Return to The Wreck of the ERIE BELLE
The ERIE BELLE's Boiler Today
I have long puzzled over just how the present condition of the boiler related to its original position in the ERIE BELLE. For some reason, I thought that the boiler's position now was roughly similar to it's orientation within the ship it once powered. David Swazye, a historian on Great Lakes shipwrecks, wrote to me on 2 May, 2000 with ideas as to the various parts now visible and their original orientation, which suggest a very different original orientation, which I have used to label the photo above.
Mr. Swayze wrote:
"... From it's appearance, it looks to me as if the boiler is standing on its end, with the stack trunk on the right side of the picture and the furnace on the left. It appears to be a water-tube type boiler and the water tubes (ends of some showing penetrating the plate near the center of the picture) would normally be in a horizontal position. One end of the water tubes and the boiler tank (now facing upwards) may have been blasted off in the explosion. I'm no expert, but that's how it looks to me."
"In the simple water-tube boiler the furnace and grate sit below a tank which contains a rack of tubes through which water circulates. The water is heated by the fire and eventually turns to steam, which is piped to the engine. This was the preferred type of boiler for tugs because steam could be got up quickly, as the volume of water was not high in proportion to the amount of heat. The main disadvantage was that the boiler had to be watched carefully as catastrophic explosions could result if the water was allowed to run too low. The other main type was the fire-tube boiler. This had the same plan, except that it was the heat[ed air] that went through the tubes (usually forced by blowers), heating up a large volume of water in the tank. This was a safer type, but took much longer to come to steam. It was the type preferred in big passenger ships and locomotives, where a long, sustained production of steam was the most important feature." (reproduced by permission).
Based on Mr Swayze's interpretation, I prepared the sketch above to illustrate the probable position of the boiler within the hull of the ERIE BELLE. For illustration I have also indicated the approximate position of the steam engine, although no trace of this or any other structure of the ship, save the boiler, is visible today. The relative scale of the ERIE BELLE to the boiler is evident from this sketch. The appearance of ERIE BELLE in this sketch is an artist's impression based on the fact that she was rebuilt as a steam tug in 1879 following sinking in Lake Erie and extensive damage to and removal of her upper works. I am not aware of any photos of ERIE BELLE following 1879 and would welcome any sources of new images, information or plans.
For more information on Great Lakes Shipwrecks, be sure to visit David Swayze's The Great Lakes Shipwreck File: Total Losses of Great Lakes Ships 1679 - 1998, and his Great Lakes Ship (and History) Page.
Last update: 30 April, 2001
Author: D. Galbraith Photo on this page by D. Galbraith