User:Gatoclass/SB/Lady Lang
| History | |
|---|---|
| Owner |
|
| Builder | W. & A. Curtis (Portland, ME) |
| Launched | 13 Feb 1864 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger-cargo steamboat |
| Tonnage | 410 |
| Length | 167 ft (51 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Draft | 5 ft (1.5 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | Sidewheels |
| Speed | 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
Construction and design
[edit]Lady Lang, a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamboat, was ordered in 1863 by Spear, Lang & Delano of Boston to replace their steamer Harvest Moon on the Maine route between Portland and Bangor, after the latter vessel had been chartered by the United States Quartermaster Department for service in the ongoing American Civil War. Lady Lang was the first vessel built by W. & A. Curtis at their newly-established shipyard in Munjoy Hill, Portland, Maine. The steamer was launched on Saturday, February 13, 1864, and completed in early May.
Lady Lang was built of white oak and hackmatack with galvanized iron fastenings. She was 167 feet (51 m) in length, with a beam of 27 feet (8.2 m), hold depth of 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) and draft of 5 feet (1.5 m). Her gross register tonnage was 410. She was fitted with 24 staterooms forward and aft of the on-deck saloon, 30 berths in the ladies' cabin on the main deck, and 35 berths in the gentlemen's cabin below, with arrangements for a substantial number of temporary lodgings when required. According to her insurance assessment, she was well equipped for fire prevention. The steamer was powered by a single-cylinder, 250 horsepower (190 kW) vertical beam steam engine with 36-inch (91 cm) bore by 10-foot (3.0 m) stroke, delivering a service speed of 13 knots (15 mph; 24 km/h). The engine was built by the Portland Company.
Service history
[edit]Lady Lang made her first trial trip on the afternoon of Saturday, April 30, 1864, with a cruise of about an hour around Portland Harbor.[1] Following the trial, it was deemed necessary to install a blower in order to improve engine performance, a modification that delayed the steamer's service debut by several weeks. The delay sparked a rumor that the boat had been chartered by the government for war service, but her managing operator, Charles Spear, assured the public otherwise.
After a second trial trip on May 26, on which the steamer achieved a satisfactory speed, Lady Lang embarked on her maiden voyage from Portland to Bangor at 9 pm, Friday, May 27. Thereafter she made three round trips per week between the two ports, leaving Bangor at 5 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and returning from Portland on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 6 am.[2] Way-landings along the route, called at in both directions, included Rockland, Camden, Belfast, Bucksport, Winterport and Hampden. At Portland, the steamer connected with the Eastern; Boston and Maine; and Portland, Saco and Portsmouth railroads for Boston and intermediate stops.[3] In June, Lady Lang's departure time from Portland was changed from 6 am Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to 10 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday.[3] By August, Tenants Harbor in St. George had been added to the list of way-landings.
Footnotes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Local and Other Items". Bangor Daily Whig and Courier. 1864-05-03. p. 2.
- ^ "For the Penobscot". Portland Daily Press. 1864-05-27. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Portland and Penobscot River". Portland Daily Press. 1864-06-07. p. 3.
Category:1864 ships Category:Ships built by W. & A. Curtis Category:Ships built in Portland, Maine Category:Steam vessels of Spear, Lang & Delano Category:Steamboats of Maine Category:Steamboats of Massachusetts Category:Steamboats of Brazil Category:Transports of the United States Quartermaster's Department
refs
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