Triton (steamboat) facts for kids
Triton
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name | Triton |
| Owner | Anderson Steamboat Company; King County, Washington |
| Route | Lake Washington |
| Builder | John L. Anderson |
| In service | 1909 |
| Out of service | 1916 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | inland steamboat |
| Tonnage | 48 gross tons, 33 net tons |
| Length | 78 ft (23.8 m) |
| Beam | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Installed power | 180 horsepower steam engine |
| Propulsion | propeller |
| Crew | 3 |
| Notes | Official Number 206216 |
The steamboat Triton was a passenger ferry that sailed on Lake Washington in the early 1900s. It helped people travel across the lake and was part of a fleet of boats owned by the Anderson Steamboat Company.
Building the Triton Steamboat
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The Triton steamboat was built in May 1909. It was launched at the Anderson Shipyard in Houghton, a town on the east side of Lake Washington. This boat was 78 feet (about 24 meters) long and 18 feet (about 5.5 meters) wide. It weighed 49 gross tons and was powered by a 180-horsepower steam engine that used oil for fuel.
Captain John Anderson built the Triton. He added it to his group of steamboats that operated on Lake Washington under the name Anderson Steamboat Company. The Triton cost about $20,000 to build.
Captain Anderson liked to name his boats after gods from old stories. The Triton was named after a Roman god who was said to be the "messenger of the deep." The Triton was also a sister ship to another boat called Aquilo, which was launched in the same month by Captain Anderson.
How the Triton Operated
The Triton started sailing just as the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition opened on June 1, 1909. One of its first jobs was to bring visitors from different parts of Lake Washington to the exposition grounds.
In 1912, the Triton's regular route took it from Leschi Park, around Mercer Island, and back. By April 1914, the Seattle Port Commission allowed the Triton to stop at its piers in Bellevue and Medina. It made 11 round trips each day between Leschi Park, Bellevue, and Medina. However, by November 1915, the Anderson Steamboat Company replaced the Triton with another boat called Dawn on this route.
The Triton was also used for special trips and holidays. For example, on July 4, 1915, it sailed from Leschi Park for a trip around Mercer Island. The company advertised this trip as "25 miles for 25 cents." On July 31, 1910, the Triton helped with the annual Seattle Newsboys Union picnic by carrying people between Leschi Park and Wildwood Park.
The Triton's Accident
On September 24, 1916, around 4 p.m., the Triton hit something underwater near the south end of Mercer Island. This object, called a snag, poked a hole in the boat's bottom. The snag stayed in the hole for a few minutes, acting like a plug. But when it fell out, the Triton started filling with water very quickly.
Captain H. A. Riddle quickly steered the boat to the shore on the south side of Mercer Island. He safely got all the passengers and crew off the boat before it sank to the bottom on its right side. This accident happened two months after the Lake Washington Ship Canal was opened, which had lowered the lake level by 7 feet (about 2 meters). People thought that this snag was one of many hidden dangers that appeared because the water level was lower.
The Triton came to rest on a steep underwater slope. The back of the boat sank into 20 feet (about 6 meters) of water, while the front rested in 7 feet (about 2 meters) of water. The Anderson Steamboat Company did not have insurance for the Triton, and it was clear that the boat might not be saved. It seems the Triton never sailed again. It was not listed as an asset of the company by January 1, 1917, and news reports stopped mentioning it after the accident.
