Who is the Oldest Grand Lady of the Great Lakes?

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Derek Miller
6 years ago
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1 Who is the Oldest Grand Lady of the Great Lakes? Steaming, Internet photo Launched in February 7, 1906 she was designed to be traditional Great Lakes bulk carrier as hull #17 by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse (Detroit), MI in She is of riveted steel construction, using a heavy gauge material as she would see rough duty and be exposed to inclement weather and ice conditions. She was originally christened the S.S. William P. Snyder for the Shenango Steamship & Transportation Co. Cleveland, OH, beginning her life on the Great Lakes and powered by a single triple expansion steam engine of 1,665 s.h.p. (ships horse power) steam engine with 2 Scotch fire tube boilers, which were the cutting edge of marine power during that time. Her length 551 feet, beam 56 feet, draft loaded 31 feet, capacity 10,250 tons at 21 foot midsummer draft.

2 (Note: While I was in the United States Coast Guard I served on a vessel built for the Unites States Light House Service which had the same power configuration as the original S.S. William P. Snyder.) (The S.S. Valley Camp, lake freighter, in Sault Ste. Marie (built 1917-retired 1966) has a very similar coal-fired triple-expansion steam engine, power system as the S.S. William P. Snyder did when she was built. This vessel is a maritime museum open to the public and is a fascinating attraction to visit.) The Scotch boilers were replaced with water tube steam boilers in about She was renamed S.S. Elton Hoyt II June 26, 1926 then passing through two ownership s in 1929 and 1930 retaining her name. The new owners were Youngstown Steamship Co. and Interlake Steamship Co., both of Cleveland Ohio. She was repowered (upgraded) in 1950 with a single Skinner Marine Unaflow steam engine, and two larger water tube steam boilers. This vessel is one of the two remaining US ships, still active on the Great Lakes, to be powered by the classic Skinner Marine Unaflow steam engine. The other vessel is the Car Ferry S.S. Badger, built in 1952, which employs two Skinner Marine Unaflow steam engines. While the S.S. Medusa Challenger uses oil, the Car Ferry S.S. Badger still remains coal fired. She was involved in a bow to bow collision in the fall of 1950 during a typical heavy Michigan snow storm near the Straits of Mackinaw with the freighter S.S. Enders M. Voorhees and dry-docked at that time for major repairs. The vessel was renamed S.S. Alex D. Chisholm in 1952 following the launch into the Interlake fleet of the new hull being christened S.S. Elton Hoyt II (2).

As the S.S. Alex D. Chisholm she sailed until about 1960 before being laid up in Erie, PA. In 1966, the hull was purchased by Medusa Portland Cement for conversion to a cement carrier.

3 As the S.S. Alex D. Chisholm she sailed until about 1960 before being laid up in Erie, PA. In 1966, the hull was purchased by Medusa Portland Cement for conversion to a cement carrier. This conversion was completed by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI, in I understand that she was converted at this time from coal to oil for the boiler fuel. In 1966 she was again renamed as the S.S. Medusa Challenger and operated out of the Medusa Portland Cement Co. Charlevoix Mi. At loading silo Charlevoix Mi, Internet photo She served many ports of call about the Great Lakes as her small size and shallow draft in comparison the much larger 1000 foot tankers made her ideal for the work. Chicago, Milwaukee, Manitowoc, Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland, to name a few.

4 She held a love hate relationship with the many bridge operators on the Chicago River and canals as they had to sometimes open 4 or 5 bridges and hold them open waiting the vessel to pass through. The time taken greatly related to whether she was up-ward or down-ward bound. Doing this at 5 PM on a Friday must have been a real treat! She sails during the summer season and winters in Wisconsin or Illinois for winter layup and needed repairs. She was again, in 1998, renamed S.S. Southdown Challenger when her parent company was purchased by the Southdown Inc.; Again, due to the acquisition and changing of international ownership she was renamed the S.S. St Mary Challenger April 28, 2005; the name she retains today. In 2006 she became a centennial carrier of the Great Lakes having completed a hundred years as a powered carrier. During these years she has survived, striking a concrete dock (1916) and suffered the stress of severe weather (1917), groundings (1976), hit by a water spout (1997), and severe storms throughout her life on the lakes. Look with pride when you see her proudly plying her bow throughout our Great Lakes, She s been doing it for 104 years, serving our waters before any of us were born. She is the oldest ship on the lakes. She may be the S.S. St. Mary Challenger today but I and many will fondly remember her as the S.S. Medusa Challenger God Bless her and her crews! It is presented for your enlightenment and edification. Edward May III Curmudgeonly Historian

5 Why do we call a ship she? A ship is called a 'she' because: there is always a great deal of bustle around her; there is usually a gang of men about, she has a waist and stays; it takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking; it is not the initial expense that breaks you, it is the upkeep; she can be all decked out; it takes an experienced man to handle her correctly; and without a man at the helm, she is absolutely uncontrollable: she shows her topsides, hides her bottom and, when coming into port, always heads for the buoys... To quote Popeye the Sailor Man, I yam what I yam!

William Clay Ford ready for launch [DC]

300 HULL NUMBER William Clay Ford ready for launch [DC] Lake Bulk Freighter built at the River Rouge yard in 1953 as a) WILLIAM CLAY FORD (1) (US.266029). Her keel was laid April 7, 1952 and launched on