From collection Ed Coffin Collection
Close-up of bow of Eastern Steamship Lines Steamer BELFAST wedged under a side span of the Cape Cod Canal's original Sagamore bridge on April 16, 1919.
320.6' steamer BELFAST built by Bath Iron Works in 1909 at Bath, Maine. Weight and Dimensions: 2157 gross tons, length 320.6' x breadth 40.0' x depth 16.1'. Close-up of bow of Eastern Steamship Lines Steamer BELFAST wedged under a side span of the Cape Cod Canal's original Sagamore bridge on April 16, 1919. The accident was variously attributed to cross winds and currents and/or failure of the steering gear. Ship was stuck under bridge and blocking canal traffic for 30 hours. see also LB2013.21.1498 Note: most accounts say Sagamore Bridge, some say Bourne Bridge. They were identical drawbridges, part of the original privately operated canal structure. The current twin Bourne and Sagamore bridges were constructed in the 1930's. SS BELFAST: ROUTE: Boston - Bangor Line PORTS: Boston, Camden, Rockland, Belfast, Bucksport, Winterport, Bangor COMPANY: Eastern Steamship Lines, Inc. OTHER NAME: ARROW SISTER SHIP: CAMDEN LOCATION: Penobscot River BUILT: 1909 - Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine NUMBER 206266 LENGTH 320.6' L.O.A 335' BEAM 40.0' BEAM AT GUARDS 54' 2" DRAUGHT 16.1' GROSS TONS 2157.0 SPEED 18 KNOTS ENGINES 4000 HP Turbines SHAFTS 3 STATEROOMS 204 BIRTHS 135 for men, 87 for women The Belfast is a steel freight and passenger steamer built for the Eastern Steamship Company. She is a sister ship to the Camden, now wintering here. The Belfast is 335 feet long overall, 320 feet long on the water line, 54 feet 2 inches beam over the guards, 40 feet beam molded, 17 feet depth molded, and is to have a mean draft with freight, passengers and coal, of ten feet. Her arrangement is similar to that of most vessels of this class. She carries her freight forward on the main deck, the after end of the main deck being devoted to a social hall, aft of which will be the dining saloon. The next deck above, the saloon deck, is devoted to state rooms, as is the upper or gallery deck. There are large wells in the gallery deck surrounded by a bronze railing finished in green and the ceiling over the gallery deck has a dome. The hull is entirely constructed of steel with numerous watertight heads and the firerooms are entirely enclosed in steel. The dining room on the main deck is a very spacious apartment and has extra windows. The guests are to be seated at small tables. The social hall is to be floored with interlocking rubber tiling and to be finished in mahogany. The person's office opens from the social hall. The balance of the joiner work is to be finished in white, and all of the fittings, such as electric light fixtures and hardware, will be in bronze and antique. The general tone of the interior will be white and green. The Belfast will have Two Hundred and Four State Rooms. Provision is made for those not desiring state rooms, there being 135 births below the main deck forward for men and 87 births below the dining saloon aft for women. The galley, or kitchen, which will be equipped with the usual ranges, steam tables, etc., is below the social hall and is entered from the dining room by a broad stairway. Ample provision has been made for ventilation. The Belfast will have two pole masts of steel and two smokestacks. A somewhat novel arrangement is that of the guards, which, instead of being supported by diagonal braces, as is usually the case, are supported by bent frames, the shell plating being carried out over them so as to prevent a smooth surface to the sea, also providing buoyancy. The Belfast is to be thoroughly equipped with lifeboats, light preservers, fire handling apparatus, etc. The steamer will be, of course, heated throughout was steam. Much attention has been paid to the arrangement of the steam heat in order to provide an equable and comfortable temperature in all seasons. Close attention has also been paid to the matter of ventilation. Three turbined drivers The Belfast is to be propelled by three screws driven by Parsons Marine turbines, the high- pressure turbine being on the middle shaft and the low-pressure turbans on the side or wing shafts. The low-pressure turbines are equipped with a backing gear so that the two outboard propellers may be reversed. The outboard shafts are arranged to be somewhat widely apart in order to provide ease and handling. The turbine mechanism is equipped with the usual condenser, air pumps, circulating pumps, oil pumps, etc. Steam is to be furnished by 43-furnace scotch boilers 14 feet, 6 inches in diameter and 12 feet long, built for 150 pounds working pressure. The Ellis and the Eaves system of hot draft is to be installed. The propelling installation of the Belfast is expected to develop about 4000 horsepower, which will produce a speed of 17 knots. HISTORY: Built for the Bangor Line. Used on the Boston - New York Line in World War 1. Returned to Bangor Line until forced to cease operations due to strict navigation laws requiring double bottoms on all passenger ships. She, and sister ship, CAMDEN had single bottoms. Last sailing to Bangor December 1935. Sold to Colonial Line in 1936 for operation from Providence to New York. Used as United States Army Transport in Hawaiian Islands during World War II. STATUS: While under tow from Puget Sound to Astoria in 1947, broke free, drifted on to beach at Astoria, Oregon. Total loss.
