SS South American
Encyclopedia
SS South American was a Great Lakes
steamboat
built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works
at Ecorse, Michigan
. It was built in 1913 for the Chicago, Duluth & Georgian Bay Transit Company
. The vessel was launched on February 21, 1914 and was the newer of two sister ships, the older one being the SS North American
.
The South American was 314 feet (95.7 m) in length, had a 47 feet (14.3 m) beam, and drew 18 feet (5.5 m). She was equipped with a 2,200 indicated horsepower
quadruple-expansion steam engine
and three coal
-burning Scotch marine boiler
s.
She caught fire on September 9, 1924 in winter lay-up at Holland, Michigan
. Her upper works were rebuilt that winter. Also at the time, a second smokestack was added and her coal-fired boilers were converted to oil-burning.
Retired from regular passenger service in 1967, the South American initiated a run the 1967 World's Fair
in Montreal.
In 1968, she was sold to Seafarers International Union
in Piney Point
, Maryland
as a replacement for the North American which sank a year prior while in tow there. Failing Coast Guard inspection, she was moved to Camden, New Jersey
where she rotted before being scrapped in 1992.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works
Great Lakes Engineering Works
The Great Lakes Engineering Works was a shipbuilding company with a shipyard in River Rouge, Michigan that operated between 1902 and 1960. Within three years of its formation, it was building fifty percent of the tonnage of all ships in the Great Lakes. During World War II, GLEW was...
at Ecorse, Michigan
Ecorse, Michigan
Ecorse is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan, named for the Ecorse River. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. It was built in 1913 for the Chicago, Duluth & Georgian Bay Transit Company
Georgian Bay Line
The Georgian Bay Line is the popular name of the Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Transit Company. From 1913 until 1967, the Georgian Bay Line provided transit service and cruise voyages to passengers on North America's Great Lakes.-Formation:...
. The vessel was launched on February 21, 1914 and was the newer of two sister ships, the older one being the SS North American
SS North American
SS North American was a Great Lakes steamboat built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works at Ecorse, Michigan in 1913 for the Chicago, Duluth & Georgian Bay Transit Company...
.
The South American was 314 feet (95.7 m) in length, had a 47 feet (14.3 m) beam, and drew 18 feet (5.5 m). She was equipped with a 2,200 indicated horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
quadruple-expansion steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
and three coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-burning Scotch marine boiler
Scotch marine boiler
A "Scotch" marine boiler is a design of steam boiler best known for its used on ships.The general layout is that of a squat horizontal cylinder. One or more large cylindrical furnaces are in the lower part of the boiler shell. Above this is a large number of small-diameter fire-tubes...
s.
She caught fire on September 9, 1924 in winter lay-up at Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
. Her upper works were rebuilt that winter. Also at the time, a second smokestack was added and her coal-fired boilers were converted to oil-burning.
Retired from regular passenger service in 1967, the South American initiated a run the 1967 World's Fair
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
in Montreal.
In 1968, she was sold to Seafarers International Union
Seafarers International Union of North America
The Seafarers International Union or SIU is an organization of 12 autonomous labor unions of mariners, fishermen and boatmen working aboard vessels flagged in the United States or Canada. Michael Sacco has been its president since 1988. The organization has an estimated 35,498 members and is the...
in Piney Point
Piney Point, Maryland
Piney Point is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. It is known for the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, a popular seafood restaurant, beautiful houses along the beach, a lighthouse, and a "Museum." The Piney Point post office also...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
as a replacement for the North American which sank a year prior while in tow there. Failing Coast Guard inspection, she was moved to Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
where she rotted before being scrapped in 1992.