Albion (steamboat)
Encyclopedia
Albion was a steamboat which ran on Puget Sound
from 1898 to 1924. The vessel is perhaps best remembered for its service as beer delivery vessel and for a 1910 collision with the steamship Chippewa.
by Capt. H.B. Lovejoy, who intended the vessel to be sold for service on the Yukon River
according to one source or Cook Inlet
according to another. Power was supplied by an innovative compound steam engine devised by R.D. Ross.
According to a news report from 1910, Albion was actually taken up to Cook Inlet
, but it was found that the headwaters of the inlet were too shallow to allow the vessel to operate, and so the ship was returned to Puget Sound. Albion was placed on the route from Seattle to Coupeville. Albion was the first steamer on the Seattle-Everett
-Whidbey Island
route.
Lovejoy sold Albion to J.B. Treadwell in 1903, and he took the vessel on one trip to Cook Inlet
in Alaska
. In 1906, Albion was sold to the Merchants Transportation Company
, a Tacoma firm. In 1907, Albion was sold again, this time to the Angeles Brewing and Malting Company
, and in this capacity was engaged to haul cargos of beer from Port Angeles to Seattle and other cities, as well as haul freight and carry passengers to Port Angeles
to Seattle and had reached the West Point at the northern entrance to Elliot Bay when the collision occurred. Albion was then en route from Seattle to Port Angeles, and many of her passengers were asleep in cabins at the time of the collision.
The pilot of Albion saw Chippewa but for some reason misunderstood Chippewas signals as to which way to turn to avoid collision. Chippewa blew two whistle blasts, which meant “pass to port” but instead Albion turned the other way into Chippewas path. The steamer Vashonian was nearby on a parallel course with Chippewa and narrowly avoided being involved in the collision.
The full force of Chippewas steel bow stem
struck the wooden-hulled Albion amidships square on. Fortunately no one was killed, and all of Albions passengers were taken on board Chippewa. Albion was heavily damaged. Towed to the beach, Albion was nearly submerged at low tide. One of the passengers, identified as Mrs. William Smith, of Centralia, Washington
, a mother with three small children on board, described the collision as follows:
By August 6, 1910, salvors under Capt. E.C. Generoux had reached Albion and expected to raise the vessel that day, with the plan being to move it to East Waterway at Seattle for repair. Albions cargo, approximately 45 tons worth, was still on board, but mostly irreparably damaged as a result of the vessel's submersion. There was $3,500 worth of damage to Albion.
Later it turned out that Albion was carrying passengers (of which there were 7 or 8 on board), without the legally required passenger certificate. This caused some controversy, particularly in light of the fact that Albions cargo included “much”gasoline and dynamite. In subsequent legal action, the owners of Albion were able to prevail against the Chippewa as to which vessel was at fault.
caused Albion to be laid up for several years. Eventually Albion was bought by W.A. Lowman, who replaced the original (and unusual) compound steam engine with a more conventional design. The original compound engine was then installed in the steam tug Sound.
In 1923, Albion went to Capt. Martin Heffner, doing business as the Bremerton Towboat Company. In 1924, Heffner converted Albion to a combination cannery tender and fuel tanker. The vessel was rebuilt to be able to hold 80 tons of fish and 17,000 gallons of fuel. A 110 hp Atlas diesel was installed to replace the steam engine. Under Heffner and Capt. R. Andrus, Albion was used to serve the fishing fleet in the Cape Flattery area..
However, Albion did not last long as a cannery tender. In September 1924, an overheated exhaust pipe started a fire. Capt. Edward Meagher and Walter G. McKay were the only two persons on board. They barely escaped with their lives, but the vessel was a total loss.
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
from 1898 to 1924. The vessel is perhaps best remembered for its service as beer delivery vessel and for a 1910 collision with the steamship Chippewa.
Career
Albion was built at Coupeville, WashingtonCoupeville, Washington
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...
by Capt. H.B. Lovejoy, who intended the vessel to be sold for service on the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
according to one source or Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
according to another. Power was supplied by an innovative compound steam engine devised by R.D. Ross.
According to a news report from 1910, Albion was actually taken up to Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, but it was found that the headwaters of the inlet were too shallow to allow the vessel to operate, and so the ship was returned to Puget Sound. Albion was placed on the route from Seattle to Coupeville. Albion was the first steamer on the Seattle-Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
-Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
route.
