William H. Latham (icebreaker)
Encyclopedia
The William H. Latham is a 77 ton icebreaker owned and operated by the New York Power Authority
on the Niagara River
.
Her mission is to keep the Power Authority's inlet ports clear of ice. Occasionally, she is used to break open the Buffalo river, or the Lake Erie ice boom for emergency repairs. The Latham has been used for DEC fish stocking out of the Dunkirk Harbor, Search and rescue for downed aircraft and search duties for missing hikers on frozen Lake Erie.
She was built in 1987.
She is powered by two Catapillar 3412, 625 horsepower engines.
She is staffed by a crew of three.
During emergencies two crews have worked twelve-hour shifts to keep the vessel at work twenty-four hours a day.
The vessel's design and construction was overseen by Randy D. Crissman.
She is named after William H. Latham
a senior engineer with the Power Authority who died earlier that year.
Ontario Hydro
operates a similar vessel, the Niagara Queen, to clear the inlet ports for hydroelectric power generators on the Canadian side.
The Latham is assisted by a second vessel, a modified tugboat
, known only as Breaker.
New York Power Authority
The New York Power Authority , officially the Power Authority of the State of New York , is a New York State public benefit corporation and the largest state-owned power organization in the United States. NYPA provides some of the lowest-cost electricity in New York State, operating 17 generating...
on the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
.
Her mission is to keep the Power Authority's inlet ports clear of ice. Occasionally, she is used to break open the Buffalo river, or the Lake Erie ice boom for emergency repairs. The Latham has been used for DEC fish stocking out of the Dunkirk Harbor, Search and rescue for downed aircraft and search duties for missing hikers on frozen Lake Erie.
She was built in 1987.
She is powered by two Catapillar 3412, 625 horsepower engines.
She is staffed by a crew of three.
During emergencies two crews have worked twelve-hour shifts to keep the vessel at work twenty-four hours a day.
The vessel's design and construction was overseen by Randy D. Crissman.
She is named after William H. Latham
William H. Latham
William H. Latham was a senior engineer with the New York Power Authority.Prior to being responsible for the Niagara Project Latham had been in charge of the Power Authorities first hydroelectric project on the St Lawrence River...
a senior engineer with the Power Authority who died earlier that year.
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
operates a similar vessel, the Niagara Queen, to clear the inlet ports for hydroelectric power generators on the Canadian side.
The Latham is assisted by a second vessel, a modified tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
, known only as Breaker.