On this day April 1, 1949, the fire tug DELUGE was launched at Bay City, Michigan by Defore Ship Building Co. She was built for the Milwaukee Fire Department and definitely was no April Fool’s Day joke. She was a serious worker and spent her 35 year career here in Milwaukee not only in her firefighting service but also ice breaking in the outer harbor so tankers and freighters could reach Jones Island, and keeping the rivers open from ice and snow in case of fire.
DELUGE with her raised platform
DELUGE in the Milwaukee River clearing snow
Easterly winds and subzero cold spells could cause the Milwaukee harbor to have ice formations nine inches thick. The DELUGE’s ability to shatter mounds of frozen snow was legendary. Milwaukee’s Harbor Master stated upon the DELUGE’s retirement in 1984 that they would call her in three times a week during heavy weather. The local fish tugs would call her for help as well.
Truck dumping snow into the Milwaukee River, 1957
During her career, trucks were allowed to dump excess snow into the river. The DELUGE would break it up so that the river was still passable.
DELUGE salutes the Royal Yacht BRITANNIA, July 7, 1959
The DELUGE also had the honor of saluting the 412’ Royal Yacht BRITANNIA on her visit to the Great Lakes for the opening of the Seaway in July 1959. As you can see by the photo, it was something spectacular.
In 1962 it was noted that in her 12 years of service, the 97 foot DELUGE had never been out of service. She was equipped with radar, a ship to shore telephone and a short wave radio on both the Fire Department and Coast Guard frequency. She had four diesel engines but was capable of operating on only one if needed.
DELUGE in the Milwaukee River, January 1979
The DELUGE would tie up at the N. Water Street Bridge. Her eight man crew were different from other firemen. They didn’t actually fight the fires nor leave the boat. They would use the boat to carry water along the river to the scene of the fire.
The last major blaze that the DELUGE assisted in was the 1975 old Metropolitan Block building fire at State Street and the Milwaukee River. She was used mainly as an icebreaker until her retirement in 1984.
Milwaukee no longer had a fire “boat”. An amphibious rescue vehicle was her replacement. Financial reasons were given for her retirement. The boat, her crew and the fire house were cuts. The amphibious FIRE BOAT 1 was replaced in 2007 by the 39 foot TRIDENT.
DELUGE at Riverdale, Ill., September 27, 2003, Chuck Sterba photo
The DELUGE went to the old AmShip yard in South Chicago and was listed for sale in 1985. She was purchased and rumors were she was to be converted to a passenger boat. She was back up for sale in 1997. The USCG lists her as out of documentation in December 2000. As you can see from the 2003 photo, she preferred to remain a fireboat til the end.
Suzette Lopez
Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
