William A Irvin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The SS William A Irvin is a lake freighter which sailed as a bulk freighter on the Great Lakes as part US Steel's lake fleet. She was flagship of the company fleet from her launch in the depths of the depression in 1938 until 1975 and then as a general workhorse of the fleet until her retirement in 1978. Currently, this queen of the icewater oceans is resting comfortably in Duluth, Minnesota, a well maintained example of a classic laker.
[edit] History
The Irvin was launched November 21, 1937 at the yards of the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio. Her maiden voyage began June 25, 1938 after outfitting in Lorain. The Irvin was first of a four vessel class, including the Irvin, Governor Miller, John Hulst and Ralph H. Watson, each costing about 1.3 million dollars. After christening by a daughter of William Irvin, then president of the company, and sea trials, the boat went to work hauling bulk materials from the ore fields of Lake Superior down to US Steel's mills of Lakes Michigan and Erie. She and her three sisters incorporated many technological features in their design and proved themselves excellent workers. The Irvin also hauled many passengers and company guests in the boat's exceptional luxury on behalf US Steel. She steamed for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of US Steel for her entire career. August 27, 1940 the Irvin set a record by unloading 13,856 tons of ore in 2 hours and 55 minutes using shore equipment only. This record still stands as of 2007 and is unlikely to be broken. The Irvin is one of few Great Lakes vessels to be retired still holding a current Great Lakes cargo record. The Irvin had one of the smallest capacities when the ship entered final layup in 1978 due to the addition of the fleet's first 1000' oreboat. The Irvin sat in layup in West Duluth for 8 years until a non-profit organization purchased her for an addition to their convention center along the Duluth waterfront. The Irvin was painted and sealed up before heading to her final dock near the aerial bridge where she sits today.
[edit] Description
The SS William A Irvin stretches 613 feet overall with a beam of 60 feet and a depth of 28 feet. Her carrying capacity is 13,600 gross tons. The Irvin was one of few lakers built with a three-tiered bow cabin, as opposed to the standard two. The extra deck is used to house a suite of 4 guest cabins and a guest lounge. Also a part of the guest accommodations was a guest dining room located where the number two hatch would be on most lakers. Those parts of the boat are trimmed in fine woods and brass. The Irvin and her sisters were some of the first to be powered by Delaval Cross steam turbines as opposed to the standard reciprocating triple expansion steam engines. The Irvin also included welding in much of her construction and was also the first to have all areas of the ship accessible from the interior of the ship which allowed the boat's crew to stay inside during rough weather. All parts of the Irvin, from the woodwork in the guest quarters to the brass in the engineroom, have all been well cared for by her dedicated volunteers. The Irvin's steam turbines produced 2,000 HP, driving her at 11 knots.
