Boat - Chicago IL - Hold this rope 1905 - Side by Side

by Mike Savad

Title

Boat - Chicago IL - Hold this rope 1905 - Side by Side

Artist

Mike Savad

Medium

Photograph - Colorized Photo

Description

Colorized photo from 1905
Original title: Str. William E Corey, Stern view
Photographer: Detroit Publishing
Location: Calumet River, at 101st Street, Chicago,IL

This is the Chicago shipbuilding company, it was created in 1890, they were known for making steel hulled ships, and barges without sails. Right now they are larding up the slipway, so the ship can slide out sideways into the water, the rudder will be installed later on. On the left you can see the mops and lard (a mix of whale oil and tallow), and the right you can see a series of ropes and chains, to pull away the props holding the entire ship up.

Those props seem to bet the only thing holding that ship in place, it would be bad if you tripped over one and it started a chain reaction.

The ship has a long history, it was launched on June 24th 1905, costing almost a half million. It crashed in a storm causing a $100,000 only 6 months after it launched. It was sold a number of times and renamed the Ridgetown. Currently its a break wall in Nanticoke Ontario, by a harbor entrance, it was filled with stone and allowed to sit on the sea floor, so its still technically in use.

I couldn't find too many color references for it however, it seems to have a stripe or two at the top, so I gave it a yellow and white stripe with a black body, whitish prop. It looks like they tore a building in two to make this boat fit. When I was looking up how this boat got into the water, they still do it today, when it lands in the water, it often creates a large wave that inundates the coast on the other side. Often knocking over dumpsters, walls, or people that were just in the wrong spot. It's actually pretty funny.

Uploaded

July 22nd, 2019

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