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Sept. 15, 1900. Wyandotte, Michigan. "Freighter Howard L. Shaw in the slip." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
As was common on the Great Lakes and still happens from time to time, this ore boat was launched sideways. Very recently from the looks of things and all the water on the ground on the left side. Now most larger boats are built in a dry dock and it's just flooded.
During WWII the Navy was aghast that they would propose launching submarines this way in Wisconsin, but they did, and it worked.
There are some nice videos on Youtube of ships launched this way.
Doghouse, I have been wondering about that punctuation thing for years -- around here there are old textile mills dating to around 1900 and many have the mystery period on their signage, e.g. "OFFICE." in large carved granite block letters above the entrance. Does anyone anyone anyone know why they would go to the trouble of carving a period there? I'm guessing it was simply the style, but I'd love to learn more about it.
Another example of the mysterious period at the end of non-sentences in signage. Seems to have flourished until about 1920 or so.
By the way, that steam yacht in the background is lovely. I want!!
It seems more like an 'Avant-launch' to me. By the looks of it it hasn't taken to the water yet.
[Look again. - Dave]
My grandfather was born 4 months earlier to the day, and served in the US Navy on the USS Olympia C-6, which pre-dates even this old gal.
This freighter made it until 1969 when it was sunk a part of the Ontario Place Landfill in Toronto.
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