SS William A. Irvin facts for kids
SS William A. Irvin in Minnesota Slip
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Owner | US Steel |
| Builder | American Ship Building Company |
| Launched | 10 November 1937 |
| Sponsored by | Gertrude Irvin |
| In service | 1938 |
| Out of service | 1978 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5390137 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Laker |
| Tonnage | 8,240 gross; 6,072 net |
| Length | 610 ft 9.75 in (186.1757 m) |
| Beam | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Depth | 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m) |
| Installed power | DeLaval Cross steam turbine |
| Speed |
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| Capacity | 14,000 tons |
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William A. Irvin (freighter)
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 Location in Duluth
Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Minnesota Slip in Duluth Harbor, Duluth, Minnesota |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1938 |
| Built by | American Ship Building Company |
| Architectural style | Steel bulk freighter |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000858 |
| Added to NRHP | July 13, 1989 |
The SS William A. Irvin is a special kind of ship called a lake freighter. It was named after a person, William A. Irvin, who was important at US Steel. This ship sailed on the Great Lakes carrying huge amounts of materials for US Steel.
The William A. Irvin was the most important ship in the company's fleet from when it was built in 1938 until 1975. After that, it continued to work hard until it stopped sailing in 1978. Today, the ship is a museum ship in Duluth, Minnesota. It's a great example of a classic "laker" and shows how these ships were built without special unloading systems.
The ship is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's a significant part of history for its engineering, how it helped with shipping, and its design.
There's even a race named after the ship! Every year since 1994, during the Grandma's Marathon weekend, about 2,000 runners take part in the William A. Irvin 5K race. It starts and finishes right by the ship's famous red hull.
Contents
Ship's Journey and Life
The SS William A. Irvin was built and launched on November 21, 1937, in Lorain, Ohio. Its first trip began on June 25, 1938. The William A. Irvin was the first of four similar ships. The other three were named Governor Miller, John Hulst, and Ralph H. Watson. Each of these ships cost about $1.3 million to build.
William Irvin's wife, Gertrude Irvin, officially named the ship. The William A. Irvin and its sister ships had many new technologies for their time. They were known for being very good at their job. The William A. Irvin also carried many important guests for US Steel, offering them a luxurious experience.
This ship worked for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of US Steel its whole career. It's one of the few Great Lakes ships that still held a cargo record when it retired. The William A. Irvin was retired in 1978 because the company added a much larger ship to its fleet.
The William A. Irvin stayed in storage for eight years. Then, the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center bought it for $110,000. They wanted it as an attraction for their convention center along the Duluth waterfront. The ship was cleaned up and sealed before moving to its final spot near the Aerial Lift Bridge.
In September 2018, the ship was moved to Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin. This was so environmental work could be done in its home dock. On August 1, 2019, it was put into a dry dock. This allowed workers to paint and repair the parts of the hull that are usually underwater. The ship was then towed back to its home in Duluth on October 16, 2019.
Ship's Design and Features
The SS William A. Irvin is about 610 feet 9.75 inches (186.1757 m) long. It has a width, called a beam, of 60 feet (18 m). Its depth is 32 feet 6 inches (9.91 m). This ship could carry up to 13,600 tons of cargo.
The William A. Irvin was special because it had a three-story cabin at the front, unlike most ships that had two. The extra deck held four guest rooms and a guest lounge. There was also a special dining room for guests. This dining room was located where a cargo hatch would normally be on other ships. These guest areas were decorated with fancy oak wood and walnut, with shiny brass railings.
The William A. Irvin and its sister ships were among the first to use DeLaval Cross steam turbines for power. Older ships used different types of engines. The William A. Irvin also used a lot of welding in its construction. It was also the first ship where the crew could go to all parts of the ship from the inside. This meant they could stay warm and safe during bad weather. All parts of the William A. Irvin, from the beautiful wood in the guest areas to the brass in the engine room, have been kept in excellent condition.
Who Was William A. Irvin?
William A. Irvin was the fourth president of US Steel. He also served as the chairman of the board. He was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania. William had to leave school after eighth grade because his father passed away. He got a job as a telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad to help support his mother and brother. He later worked as a shipping clerk for the same railroad.
In 1895, Irvin moved from the railroad business to the steel industry. He started as a shipping clerk for Apollo Steel Company. This company later joined with the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company. By 1904, Irvin was an assistant to the Vice President. He became the Vice President of Operations from 1924 to 1931. Then, he joined United States Steel Corp. in 1931. He became president of USS in 1932 and Vice-Chairman of the board in 1938.
Irvin married Luella May Cunningham. They had five children together. After Luella passed away, Irvin married Emma Gertrude Gifford in 1910. His namesake ship, the William A. Irvin, was launched in 1938. William and Gertrude were the very first guests to sail on the ship.
How Cargo Was Loaded and Unloaded
The William A. Irvin could carry up to 14,000 tons of cargo. This cargo was usually taconite, which is processed iron ore, or raw iron ore from mines. About 90% of what it carried was taconite. Sometimes, it would also carry coal or limestone. The ship was built to carry grain, but it never did. This was because it was too difficult to switch from carrying taconite to grain.
All the cargo was loaded and unloaded through 18 hatches on the ship's deck. These hatches were covered with large steel covers, each weighing 5.5 tons. A special crane would lift these covers off and move them aside. Then, the cargo could be poured into the ship's three large holds. Loading the ship usually took about 3 to 4 hours.
To unload the cargo, they used large machines called Hulett cranes. These cranes had giant scoops that could reach into the holds and grab 10 to 15 tons of material at a time. After all the cargo was loaded or unloaded, the hatch covers were put back. They were then clamped down tightly using special "dog-ear" or "butterfly" clamps. Even though the covers needed a crane to move them, they had to be secured well. This was to make sure they wouldn't be knocked off by waves during storms.
Inside the Engine Room
The William A. Irvin is powered by geared steam-turbine engines. These are different from the very large, two-story tall engines used in older ships. Steam for the engines comes from a boiler room at the front of the engine room. This boiler burns coal, which is fed by gravity from a coal bunker above it. The coal bunker can hold up to 266 tons of coal.
The coal drops down to special spreaders that burn about 1.2 tons of coal every hour to create steam. This steam goes into the first turbine, called the high-pressure turbine. It spins a shaft at 5,600 rotations per minute (rpm). A special gear then slows this down to turn the ship's propeller at 90 rpm.
A second turbine, the low-pressure turbine, uses leftover steam from the first one. Together, these turbines produce 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) of power. This power allowed the William A. Irvin to move across the lakes at 11.1 mph (9.6 kn; 17.9 km/h) when it was full of cargo. When empty, the ship could go a bit faster, at 12.5 mph (10.9 kn; 20.1 km/h). This made it the slowest ship in the fleet.
Communication in the engine room was done using either a Chadburn telegraph or sound-powered telephones. The Chadburn telegraph receives signals from the pilothouse. These signals tell the engineers how fast the propeller needs to turn. Sound-powered telephones can be used to talk to other parts of the ship at any time. They are very useful during power outages or other electrical problems.
See also
