thus forming gear is also provided should anything go wrong with four fire holds.