SS Christopher Columbus
The SS Christopher Columbus was an American excursion liner on the Great Lakes, in service between 1893 and 1933. She was the only whaleback ship ever built for passenger service. The ship was designed by Alexander McDougall, the developer and promoter of the whaleback design.
A painting by Great Lakes marine artist Howard Sprague showing the ship in white livery, as SS Christopher Columbus appeared in 1893. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | SS Christopher Columbus |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | American Steel Barge Company |
| Yard number | 00128 |
| Laid down | September 13, 1892 |
| Launched | December 3, 1892 |
| Christened | May 13, 1893 |
| Out of service | 1933 |
| Homeport | Chicago, Illinois |
| Fate | scrapped 1936 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 1,511 GRT (4,279 m3) |
| Length | 362 ft (110 m) |
| Beam | 42 ft (13 m) |
| Depth | 24 ft (7 m) |
| Propulsion | Six boilers powering two reciprocating triple expansion steam engines, single screw |
| Speed | 17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h) |
| Capacity | 5,000 passengers |
| Notes | Only passenger whaleback ever built |
Columbus was built between 1892 and 1893 at Superior, Wisconsin, by the American Steel Barge Company. Initially, she ferried passengers to and from the World's Columbian Exposition. Later, she provided general transportation and excursion services to various ports around the lakes.
At 362 feet (110 m), the ship was the longest whaleback ever built, and reportedly also the largest vessel on the Great Lakes when she was launched. Columbus is said to have carried more passengers during her career than any other vessel on the Great Lakes. After a career lasting four decades, she was retired during the Great Depression and scrapped in 1936 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company at Manitowoc, Wisconsin.