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Day Peckinpaugh (canal motorship)
Encyclopedia
Day Peckinpaugh is a historic canal
motorship
currently berthed at the Matton Shipyard
on Peebles Island, Cohoes
in Albany County, New York
.
. The ship was originally named the ILI101 after the ships first owner, the Interwaterways Lines Inc. of New York City
.
The ship was the first specifically designed to ply the open waters of the Great Lakes
as well as the narrow locks
and shallow waterways of the barge canal. The Day Peckinpaugh is also the last surviving ship from a fleet of more than 100 of its type that once carried freight from the upper Midwest
to the port of New York City
.
At a length of 259 feet and width of 36 feet, it is among the largest boats to operate on New York’s canal system where the maximum area available for vessels in a lock is 300 feet long by 43.5 feet wide.
With a 14 foot deep hold and a carrying capacity of 1650 tons the Day Peckinpaugh was well suited as a bulk carrier
in which she hauled wheat, flax seed, rye, sugar, and in the early years pig iron
.
, the Richard J. Barnes was drafted into the U.S. Merchant Marine to carry coal and refuel cargo ships along the east coast of the United States. During her Merchant Marine service the Richard J. Barnes was attacked by a German U-Boat
which fired a torpedo
at her; the torpedo was thought to have passed under the ship due to its shallow seven foot draft
.
player and manager, Roger Peckinpaugh
.
hauler in 1961 and used to carry cement from Oswego
to Rome, NY until to its retirement in 1994, the ‘‘Day Peckinpaugh’’ was the last self-propelled regularly scheduled commercial hauler on the barge canal.
it. State Police said the ‘‘Day Peckinpaugh’’ was close to being submerged as police and ship employees worked to pump the water from the ship’s engine rooms. The ship sustained extensive damage due to the flooding and repairs were estimated to be in excess of $10,000.
Pucci had worked aboard the Day Peckinpaugh since July 2009, but his position as a maintenance assistant was terminated February 25, 2010.
On September 15, 2010 Guy J. Pucci was sentenced to time served and five years probation
, including drug treatment court, after pleading guilty to a felony third degree criminal mischief charge.
in 2005.
At the time of its listing, it was located at Lockport
in Niagara County, New York
.
The Day Peckinpaugh and the 1901 tugboat Urger, as still functioning vessels, have become ambassadors of the New York State Barge Canal System.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
motorship
Motor ship
A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :...
currently berthed at the Matton Shipyard
Matton Shipyard
Matton Shipyard is a historic shipyard and canal boat service yard located on Van Schaick Island at Cohoes in Albany County, New York. It consists of eight extant buildings, various surviving features, and archaeological remains dating to the period 1916 to 1983 when the site functioned as a...
on Peebles Island, Cohoes
Cohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
in Albany County, New York
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
.
Early Years
The Day Peckinpaugh was built in 1921 by the McDougall-Duluth Shipyard in Duluth, MN, the first boat specially designed and built for New York State Barge Canal, the successor to the famed Erie CanalErie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. The ship was originally named the ILI101 after the ships first owner, the Interwaterways Lines Inc. of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The ship was the first specifically designed to ply the open waters of 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...
as well as the narrow locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
and shallow waterways of the barge canal. The Day Peckinpaugh is also the last surviving ship from a fleet of more than 100 of its type that once carried freight from the upper Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
to the port of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
At a length of 259 feet and width of 36 feet, it is among the largest boats to operate on New York’s canal system where the maximum area available for vessels in a lock is 300 feet long by 43.5 feet wide.
With a 14 foot deep hold and a carrying capacity of 1650 tons the Day Peckinpaugh was well suited as a bulk carrier
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
in which she hauled wheat, flax seed, rye, sugar, and in the early years pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
.
First Renaming
The ILI101 was christened the Richard J. Barnes in 1922 to honor the man who originally commissioned the ship.Second World War Service
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Richard J. Barnes was drafted into the U.S. Merchant Marine to carry coal and refuel cargo ships along the east coast of the United States. During her Merchant Marine service the Richard J. Barnes was attacked by a German U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
which fired a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
at her; the torpedo was thought to have passed under the ship due to its shallow seven foot draft
Draft
Draft or draught may mean:* Draught beer or other beverage, served from a bulk keg or cask rather than a bottle or can-Watercraft dimensions:* Draft , distance from waterline to keel* Draft , degree of curvature in a sail...
.
Second Renaming
In 1958, the ship was sold to Erie Navigation and retrofitted to carry sand and gravel. The ship was again renamed, becoming the Day Peckinpaugh, in honor of the man of the same name, brother of the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
player and manager, Roger Peckinpaugh
Roger Peckinpaugh
Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox...
.
Later Life
The ship was converted to a self-unloading dry cementCement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
hauler in 1961 and used to carry cement from Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
to Rome, NY until to its retirement in 1994, the ‘‘Day Peckinpaugh’’ was the last self-propelled regularly scheduled commercial hauler on the barge canal.
Restoration
In 2005 the Day Peckinpaugh was saved from the scrap yard by a partnership of museums, and canal preservation societies and is currently undergoing extensive cleaning, painting, restoration and testing of its engines. More than $3 million has been pledged to restore and convert the ‘‘Day Peckinpaugh’’ into a floating classroom and museum that will highlight the history and heritage of the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. The restoration is scheduled for completion in 2012. The ‘‘Day Peckinpaugh’’ is the largest artifact in the New York State Museum’s collection,Attempted sinking
On March 8, 2010 Guy J. Pucci, a 35 year-old ex-state employee was arrested after almost completely sinking the ship while it was docked at Lock 2 of the barge canal undergoing restoration. Pucci purportedly went aboard the vessel and opened valves to flood the ship in an attempt to scuttleScuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
it. State Police said the ‘‘Day Peckinpaugh’’ was close to being submerged as police and ship employees worked to pump the water from the ship’s engine rooms. The ship sustained extensive damage due to the flooding and repairs were estimated to be in excess of $10,000.
Pucci had worked aboard the Day Peckinpaugh since July 2009, but his position as a maintenance assistant was terminated February 25, 2010.
On September 15, 2010 Guy J. Pucci was sentenced to time served and five years probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, including drug treatment court, after pleading guilty to a felony third degree criminal mischief charge.
Current Status
The ship was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2005.
At the time of its listing, it was located at Lockport
Lockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
in Niagara County, New York
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
.
The Day Peckinpaugh and the 1901 tugboat Urger, as still functioning vessels, have become ambassadors of the New York State Barge Canal System.