Page 30. MAINE COASTAL NEWS May 2009
Maritime History:
Moosehead Steamers
From te Bangor Daily Commercial, 14 March the main cabin is a large freight storage room.
1896. Amidship is the engine hatch and smoke
stack. On the port side, opposite the engine
Moosehead Navigation of hatch and gangway to promenade deck come
Past and Present. the mess room and galley, or cook’s room. On
Changes of Past Half Century Ending the starboard side are the convenient rooms
With the KATAHDIN. for express and other matter. The saloon, or
Way back in the 40s the Late Major main cabin, is aft, with an open deck space of
Bigney Sailed Schooners on the Lake. five or six feet all around between it and the
Know the great interest that the readers rail, giving an excellent chance for observa-
of the Commercial take in everything pertain- tion, shaded from the sun, to passengers up
ing to Moosehead Lake and I thought I could and down the lake. On the promenade deck is
not go far wrong if I gave them a description a long and handsome house, containing a
and sketch of the new and beautiful steamer large saloon, stairway to the main deck, ladies
KATADHIN now approaching completion and gent’s toilet rooms, captain’s room, state
by the Coburn Steamboat Company, and in rooms and pilot house. The front of the pilot
connection therewith, a sketch of the steam- house is in the form of the segment of a circle
ers and some of the sailing craft that have as is also the rear of the saloon, with a seat
preceded it upon this magnificent and en- running around the latter.
chanting inland sea. From the description can be derived an
The New Steamer KATAHDIN. idea of the size, general arrangement and
I made a visit this forenoon to the yard excellence of this latest, and by all means the
where the joiners under the direction of C. B. best, addition to the Moosehead Lake fleet,
Harrington, of Bath, the designer and builder, and with its powerful engines and large boiler
and the machinists from the works of the capacity, I believe she will be as satisfactory
Portland Company, contractors for the ma- in speed as she will be superior in all her other
chinery, are at work finishing up their respec- requirements.
tive work so that the boat may be ready for Captain Charles J. Robinson, late of
launching and acceptance by the first day of steamer GOVERNOR COBURN will be her
May, the contract time, or as soon thereafter commander. M. G. Shaw is president and D.
as the ice shall leave the lake. T. Sanders manager of the company.
TWILIGHT
As she stood there upon the blocks I had The Old Lake Craft.
an excellent opportunity to examine her beau- Having thus given a description of the
tiful model and graceful lines. Excepting the fine new steamer KATAHDIN it may not be
house on the promenade deck and the upper a matter without interest to the reader of the
portion of the smoke stack, which has yet to Commercial – and as to that for a matter of
be added, she already has the appearance record – to look over the list of boats that have
depicted in the sketch I send you. The dimen- preceded her on the lake, some of which are
sions of the steamer are: 100 feet waterline; now running, others known only by recollec-
111 feet over all; 22 feet hull; 28 feet beam; 6½ tion and some of them even beyond recollec-
feet draft. The frame is of oak, with oak steam tion of but few.
and stern post and oak stern frame and oak Several years ago, when on one of my
planking. The keel s hard wood with yellow visits to the lake, I received from Maj. Ben-
pine keelson; beams, yellow pine and hack- jamin S. Bigney, since deceased, in the course
matack; knees oak and hack; guard, stan- of an interesting interview, a list of the vari-
chions and main rail of white oak; white pine ous crafts which had been built at or sailed KATAHDIN. Like his father he has always in 1887, for the Coburn Company, steamer
deck plank and spruce stuffing for main and upon the lake, and as he was himself the been very popular and under his able and COMET, now running; same year Henry Saw-
promenade deck saloons. Steering wheel five builder of six of the steamers, namely the addable command the new steamer will be a yer built the LOUISA. The next year, 1888,
feet in diameter with an additional steering AMPHITRITE, MOOSEHEAD 2
ND
, FAIRY much sought means of transportation for three more boat were added to the fleet, the
wheel near the aft towing bitts. Cabins fin- OF THE LAKE, LUMBERMAN, GOVERNOR travelers. CORA LEE, by Captain E. H. Hopkins, the
ished inside with white wood with panels COBURN and WILLIAM PARKER, and The WILLIAM PARKER was built by MOOSEHEAD (3
rd
) by the Kennebec Log
between windows and sheathed below win- worked upon many others named, his ac- the same company in 1874 and was run for 20 Driving Company, used for towing logs from
dows with hard wood. Four boat davits, one count is not only exceedingly interesting but years, when it was broken up. Together with Moose River to the outlet and another steam
on each side of promenade deck and one at unquestionably reliable. the GOVERNOR COBURN this boat was en- scow, the HARRY, by J. H. Eveleth. In 1891,
each aft gangway. The first steamer built on the lake was the gaged in the spring in towing logs across the Captain Hopkins took the little steamer
