The fireboat appears to be made of wood. Brave to come up to burning ships in such a vessel, to put it mildly.

[That's not what fireboats are for. They fight fires in the warehouses and docks along the waterfront. - Dave]

Interesting as well to see no smoke coming out of the funnel, but the ship is leaving a wake. I wonder what she's burning--either a coal fire is burning down in the firebox, or could it be an early adopter of fuel oil?

In which case the men are doubly brave, I dare say.

Sept. 1, 1895 – Fireboat Company 44 was organized on the south side of India Wharf, off Atlantic Avenue, downtown, at a berth formerly used by fireboat Engine Company 31. The company was assigned a new fireboat, seen here and renamed in 1923 the MV Angus J. McDonald. That boat was replaced in 1931 and the company disbanded in 1954.

Interesting to see so many wind-powered ships in the background- some steam assisted ones too.

Ten years after this photo, every ship, no matter what its propulsion, was being pressed into service because of the pressures of WW1. Seeing so many sailing vessels still active in 1905 helps one to understand how there happened to be lots of sail powered ones available for service through the war.