Appomattox (ship)
Encyclopedia
The SS Appomattox was an American
bulk cargo steamship and one of the largest wooden ships ever built.
Appomattox had a length of 319 feet (97.2 m) and a beam of 42 feet (12.8 m). She was built in 1896 by James Davidson of West Bay City, Michigan
and was fitted with a triple expansion steam engine.
Because of her immense length, Appomattox used metallic cross bracing , a metallic keelson, metallic plates, and multiple metallic arches. Several syphons and steam-driven pumps were required to keep Appomattox afloat.
Appomattox operated mainly on the Great Lakes
, carrying iron ore on her eastward voyages, and then returning westward with coal. The ship usually towed the steamer barge Santiago, which had a length of 324 feet (98.8 m), to increase the amount of cargo carried each trip.
Appomattox alone could carry more than 3000 tons of bulk cargo, and in combination with the Santiago, the pair had a capacity approaching 8000 tons.
Appomattox went aground in smoke and fog on the Wisconsin
coast of Lake Michigan
, near Milwaukee in 1905. Crews worked for two weeks in an effort to free the ship, but eventually it broke up, and was abandoned. The wreck site is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a popular site for divers, being close to shore and in shallow waters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bulk cargo steamship and one of the largest wooden ships ever built.
Appomattox had a length of 319 feet (97.2 m) and a beam of 42 feet (12.8 m). She was built in 1896 by James Davidson of West Bay City, Michigan
West Bay City, Michigan
West Bay City was a city in the U.S. state of Michigan.In 1905, West Bay City merged with Bay City, Michigan....
and was fitted with a triple expansion steam engine.
Because of her immense length, Appomattox used metallic cross bracing , a metallic keelson, metallic plates, and multiple metallic arches. Several syphons and steam-driven pumps were required to keep Appomattox afloat.
Appomattox operated mainly on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, carrying iron ore on her eastward voyages, and then returning westward with coal. The ship usually towed the steamer barge Santiago, which had a length of 324 feet (98.8 m), to increase the amount of cargo carried each trip.
Appomattox alone could carry more than 3000 tons of bulk cargo, and in combination with the Santiago, the pair had a capacity approaching 8000 tons.
Appomattox went aground in smoke and fog on the Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
coast of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, near Milwaukee in 1905. Crews worked for two weeks in an effort to free the ship, but eventually it broke up, and was abandoned. The wreck site is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a popular site for divers, being close to shore and in shallow waters.