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Ecorse, Michigan, 1905. "S.S. William G. Mather, stern view after the launch." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
How different the lines of this ship are from the lines of a modern steel ship ! Note the graceful curved counter stern, totally unlike the flat transoms seen on most of today's ships.
Many of this ship's plates are curved in two dimensions, which requires actual heating and stretching of the steel as opposed to merely rolling the plates into conic sections.
Note also that she's riveted, rather than welded.
Modern ships may be cheaper to build, but they tend to be blocky and not pleasing to the eye.
The propeller has some bolts at the base of each blade, suggesting that it is either a changeable-pitch propeller (unlikely) or perhaps a propeller built up from several castings.
I'm also struck by the many wooden fragments, blocks, and timbers from the launching cradle which are floating uncontained in the lake. Today, all this would have to be strictly contained and thoroughly cleaned up !
It seems there is some confusion on which vessel is which. The Historical Collection of the Great Lakes states the vessel, registry #202542, was scrapped in 1996. Seems the William G Mather is still at the E 9th St pier. If you read the historical text, the William G Mather was 'standing by' when the Nicolet (then named) was squeezed by ice in 1972, suffering 55 cracked plates.
[The second William G. Mather (224850) was launched in 1925 and is now used as a marine museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Our ship went through a series of name changes starting in 1925 and was sold for scrap in 1996. -tterrace]
I can't quite make out what is happening, but it looks perilous!
I see in the information provided by tterrace that they changed the name of this earlier William G. Mather in 1925. I'm guessing that is because of the newer Mather which was built in 1925, also by Great Lakes Engineering Works, and now sits on the the lakefront in Cleveland.
Wikipedia and other internet sources say the vessel was launched in 1925. Sources include the Great Lakes Science Centre and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
[Except for sources relevant to the vessel pictured which, as the caption states, was launched in 1905. -tterrace]
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