The engine is compound, upright, in- MOOSEHEAD by Mr. Hogan, in 1835, and lake to the outlet, or Kennebec dam, they JACKEL, built in Boston, and brought here
verted, direct acting; cylinders 15 and 28 was run by him until 1841, when it was pur- being about all the boats used in that busi- by L. Nichols, of Bangor, another mail con-
inches diameter, 18 inches stroke; propeller chased by A. & P. Coburn (ex-Governor Abner ness until the building of the MOOSEHEAD tractor, and rebuilt her and named her the
shaft of best hammered iron with bearings of and his brother Philander), the founders of 3
rd
in 1888. Three new boats made their ap- HENRY M., for the son of Charles D. Shaw,
6 3/8 inches diameter at stuffing box, outside the present Coburn Steamboat Company, pearance in 1881, the REBECCA, by John H. the owner. She is used to run between
brass sleeve. She is to have two sets of who ran it until 1845. Long since broken up. Eveleth, the RIPPLE, by the Coburn Com- Greenville and Lily Bay. Steamer REINDEER
propeller blades, one for speed and one for Next was the AMPHITRITE in 1846; next pany, which ran 1891, when it was broken up was built in 1891 by the Kennebec Log Driv-
towing, each 6 feet 3 inches in diameter of MOOSEHEAD 2
nd
in 1848; FAIRY OF THE and the TETHYS, built in Portland, and ing Company, and last of all the list comes
“built up” type. These propellers have de- LAKE by John H. Eveleth, 1858 and still in brought to the lake by Capen & Hunt. The steamer NETTIE H., built and owned by Frank
tachable blades, each blade being affixed to freight service. LUMBERMAN, 1860, long AUBURN was built the same year in Bath, Sawyer in 1895.
the hub with five bolts, so that either one may since departed. DAY DREAMIN, formerly brought to the lake by the contractors for the Excepting where otherwise stated the
be detached and replaced if injured without the MIST, built at Bath, brought to Dexter and C. P. railroad and afterward sold to John H. above steamers were built at Greenville.
taking off the propeller. The boiler is of the hauled to the lake, 1869, used for a tender for Eveleth, who still runs her. In 1884, C. B. Other Craft.
upright pattern, 13 feet high and 9 feet diam- the Kineo House until broken up a few years Harrington, of Bath, built at Greenville for the In addition to the craft already men-
eter, to contain about 552 2½ inch tubes, with ago. TWILIGHT, built in Bath by Patten, Kineo Company, steamer KINEO, a fine boat tioned. Major Bigney, built in 1842, schooner
fire box 97 5/8 inches in diameter and 48 inches brought to Louis’ bridge, Sangerville, as far which is still doing excellent service as is also VICTORY, 75 feet long and 13 feet beam, and
high, with grates for burning wood. Smoke as the B. & P. railroad had then reached in the REBECCA, previously alluded to. In 1884, in 1844 schooner CLIPPER, a little smaller. In
stack 25 feet high and 48 inches diameter. 1871, by Mr. Frye, of Newport, mail contractor Captain Fred D. Bigney conceived the idea of 1859 he built a scow, with mast and sail for S.
All the material and workmanship of the and hauled to the lake, purchased by the building a steam scow, which he constructed P. & H. Strickland, which they used to convey
engine and boiler and their appendages to be Coburn Steamboat Company and rebuilt in himself in connection with his brother, J. E. their supplies for lumbering operations across
of the best for the several purposes and in 1888; still in service; GOVERNOR COBURN, Bigney, for the purpose of transporting woods the lake, forty miles from Greenville. This is
every respect in accordance with the require- by the same company, 1872, run until 1895 supplies which the scow could land at nearly the same Bangor firm of great enterprise that
ments of the laws of the State of Maine. when she was condemned and broken up. any point on the lake, where there was no to further facilitate the work of transportation
Having thus given a general description She was the first commanded by the late wharves or landing places for steamers. She built a railroad, or tramway, across the North
of the steamer and the machinery let us look Captain Thomas Robinson who was first a was named the M. A. C. She did a successful East Carry, from the lake to the West Branch
over her inside. boy on the first steamer MOOSEHEAD, then business until 1892, when she died of old age of the Penobscot. The rails were timbers and
The Interior Arrangements. commanded the AMPHITRITE, the second and overwork. the motive power an ox.
In the lower hold is the engine room, steamer and was afterwards in continuous The GEORGE A. was built in Brewer by Besides the vessels named there have
boiler room and wood room while a large service until his death in 1888 or 1889, since Captain E. H. Hopkins in 1885 and brought to been several sailboats and sloops on the lake
forecastle in the after hold is fitted up for the which the GOVERNOR has been in command the lake where it is owned and run by the and a number of naphtha launches of which
crew and contains twelve berths. On the main of his son, Captain Charles J. Robinson, who Kineo Company, as a tender and despatch there are now three or four in service.
deck, forward, which is closed in all around to is to have command of the new steamer boat. Captain Hopkins also built at Greenville, J. S. Rowe
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