Meteor (ship)

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The Meteor, a unique boat of the experimental "Whaleback" design. The strange design, created by a brilliant Scottish captain named Alexander McDougall, enabled her to carry a maximum amount of cargo with a minimum of draft. They were also called "pig boats", among other names, due to their appearance. The Meteor was built in 1896 in Superior and with a number of modifications sailed until 1969. She is currently a museum in her birthplace, the last of the whalebacks.

[edit] History

The Meteor slid down the ways of the American Steel Barge Co at their yard in Superior, WI in the summer of 1896 as the Frank Rockefeller; no.36 of 44 whalebacks built between 1888 & 1898. She was built for the ASB Co fleet and joined their barges & steamers in the movement of iron down from Lake Superior ports down to the steel mills of Lake Erie and coal back up the lakes. She would also carry the odd loads of grain. As a steamer, she would ofter tow one or more of the companies barges to augment her carrying capacity. In 1900, she along with the rest of the ASB co fleet was sold to the Bessemer Steamship Co, marine division of the Bessemer Steel Company. A year later, she again changed hands along with the whole of the Bessemer Fleet when it joined with 7 other fleets to form the massive, 112 boat Pittsburgh Steamship Company; marine division of the equally massive US Steel. She sailed as a "Tin Stacker" (so called because of the silver painted funnels) from the beginning in 1901 until 1927. That year, she was sold for use as a sand dredge and renamed South Park. As a dredge, she was used to obtain fill for the site of the Chicago's Worlds Fair in 1933. In 1936, she changed hands again and became an auto carrier. She sailed for several years under this new guise, hauling new Autos from Detroit, Milwaukee & Kewaunee until 1942. She wrecked off Manistique that year. Had it not been World War 2 and the demand for tonnage so great, she would have been scrapped. Instead, she was sold to the Cleveland Tanker Co and converted to a tanker. It was at this time that she obtained the name Meteor due to her owners pattern of naming their vessels after celestial bodies. As a tanker, she hauled gasoline and other liquids for over 25 years. In 1969, the Meteor was the last of the whalebacks left out of her 43 sisters. That season, she ran aground off of Marquette. Cleveland Tankers didn't want to spend the money for repairs for this 63 year old steamer. After laying idle for several seasons, she was bought and taken to Superior for use as a museum. She was berthed at Barkers Island, where she resides to this day. The Meteor is a wonderful example of an experimental class of lakers. However, her days might be numbered. The Meteor is poorly maintained; her hull is rusting and the interiors are in grave need of work. It was because of this that she was named one of the 10 most endangered historical properties by the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation. Restoration work is ongoing aboard this nautical treasure, so she might yet have a chance. She needs all the help she can get, however.

[edit] Description

The Meteor is 380 feet long overall with a 366 foot keel. Other dimensions include a beam of 45 feet and a depth of 26 feet. She and the other whalebacks, except one, were the first major boats on the Great Lakes with all accommodations aft and only a small room for the anchor windlass up at the bow. The John Ericsson was the only whaleback with the pilothouse at the bow. The Ericsson was also one of the last whalebacks on the lakes with the Meteor; she sailed on the Canadian side until 1964 when she was sold to the City of Hamilton, Ontario for use as a museum. The plan failed however and the Ericsson was scrapped in 1969. The Meteor is a relic of the early days of steam transportation on the lakes with many original fixtures, such as engine & wheel, and needs to be preserved, whatever the cost.