Lovejoy sold Albion to J.B. Treadwell in 1903, and he took the vessel on one trip to Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. In 1906, Albion was sold to the Merchants Transportation Company
Merchants Transportation Company
The Merchants Transportation Company was a shipping firm that operated on Puget Sound from 1905 to 1929. This company should not be confused with the similarly named Merchants Transportation Company of Olympia, formed in 1874 and a completely separate firm....
, a Tacoma firm. In 1907, Albion was sold again, this time to the Angeles Brewing and Malting Company
Angeles Brewing and Malting Company
The Angeles Brewing and Malting Company was a brewery that operated in Port Angeles, Washington. The company is notable for having owned a steamboat, the Albion, that was sunk in a collision on Puget Sound.-Business :...
, and in this capacity was engaged to haul cargos of beer from Port Angeles to Seattle and other cities, as well as haul freight and carry passengers to Port Angeles
Collision with Chippewa
On August 2, 1910, at about 11:00, Albion was involved in a collision with the much larger, steel-hulled steamer Chippewa. At 906 gross tons, Chippewa was six times the size of Albion. Chippewa was coming from Bellingham, WashingtonBellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
to Seattle and had reached the West Point at the northern entrance to Elliot Bay when the collision occurred. Albion was then en route from Seattle to Port Angeles, and many of her passengers were asleep in cabins at the time of the collision.
The pilot of Albion saw Chippewa but for some reason misunderstood Chippewas signals as to which way to turn to avoid collision. Chippewa blew two whistle blasts, which meant “pass to port” but instead Albion turned the other way into Chippewas path. The steamer Vashonian was nearby on a parallel course with Chippewa and narrowly avoided being involved in the collision.
The full force of Chippewas steel bow stem
Stem (ship)
The stem is the very most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself and curves up to the wale of the boat. The stem is more often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively...
struck the wooden-hulled Albion amidships square on. Fortunately no one was killed, and all of Albions passengers were taken on board Chippewa. Albion was heavily damaged. Towed to the beach, Albion was nearly submerged at low tide. One of the passengers, identified as Mrs. William Smith, of Centralia, Washington
Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
, a mother with three small children on board, described the collision as follows:
The children were asleep in the berths, and I was lying awake, listening to the sounds on the boat and wondering which part of the Sound we were on. Suddenly there came a signal shrill whistle from our boat, and I jumped up and looked out of the window. There was a big boat, bearing directly down on us. She blew four times and began to back. But still she came ahead towards us, and I could see she was going to cut into us. I don't know what I thought or did. I watched her coming on, and it seemed as if she went slowly, but still so fast. Then she ground into us, and I ran to my baby. The boat broke in all the side of the room, and the sound of smashing timbers and glass with the shock of the impact almost made me sick. To add to the confusion, there were the shouts of the officers and the crew. The cries of my little boys and girl. The children were bruised by the collision, and none of us were able to save any clothing or any other personal belongings.
By August 6, 1910, salvors under Capt. E.C. Generoux had reached Albion and expected to raise the vessel that day, with the plan being to move it to East Waterway at Seattle for repair. Albions cargo, approximately 45 tons worth, was still on board, but mostly irreparably damaged as a result of the vessel's submersion. There was $3,500 worth of damage to Albion.
Later it turned out that Albion was carrying passengers (of which there were 7 or 8 on board), without the legally required passenger certificate. This caused some controversy, particularly in light of the fact that Albions cargo included “much”gasoline and dynamite. In subsequent legal action, the owners of Albion were able to prevail against the Chippewa as to which vessel was at fault.
Later history
ProhibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
caused Albion to be laid up for several years. Eventually Albion was bought by W.A. Lowman, who replaced the original (and unusual) compound steam engine with a more conventional design. The original compound engine was then installed in the steam tug Sound.
In 1923, Albion went to Capt. Martin Heffner, doing business as the Bremerton Towboat Company. In 1924, Heffner converted Albion to a combination cannery tender and fuel tanker. The vessel was rebuilt to be able to hold 80 tons of fish and 17,000 gallons of fuel. A 110 hp Atlas diesel was installed to replace the steam engine. Under Heffner and Capt. R. Andrus, Albion was used to serve the fishing fleet in the Cape Flattery area..
However, Albion did not last long as a cannery tender. In September 1924, an overheated exhaust pipe started a fire. Capt. Edward Meagher and Walter G. McKay were the only two persons on board. They barely escaped with their lives, but the vessel was a total loss.